Truth 4: Solus Christus – Christ Alone
Introduction:
Oct. 31 is Reformation Day, the day we remember the start of the Reformation. As part of the Reformed (Presbyterian) tradition within Christianity this is part of our heritage. This then is a good time of year to remind ourselves of the great truths that we have inherited, which still shape us today.
Truth 4: Solus Christus – Christ Alone – Colossians 1:15-20
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16 for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything [all things]. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.
No less than 7 times the word “all” is used in this passage. Jesus Christ is the first of all creation. All things in creation came into being through Christ and for Christ. He is pre-eminent over all things, and he is the one who holds all things together. And through Christ all things are being reconciled through his death on the cross. This passage makes clear any conversation about the creation of the world (the past), the on-going life of the world (the present), and the final redemption and reconciliation of the world (the future) are centered in Jesus Christ. So, Jesus stands at the center of history – he was there at the beginning of time – beginning of history – and he will be there when time is completed and history reaches its final goal.
That claim – that Jesus is the center of human – marks Christianity out from other religions in the world. Many religions believe in God. Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, in him “the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.” (vs. 19) As the first Christians discovered it was not talking about God that caught people’s attention – it was talking about Jesus. When they declared “Jesus is Lord”, their hearers realized that Jesus’ followers were claiming to be loyal to him and no one else.
This passage demonstrates that Jesus Christ is both part of the creation (fully human) and pre-eminent over the creation (fully divine). Jesus Christ is both our Saviour and our Example – both the one who walks beside us and the one who is Lord of all things. We are invited, along with the Christians of the early church, to declare, “Jesus is Lord, Jesus Christ alone is Lord.”
PRAYER:
We thank you, O God, for your Son, Jesus Christ, through whom and for whom the creation exists. We rejoice that he is ruler over all things and that in his death and resurrection the reconciliation of the world is possible. We look forward to the day when the universe will find its completion in Jesus. In whose name we pray. Amen.