Christ, supreme in creation and redemption
Tag Archives: Jesus Christ
Week 6 :: Col. 2:1-7
[1] For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, [2] that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, [3] in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. [4] I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. [5] For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ. [6] Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, [7] rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
Memorizing Colossians
We began memorizing Colossians this week. Our mission, so to speak, is the commit Paul’s letter to memory in the next fifteen weeks. We should be done by Christmas.
I am excited about learning this book. Each week, I will post the verses we are learning. In between work and home, I will write up notes learned from my study — and from my partners, I hope to get their thoughts posted as well.
Paul teaches about the doctrine of Christ more fully and systematically than in his earlier epistles. Paul teaches about what they already have: a hope laid up in heaven, an inheritance with the saints, deliverance from the tyranny of darkness, a seat with the risen Christ. Against the false teachings facing the Colossians, Paul reminds them Christ had done all that was necessary for their salvation (O’Brien). From the ESV Study Bible, the key themes of Colossians are:
- Jesus Christ is preeminent over all creation, Lord over all human rulers and cosmic powers (Col. 1:15–20; Col. 2:9–10; Col. 3:1)
- God has worked through Christ to secure redemption and reconciliation for all who put their faith in him (Col. 1:13–14, 20–22)
- Believers are in Christ and thus participate in a relationship of solidarity with Christ in his death on the cross, his resurrection from the dead, his new life, and his fullness (Col. 2:9–14; Col. 3:1–4)
- Christ has defeated the powers of darkness on the cross, and Christians share in his power and authority over that realm (Col. 2:10, 15; see also Col. 2:8, 20)
- Jesus is the fulfillment of Jewish expectation, and Christians now share in the heritage of the old covenant people of God through their union with him (Col. 1:12, 21–22, 27)
- Believers are called to grow in maturity in Christ by getting rid of sinful practices and cultivating Christian virtues (Col. 1:10–12, 28; Col. 3:1–4:6)
Where is history going? (Psalm 2)
Progressing from Psalm 1 to Psalm 2 expands from the individual person to the nations as a whole. Originally, this psalm was likely used in coronation ceremonies. The Davidic king was the Lord’s “anointed”. Yet, Psalm 2 points beyond a human king to the ultimate Son of David, Jesus Christ. He will be our focus.
The world, represented by the kings and rulers, is hostile to the Lord and his Anointed (“messiah”). We see in Acts 4:23-31 that this hostility spills onto the Lord’s people. Dale Ralph Davis asks, “What are we to make of this?” We understand that a proper worldview starts with this understanding: the world hates God, detests his Messiah, and despises his people.
But is there any consolation for the Lord’s people? Yes, God is unimpressed by this world-wide rebellion – he laughs at them all! Our consolation is grounded is this truth: God’s kingdom cannot be destroyed. God has installed his own king on Zion to rule over the nations. It may start visibly small, but will grow until it fills the earth.
God’s decree determines who will rule. The nations and rules have plotted, but God has decided and acted. God has appointed the king, with world-wide sway, who will be established in overwhelming force. The view of where everything is headed will act as glue for God’s people.
God offers the rebellious mercy if they come and make peace. They can avoid danger and experience joy, but it requires total submission to the Son. God is in the business of saving rebels. God is in control, which comforts us during persecution and urges us to share God’s mercy – which we rebels have already received.
Read the Psalms on your knees
For any Christian for whom prayer is becoming formal and stereotyped, the Psalms provide a rich source of inspiration. It is true that to read the Psalms on your knees, as it were, can be a great boost to one’s prayer experience. The book of Psalms provides the most sustained and concentrated biblical expressions of prayer. There are two qualifications I would make to this recommendation to resort directly to the Psalms for prayer.
You can read the two qualifications he makes about praying the Psalms at the link below. Great insight into the significance of the Psalms for prayer.
Peace to Sleep
Over two Psalms, David remarks on his ability to sleep well and in peace. The Lord sustains David as he flees from his son Absalom (Psalm 3:5), and the Lord protects David as he sleeps (Psalm 4:8). What has struck me about each of these verses is the active work on the Lord on David’s behalf and indeed on every Christian’s behalf. The Lord lifts David up and protects him, physically and spiritually. The Lord carefully watches over us. He is for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Authority from Ray Ortlund’s blog
“The Rabbis spoke from authority, Jesus with authority. Those who heard Him ‘were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes’ (Mark 1:22. C. H. Dodd renders ‘He taught them like a sovereign, and not like the Rabbis’). W. Manson . . . cites the saying of Justin Martyr, ‘His word was power from God.’ ‘Thus says the Lord’ is typical of the Old Testament, but Jesus’ characteristic expression is ‘Truly, truly, I say to you.’ The difference is significant. Jesus appealed to no other authority as He spoke to men of the deep things of God.”
Leon Morris, The Lord from Heaven (Downers Grove, 1974), pages 13-14. Italics his.