CHRIST: MORE THAN AN ADDITION

New year in the Philippines is very colorful. Step outside the house and look at the sky, you will see how bright is the skyline in the Philippines every new year’s eve. You will see firework everywhere you look up, even down in the streets there are people lighting up their fire crackers and wearing their shirt in emerald green. Because emerald green was the color of the year in 2026. Additional to this tradition is the noise of the new years eve. That is how beautiful, lively, and vibrant is the New Year’s Filipino tradition. However, behind those beautiful traditions is a heartbreaking reality that people are doing all these things, that they may drive away bad luck.

Because people has no hope to put on, but to lay their faith on traditions, expecting that this will help their way to good luck for the whole year. And as Christians who put our faith and whole hope in Christ Jesus, what is our reason if we are going to participate in this kind of tradition? Do we still believe that luck and wealth is the most important things in this life? Do we still let our hopes hanged half in this tradition for luck and half on Christ just to make our more year effective and fruitful?

We don’t understand our faith and purpose, as some issue in the Church of Colossae, we are robbing ourselves, instead of putting our hope in Christ and finding ourselves and purpose in Christ. We see Christ as just an addition to our lives plus our personal traditions to earn ourselves. We should know what Paul has said in the Church of Colossae – That Jesus Christ is our Lord, God, the Owner of our lives.

Colossians 1:15-20, (ESV)

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

He is the image of the invisible God

Paul is talking about Jesus Christ, Jesus is the Image of the invisible God. The Word ‘Image’ from the original Greek is (εἰκών​) eikōn', which means the exact and perfect picture. Like what Jesus had said when Philip ask him this question, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” (John 14:8); Jesus answers him, "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? '"(John 14:9). This means that Jesus is the perfect picture of God that we cannot see, and if the disciples have seen Jesus they have seen God because the Father and Jesus are One.

Jesus is the perfect image of God, he is the physical historical, visible manifestation of the invisible God. He is also the owner who has the authority overall creation.

He is the firstborn of all creation

When the word ‘firstborn’ is used in Paul’s time, it doesn’t mean the eldest child of the father, but rather it means in their context is birthright or an heir of the father – whoever is the firstborn he owns what the father owns, for example, Jacob was not the eldest, but he became the firstborn; David was the youngest among the 8 children of Jesse, but he became the firstborn among the brothers for God made Him a king and has given the rights as a king the rights of the firstborn. Therefore the meaning of the firstborn of all creation means that Jesus is the owner of all creation.

Why did Paul make such a declaration about Christ? Aside from this being the truth, the following verse also gives the greatest reason why He is the owner of everything that has been created.

Because, in him all things were created.

For by him all things were created,

16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.

This means that Jesus is the historical origin of all things, he is the origin of all completed event of creation in Genesis. Jesus was there in the creation, for he is the designer of all things were created.

If you will notice the repeated words, the phrase “all things were created” appears twice. First, it appears at the beginning of the verse, and then it appears again near the end of the verse, followed by the preposition “through,” referring to Christ as “Him.” We also see the repeated word “Him” in the phrases “by Him,” “through Him,” and “for Him.” This gives us the idea of what Paul mean is “all things were created by Him”, “all things were created through Him” and “a things were created for Him”.

all things were created through him

Meaning "will continue to stand created." The entire universe will continue to exist because Christ is sustaining it. For He us the Builder of all creation.

and (all things were created) for him

Christ is the Designer, the Cause, the Builder and the One who should receive all the glory from it. For He is the owner of all creation.

What are these things that were designed through Him, created through Him, sustained through Him, and for Him?

The scope is “in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible,” and everything in it whether it is “thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities”

in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible,

Christ is the origin, and creator of all things that are in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible. 

For He is the Designer, the Builder, and the Owner of it all.

whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities

This means all kinds of hierarchy, all kinds of power, all kinds of authority He is above all of these things. For He is the Designer, the Builder, the Owner of it all.

Whatever kind of might, power, whatever kind of terrifying force it is, Spiritual or Physical, heavenly dominion or earthly dominion; even the powers who rebel against the will of God – God is above them all.

Therefore, Christians do not need to compromise their faith just because of these powers, for Christ is more powerful than these entities and they still exist because of Christ. Instead, they can put their full trust and hope in Christ, knowing that whatever may happen, we know Christ is more powerful than any of this and our treasure was in Him.

Therefore the God whom we worship in the name of Jesus Christ, the God whom we put our faith has to origin. For He is the origin and the reason all things are sustained.

And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (ESV)

This doesn’t mean that Christ is created before all things, but rather before everything is created, Christ is who He is. He has no origin, He has no beginning, and He has no end. And this idea is supported by the next phrase of this verse.

in him all things hold together.

The whole universe holds together because of Christ, everything does continue to exist and fit together in a clear, logical and natural way because of Christ.

