Title: Jesus is Lord
Saints, do you have Jesus? Is our Adventist church suffering from the disease of 'Jesus Deficit Disorder'? Do you really know Jesus?
1. Jesus is the visible God (v. 15a)
Because God is a Spirit, He is an invisible God. But Jesus is “the image of the invisible God.” Here ‘form’ has two meanings: first it means ‘exactly the same’ and second means ‘to represent’. Thomas confessed that he was “my Lord and my God” (John 20:28). Therefore, Jesus is the visible God. Please believe it.
2. Jesus is Lord of all things (verses 15b-17).
In verse 15b, Jesus is “the firstborn of all things”. Here, the ‘firstborn’ means that in time Jesus is the one who is before all things, and Jesus is the Lord who is above all things.
1) Because Jesus created all things (verse 16)
Jesus is Lord of all because all things were created by him, all things were created through him, and all things were created for him.
2) Because Jesus maintains all things (verse 17)
Jesus is the Lord of all things because He created and sustains all things.
3. Jesus is Lord of the church (re-creation) (v. 18) “He is the head of the body, the church” (v. 18a)
Jesus is the head of the church and the church is his body. The 'head' of the church is the 'lord' of the church and governs and guides the church. Without Jesus, there is no church.
1) Because Jesus is the “foundation” of the church (verse 18b)
The ‘fundamental’ here means that Jesus is the origin and source of the life of the church.
2) Because Jesus is “the firstborn from the dead” (verse 18c)
In conclusion, Jesus is “the supreme (Lord) of all things” (verse 18c). Jesus is our Lord as Creator. Jesus is our Lord as our Redeemer.