"The one in the manger is the one who made you"

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Today's reading is taken from colossians chapter 1 versus starting to verse 15. The sum is the image of the invisible god, the firstborn over all creation. For in him, all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him, all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church, He is the beginning and the first form from among the dead so that in everything, he might have supremacy.

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him. And through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood shed on the cross. Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds be because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you wholly in his sight without blemish and free from accusation. If you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel.

This is the gospel that you heard, and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven and of which I, Paul, have become the servant. Although we pray now please as we come to your word, that you would continue to teach us and instruct us and open our eyes to the glory of Jesus. So if you would turn to, colossians chapter 1, that's what the Bible reading was. And that's what we're gonna look at a little bit more briefly this morning than we normally would. And there's gonna be a little bit of revision time for some.

Just to say, so we on Christmas morning, we heard that the wise men worshiped Jesus and that we are called to do the same. And that is, of course, a big call to worship Jesus. We're not, called simply to respect Jesus or admire his teaching or be in awe of what he did, We are not called merely to copy Jesus. We are called in the Bible to worship Jesus. To bow before him, that man Jesus, who was born 2000 years ago in Bethlehem.

We're called to worship him, bow before him with our whole lives, commit ourselves to him, and live our lives for him. Why? Why is that the right response to Jesus? Well, this morning, we're gonna look at this passage in colossians chapter 1, page 1 1 8 2. And it is a little bit of revision, like I say, because we looked at this passage, Last spring, I'm sure the sermon is still very fresh in your memory.

But if it's not, then today is a little bit of a recap, bit of a, to remember that. But some of us also, were on Keswick week 2, which is a convention up in the Lake District, where Tim Chester very helpfully taught on colossians. And so he preached on this passage as well, and I thought it would be good to come back to it again and have a little bit of a recap. And you'll notice as I go through, there will be some, quote, some references from Tim Chester and what he said. And so we're we'll see those as we go through.

But it's a helpful passage to come to at this time of year as well because there are themes in here, which are Christmas themes as well, in the colossians passage. And some of the themes are picked up in Christmas carols. And so we're gonna have 2 headings, 2 themes. We're not gonna pick up everything from those verses, but 2 headings, and they are both lines from Christmas carols. So our first 1 is gonna be this.

Why worship this isn't a line from a Christmas Carol? Why why is worship the right response to Jesus here's a line from a Christmas Carol? 1. Low within a main July is he who built the starry skies. Line from the Carol, see amid the winter snow, which picks up on 1 of the major themes from colossians 1.

And so if you've got that open in front of you, we're gonna start with verse 50. Where it says. The son is the image of the invisible god, the firstborn over all creation. Now before we think about him creating everything, just notice there, that that is saying about Jesus that he is the image of the invisible god. The son shows to us what God is like.

He is the image of the invisible god, Tim Chester, in his talk on this expressed it like this. He says, when you look in a mirror, you see an image of yourself. When the father God the father looks at God the son, he sees himself. And Jesus is so perfectly the image of God that he is god, often an image is of someone is not exactly like the an exact representation of the 1 that is being, made the image of. But for Jesus with god's father, he is so exactly the image of God that he is god.

Well, then we come to verse 16. Says for in him, all things were created, things in heaven and on earth visible and invisible whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities, all things have been created through him and for him. There you go. In that verse, clearly saying that Jesus is the 1 who created all things. It's expresses it at the beginning of the verse verse 16 that all things were created in him.

And it really emphasizes then that it's everything, isn't it? Paul emphasizes it a a few times. He says, whether things in heaven or things on earth. Well, that is a way of saying everything, isn't it? At the beginning of the Bible.

The Bible begins by saying, in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. In other words, everything. And Paul is saying everything things in heaven and things on earth. That's everything were created in Jesus. And then just to emphasize it again in case you didn't get it, he says visible and invisible, which again, that covers everything, doesn't it?

There's nothing that's not visible or invisible. So that is everything. Everything that you can see and everything you can't see was created in Jesus. And that encompasses spiritual beings as well, doesn't it? And then he particularly focuses on the things with power and authority.

So he says whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities. So he's covering all the things that could have dominion over us, that could have power over us, whether that's human authorities, and we've already thought about some of them in our prayers that you think about the world leaders, Putin, and Trump and Zelensky and and other world leaders. You think they're the people with the power. And this is saying Jesus is over the mall because they were all created in him. And that, of course, includes all spiritual authorities.

Some dismiss the idea of spiritual authorities. Some are just terrified of them. But whether demons or angels or spirits, Jesus is over them all, because he created them all. And then in the verse verse 16, it says towards the end of the verse, all things were created through him and for him. Through him and for him.

And if you add together that with the bit at the beginning of the verse, it says all things are created in Jesus through Jesus and for Jesus. And that is significant. And there is much that you could mine from each of those things. We're not gonna spend too long, particularly on the first 1. I would encourage you to listen to.

