by Larry Curl
(Part 3)
The Magnificence of Christ in Reconciliation & the Cross:
Colossians 1:19-20
19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 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.”
In the previous verses we looked at in Colossians 1:15-20, we saw the amazing power and authority of Christ as the image of God and in His role as Creator and Sustainer of all things.
Now we see Jesus as the Lamb sacrificed on the cross to reconcile to Himself all things. In this role we start to see an even greater picture of his magnificence. At the cross Jesus became our Savior. There we see His submissiveness, His meekness as the Lamb of God. These characteristics expand our appreciation for who Jesus really is.
I like how John Piper describes this expanded picture of Christ.
“A lion is admirable for its ferocious strength and imperial appearance. A lamb is admirable for its meekness and servant-like provision of wool for our clothing. But even more admirable is a lionlike lamb and a lamblike lion. What makes Christ glorious, as Jonathan Edwards observed over 250 years ago, is “an admirable conjunction of diverse excellencies.”
For example, we admire Christ for his transcendence, but even more because the transcendence of his greatness is mixed with submission to God. We marvel at him because his uncompromising justice is tempered with mercy. His majesty is sweetened by meekness. In his equality with God, he has a deep reverence for God. Though he is worthy of all good, he was patient to suffer evil. His sovereign dominion over the world was clothed with a spirit of obedience and submission. He baffled the proud scribes with his wisdom, but was simple enough to be loved by children. He could still the storm with a word, but would not strike the Samaritans with lightning or take himself down from the cross.
The glory of Christ is not a simple thing. It is a coming together in one person of extremely diverse qualities. “
These diverse qualities were demonstrated by Christ in a way that was never seen before. Some people were attracted to Jesus because of these qualities, but others were offended.
John 7:12 “And there was much complaining among the people concerning Him. Some said, “He is good”; others said, “No, on the contrary, He deceives the people.”
John 9:16 “Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So, they were divided.”
Regardless of how the people reacted to him during his ministry on earth, Jesus remained steadfast to his mission. He proceeded to the cross even knowing the suffering that was waiting for him there.
He predicted in Luke 18:31f., “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written of the Son of man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered to the Gentiles, and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon; they will scourge him and kill him.”
Sometimes when we think of the power and authority that Jesus had as the Son of God, we tend to forget that his body was fully human. He felt pain, both physical and emotional, as we do. Going to the cross was no easy thing for him. This can be clearly seen in Mark 14:32-36.
Mark 14:32, “They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33, He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. 34 “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.” 35, Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36, “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
There are at least four phrases here that show how hard it was for him to face the cross.
“…he began to be deeply distressed and troubled…”
“…My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,”
“…he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him”
“Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me.”
These words show that Jesus was dreading both the physical and emotional pain that would be suffered as he endured the cross. And it could be that the emotional pain was what overwhelmed Jesus the most. He had never experienced even a moment of separation from the Father. Their relationship was one of perfect love. But, he knew that on the cross, when the sin of the world was placed upon him, the relationship with his Father would be broken. They would be separated for the first time in eternity and Jesus would feel totally deserted.
Mark 15:33 “From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. 34 At the ninth hour, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
We can’t even fathom what that would feel like.
So, we understood at least a little why Jesus would say “Take this cup from me.”
But, very fortunately for all of us, Jesus added “Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
Why did Jesus ultimately deny his own will and submit to the Father despite knowing what it would cost him?
John 14:28-31
28 “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. 30 I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, 31 but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.’’
Hebrews 10:5-7
5 “Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; 6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. 7 Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll— I have come to do your will, my God.’”
Philippians 2:5-8
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature[a] God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature[b] of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!
Reasons 1 and 2: (for Jesus denying his own will despite knowing the cost)
- Because Jesus loved the Father
- Because he always desired to obey his Father (to do His will)
Hebrews 12 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
And what was the joy that was set before Jesus?
Going back to Philippians chapter 2…
Philippians 2:8 “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!
9 Therefore, God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Reason 3: (for Jesus denying his own will despite knowing the cost)
- Because of the joy that was set before Jesus
After his suffering Jesus knew his Father would exalt him. This helped him to endure the cross.
John 15: 9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10, If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11, I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12, My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13, Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
1 John 3:16 “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.”
Ephesians 5:1 “Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children. 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Reason 4: (for denying his own will despite knowing the cost)
- Because Jesus loved us!
Matthew 1:20, “But after he had pondered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to embrace Mary as your wife, for the One conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21, She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.” 22, All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet…”
Reason 5: (for denying his own will despite knowing the cost)
- To fulfil the mission assigned to him by the Father, a mission that is seen in his very name
“…you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”
Jesus ultimate mission on earth was to provide salvation from sin for his people. While “his people” may at first seem to mean only the Jews (because he was born into a Jewish family) we see in Mark 16:14 that salvation was actually meant for all people.
Mark 16: 14, “Later, as they were eating, Jesus appeared to the Eleven and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. 15, And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”
For Jesus to fulfill his mission as the Savior of all people, he had to go to the cross and shed his blood. He had to pay the penalty for all the sins of all the people because God in his perfect righteousness and justice could not just ignore their sins.
So, this brings us back to Colossian 1:19 “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 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.”
Now we will dig deeper into the magnificence of Christ in his role as the one who reconciled all things to himself through his blood, shed on the cross.
The following is borrowed from Anthony Carter. He is lead pastor of East Point Church in East Point, Georgia. He is coauthor and editor of Glory Road: The Journeys of 10 African-Americans into Reformed Christianity. He is also associated with John Piper and the Desiring God ministries.
“When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden, they not only rebelled against God; they also betrayed his goodness and denounced his rule. It was the ultimate act of treason. Adam and Eve turned God into the enemy as they surrendered themselves and the world to sin. By doing so, they created an enmity between them and God, and passed that enmity to all who would come after them. The apostle Paul tells us that in Adam we all sinned (Romans 5:12), and therefore we were all made enemies of God (Romans 5:10).
Consequently, in order for anyone to be in right relationship with God, the enmity must be removed. The relationship must be reconciled. What Adam and Eve lost in the garden must be mended and restored. When the Bible speaks of reconciliation, this is the primary meaning (2 Corinthians 5:17). Salvation is God ending the enmity between himself and us through the life and death (and resurrection) of Jesus Christ (Romans 5:10).
Gospel of Reconciliation
There may not be a more illustrative set of words used to communicate the sum and substance of the gospel than reconciliation and reconcile. Reconciliation is that aspect of the gospel where the separation and enmity between God and humanity caused by sin are ended, and peace and renewed relationship are forever established, through the person and work of Jesus Christ. The message and ministry of the gospel is the message and ministry of reconciliation.
“In Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:19). The gospel message is about God pursuing sinners to save them from sin and unto everlasting joy through Jesus Christ. It is about God tearing down the wall of hostility that existed between him and the sons and daughters of Adam, and restoring the peace that Adam lost. This peace comes through the reconciling blood of the cross of Christ (Colossians 1:20).”
As Alan Mackay used to say, “If this doesn’t get you excited, then your wood must be wet”.
So, in closing, we see that Jesus is magnificent in his awesome display of power and authority as revealed in creation, combined with his love and compassion shown through the shedding of his blood to reconcile us to himself!
Bennett Life 
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