There is no Christ plus luck. All things does continue to exist because of Him. Moreover, if Christ hold all things together, therefore there is no luck. Because all things happen under His supervision. As He is the owner as He is also the Head of the Church whom He redeemed from the power of sin and death.

And he is the head of the body, the church.

Christ holds the dominion, authority, He Rules above all in the Church. He gave leaders as gifts to the church so that the they may be equipped in maturity for the work of the ministry. Pastors, Elders, Deacons and all the ministry workers of the Church are servants of One and only true God for the Church.

Therefore we have no other reason for serving except Jesus Christ – our Lord, God and Savior. We love God because of Christ – for what He has done for us, and we love the Church and our neighbor as we love ourselves because we know how God loves us in Christ.

He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,

Jesus Christ is the beginning of all things that were created. He is the firstborn from the dead mean, Jesus is the owner of life.

Before Jesus Christ died and resurrect, there were records in the history of dead being resurrect, the child of the widower were resurrected through the prophet Elijah by the power of God (1 Kings 17:17-24); Lazarus one of the closest friend of Jesus were resurrected from the dead when Jesus called His name from the tomb (John 11:38-44). However, Christ rising up from the dead is the firstborn from the dead, because His resurrection is far more supreme than those resurrection. For it is the hope of all those who put their faith in Jesus Christ alone, that whosoever believed in Christ Jesus shall not perish but have everlasting life.

that in everything he might be preeminent.

In verses 15 up to this verse Paul is showing how Christ is preeminent above all His creation, for the whole cosmos were not only created By him, through Him and for Him they are also sustained because of Christ. Paul has written down all this facts that His readers might see Christ as preeminent above all things. Because these events were happened and sustained that Christ may be glorified for He is the owner of it all.

Therefore, Christ must receive the supreme exaltation in every aspects of our life and in all creation, for He deserves nothing less from this.

Last night, I’ve talked to a person. He said that he was so lucky for what he has, and he added he was so very lucky because he has a very good wife. But I said to Him, “You are not lucky, you are blessed”, “God blessed you, despite of everything about you – He blessed you”, I added.

Sometimes, we put the credits to something else, that should be credited to God. This happens because we don’t acknowledge God is involved in our lives. The result is that we dishonor God by failing to give Him the thanksgiving He deserves. He blesses us despite our sinfulness. Yet the more we fail to acknowledge Him for His goodness, for creating us and sustaining us – the more we dishonor God and His grace.

Give thanks that you are a leader. Give thanks that you are a parent. Give thanks that you are the firstborn. Give thanks that you are advancing in your studies. Give thanks for everything you have received, and be a good steward of God wherever you are right now. And do your best in everything your hands find to do, in all these areas, for the glory of the name of Jesus Christ. That He might be the only preeminent One in all the aspects of our lives.

For Jesus Christ is God and the fullness of God is in Him.

19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,

Christ is truly divine. For in Him all the fullness of God was well pleased to dwell. Jesus is whom God is well pleased.

Without Christ how God would be pleased in us? How would humanity will be reconciled to God, if their sin separates them from God?

20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Because of sin, humanity has been separated with great fissure between God and man – this also affects the creation. Because humanity has been corrupted in all their ways, the earth and everything in it has been also corrupted – it is evident if we look at how selfish a person is.

God’s plan is to restore everything through Christ whom He is well pleased. The scope of this is from the bottom of the earth, up to the heavens.

making peace by the blood of his cross

The cost of this restoration? The way that the whole creation will be restored is through the blood of Christ on the cross. God has accomplished a total restoration of the entire universe back to Himself through the physical, sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross.

The only and perfect image of God; The Designer, Builder, and Owner of all things that are created in heaven and on earth – Jesus Christ. He is the one who came down and be incarnated in human flesh to restore everything in Him through Him. Through the suffering on the cross, through His blood that was shed on the cross – the central even of the whole history of humanity, everything will be restored.

If God, through Jesus Christ, has done all these things so that you may live, be restored to His purpose, and you may find salvation and hope. What excuse can we give to the Owner of our lives? Is there any reason for us not to come to Him and seek our identity and purpose in him? What reason could we possibly give, for us not to surrender our lives to Him? We have no reason to be ungrateful. By knowing these truths, only ungratefulness and pride can cause us not to surrender our lives to Him and seek His will.

If we think of Christ as an additional to our life, we think so shallow of Him, not knowing that our whole life is only dependent on Him, whether people believe in Him or not.

Christ deserves to be preeminent in our lives. He should be preeminent in our time, treasure, talent, lives, family, studies, work, and in all things that we do, even in the smallest things that we do in our lives, even if it is eating and drinking

He designed us, created us, and owned us. We are His. I pray that this gives us the reason to live for Him as He is the only preeminent Lord in our Lives.