You could get hold of the Tim Chester talk, from, Keswick, I would encourage you to do so. It it will stretch you. It will stretch your mind. And I could just quote from him about the being made in Jesus, but if I'm totally honest, I didn't fully understand it. And therefore I would just be repeating it to you, and you'd come and ask me questions afterwards.

It's far better. Listen to what he says. It is very, very helpful about what it means that we are created in Jesus. But I'm just gonna skate over that a little bit and go to created through Jesus. If we're created through Jesus, if everything is created through Jesus, that shows everything was made by Jesus, but it implies, doesn't it?

That Jesus is not the only 1 involved in creating everything. Vidal tells us, god, the father created all things through Jesus. And we know that the Holy Spirit was involved in creation as well. In Genesis 1, the spirit was hovering over the waters. So all 3 members of the trinity involved in creation And that includes Jesus, which means Jesus, that baby born in a manger, bay born in a manger born to Mary, put in a manger.

He is the 1 who made all things were created through him. The father, the son, and the Holy Spirit all involved in creation, which means made by Jesus could be stamped on everyone and everything. You could have that stamped on you. You were made by Jesus. And therefore you belong to him.

But more than that, created in him through him and for him. Which means everything that was created has a purpose, and that purpose is a person, Jesus. And that is vital to know. We need to know the universe has a purpose You have meaning, but you're only gonna know your meaning. You're only gonna fulfill that if you know Jesus because you were made for him.

And you've gotta live your life for it to have real meaning and purpose, you need to live your life in line with what you were created for. It's an important principle. You you need to live according to what you were made for. Let me give you an illustration. I'm awful at tennis, but I knew I do know what this was made for.

This was made for hitting tennis balls, and it's very good at that. You could maybe think of other things that you could use it for. You could think, well, you could, I don't know, you could strain spaghetti with it. Maybe some students have. Or you could make chips with it.

And it might do a fairly good job at that, but that's not what it was made for. Is it? It was made for hitting tennis balls, and that's where it's it's at its best. You were made, and I was made, we weren't made to live for ourselves, or for our own plans and purposes, we were created for Jesus. And therefore, as we think about 20 26, and you think, well, what are those plans that we've got ahead?

We need to think first and foremost we were created for Jesus. And so 20 26, we need to think, well, it needs to be all about him and to come to him and say, lord, What have you got for me this coming year? What's your purpose for me? We were made for a purpose. We were made for Jesus, to belong to him, be in relationship with him, glorify him, and serve him.

And it's as we do those things that we're living out what we were made for. So it isn't surprising. People struggle with meaninglessness, purposelessness, if they don't know Jesus. And not only were you made for Jesus, so is everyone around you, and yet we have a tendency to warn other people to serve our purposes. And if they don't do it, we get annoyed with them.

We get angry with them. We get impatient with them. And yet they weren't made for you. They were made for Jesus. And so Paul says, you see Jesus, the son of god.

He is supreme over all creation, the 1 in whom, through whom, and for whom. Everything was made. Tim Chester, again, in his, and he and not in the talk, actually, but in his advent devotional, some of us have been using He expresses some of the wonder of this that Jesus, our creator, was born on earth. He says, the creator became a creature while remaining the creator. And that is more amazing, even than the creation of the whole vast universe out of nothing.

He says the creator became a creature, while not giving up being the creator. He didn't give up anything by coming to earth and being born as 1 of us other than the glory, but he didn't stop being creator. When he was born. Amazingly, as it says in that line low within a manger lies, he who built the starry skies. He is the 1 through whom everything was called into existence He created all planets, peoples, and plants.

He made mountains, monkeys, and the Milky Way. He made the vastness of the universe and subatomic particles. He made it all and was born as a baby became 1 of us. And that in itself is enough reason to worship Jesus. But we're gonna go to our second line.

We've got 2 points second line from a Carol, and it's this. Peace on earth and mercy mild garden summers reconciled. I've never been quite sure what mercy mild means. Maybe there are different levels of spice of mercy, and he went for the mild option. Thank you.

But I think it had to rhyme with reconciled. That's where we're going there. And it's the second half of the line that that we're heading in on. Garden sinners, reconciled. That's where the the passage goes in colossians.

First 19 and 20. Let me just read those for us. So it's for God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven by making peace through his bloodshed on the cross. This is where Paul goes next. He's talked about creation and now talks about reconciliation.

And Tim Chester in that talk at Keswick brought out a parallel here. It says, verse 19, for God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, in Jesus, through him to reconcile all things to himself, and the word to himself is the same wording in Greek as for him. So in those verses, verse 19 and 20 you've got in him, through him and for him again. We had that with creation. In creation, all things were created in him, through him for him.

And now, and this focuses on reconciliation, on re creation, All is reconciled to God in Jesus through Jesus for Jesus. There's a parallel going on there. And the emphasis again is on all things, isn't it? First 20? And through him to reconcile all things to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven.

We've got that repeated again, haven't we? But it's interesting that it's all things that need reconciling to god. That shows that all things need that reconciliation. In other words, everything is out of kilter with god. Not just mankind.

Yes, caused by mankind's rebellion against god, but the impact of that has spread throughout the whole of creation that all of creation needs reconciling to god. And you can follow this. You can see the problem in Genesis 3 of the fall. And I would look back on that, and it is noticeable. As you read it through, the impact of Adam and Eve sin of their rebellion against god, hid not just on them, but hits the whole of creation.

And so you see that in, that God curses the snake who deceived Eve. And when he curses the snake, he says, cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals. And I was thinking about that as I read that this last week. That seems to imply all creatures. All animals are cursed, but the snake is cursed above them all.

So all of creatures are are cursed. And when God curses Adam, he curses the ground as well. So the whole of creation is under god's curse. And therefore, the biggest act of environmental damage that we ever did as mankind was to rebel against god, was to sin against him. Because the result of that is God cursing the whole of creation, the whole world.

That is why we are in the trouble we are in. That is why the world is the way it is. And that is why the whole of creation, the whole thing needs reconciling to god, not just humans. And how does Jesus do that end of verse 20 by making peace through his blood shed on the cross. It shouldn't surprise us.

Creation all in him through him for him. Reconciliation is in him through him for him. It is Jesus's act to reconcile mankind of the whole of creation to god. It is as a way you've got the whole of creation, and you've got god, and there is this rift, this brokenness between them. How does God reconcile us to himself?

It is by becoming 1 of us the creator, becoming a creature while not stopping being the creator, becoming 1 of us, living amongst us, and then dying. His bloodshed on the cross, to reconcile the whole of creation with god. And so Paul then applies this reconciliation to the colossians verse 21, he says once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior, but now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death. To present you wholly in his sight. Paul says that's where you were.

We were all as mankind alienated from god. You were, I was. We were alienated from God and his enemies. But through Jesus' physical body, through his death, we are reconciled to God in order to be presented to him without blemish and free from accusation. And Paul says you do need to continue in the faith for this to be true.

That's what he says. First 23, if you continue in your faith. That's how Jesus' act of reconciliation is effective in your life through faith. In Jesus. So that does mean Jesus' reconciliation of all things doesn't mean every single person is automatically reconciled to god.

Each person needs to put their faith in Jesus and to keep going in that faith. In his in Jesus and in his death, and so to come back to god. You see, the peace has been won for us, but we have to stop fighting against God and to come to him. Jesus is the reconciler, unique and sufficient. And we need to see not only that we need reconciliation, but that Jesus is the only 1 who can do it.

Nothing else will get us back to god. Nothing else can deal with the darkness, the enmity, the alienation between us and god. Our good works won't do it. No other religion can do it. You can't wash away.

Your problem in a holy river no amount of rituals or pilgrimages will get us to god. It is only Jesus who can do it, which is what we need to remember as we're gonna be taking communion in just a few moments. And that's why Jesus came. 20 25 marked the 1700 years since the Niceine creed was formulated, and, you may be thinking, well, we only just got in in time to mention that in a sermon, and that's right. I we didn't mention it earlier in the year, but we are celebrating 1700 years since the NICE in Creed was formulated.

And that is a great it's a wonderful creed. It set out biblical truths. And in 1 part, it says that Jesus came for us men and for our salvation, he came down from heaven. That's the purpose for which he came for us men, not just malemen, male and female, mankind. And for our salvation, he came down from heaven.

And if you've not yet taken hold of that salvation, can I ask what's stopping you? Jesus has done all the work that's needed, you need to put your trust in him and to worship him. So here's why it's good and right to worship Jesus. These 2 lines, there we go, both on the screen. Low within a main July, he who built the starry skies.

Jesus are created, and all things made in him through him and for him. And then peace on earth and mercy mild garden sinners, reconciled. Reconciliation in Jesus through Jesus, for Jesus. And therefore, the conclusion, well, it's actually in the middle of our verses, verse 18, where it says. He is the head of the body, the church, he is the beginning, and the first 1 from among the dead, and here we go, so that in everything, he might have the supremacy.

Jesus has the supremacy in all things. And say the Carols are quite right to call us to worship Christ, the newborn king, and that is a good attitude to have as the essential attitude we all need to have as we head into 20 26. So I'm just going to lead us in prayer, and then Robin is going to come and lead us in our communion. That's pride. Father, we praise you that, within the manger lay, the 1 who built the starry skies.

The lord Jesus, the 1 who made us, the 1 in whom, through whom and for whom we've been made, then he came to us, became a creature born on earth. And we praise you that through him, God and sinners can be reconciled through him, in him, through him, and for him. And that he died, he shed his blood so that we could be reconciled to you. Father, please help each 1 of us. Therefore, to worship Jesus.

Our man.