Colossians 1:19–23 Just give me Jesus!

Just give me Jesus! 

You can have all this world just give me Jesus!! 

He came with shouts of peace. Peace to the people on earth.

“For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life”. Romans 5:10

“For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation” Ephesians 2:14

“So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his" Hebrews 4:9-10.

What is this rest believers have been called to? Rest in Christ, through whose sacrificial death and resurrection our sins are forgiven and we are made new. We can find Sabbath when we believe every good work necessary for our salvation has been accomplished by Christ.

You see, grounded I have both resources and assets to give… Listening ear. Empathy. Calm demeanor. Shout out to a friend. Words of consolation and compassion. Light to spill.

Now we’re talking. And I love Henri Nouwen’s invitation, “Compassion asks us to go where it hurts, to enter into the places of pain, to share in brokenness, fear, confusion, and anguish. Compassion challenges us to cry out with those in misery, to mourn with those who are lonely, to weep with those in tears. Compassion requires us to be weak with the weak, vulnerable with the vulnerable, and powerless with the powerless.” SabbathMoments 

Colossians 1:19–23

19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. 21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight—23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister. The New King James Version 

All the fullness to dwell in Him refers to God being fully present in Christ. Consequently, Christ is sufficient for the Colossians’ salvation.

The Gospel of John describes Christ as the tabernacle or the dwelling of God—an allusion that demonstrates the continuity between God’s presence among the Israelites and His presence in the person of Christ. The Greek word used here, apokatallassō, refers to the act of restoring a relationship to harmony. The purpose of Christ’s death on the cross was to bring all things created by Christ and for Christ into harmonious relationship. 

The Colossians cannot claim responsibility for their status before God; no human tradition or rule made them holy. Rather, Christ’s work of reconciliation brought them into relationship with God, making them holy. Since believers belong to God, they bear His image, which enables them to live out God’s command to holiness. 

Paul seems to be acknowledging that the Colossians are at a crossroads. He charges them to continue trusting in Christ and living out the gospel message. However, they must refuse to observe the rules and traditions of false teachings, which threaten to lead them in a different direction. They must remember that faith in Christ is not simply a way of entering God’s kingdom—it is the way of life within the kingdom. 

Faith Refers to living in union with Christ and sharing in Christ’s resurrection. Faithlife Study Bible

The opponents of Paul, and later the Greek Gnostics, seem to have used this word as a technical term for the sphere between heaven and earth where a hierarchy of angels lived. The Gnostics viewed Christ as one of many spirits existing in this hierarchy between God and all people. 

However, Paul used the term fullness to refer to the complete embodiment of God. Christ is the only Intercessor for human beings and fully embodies all of God’s nature. No other intermediary, whether person or group, is able to stand in our place before the Father. Only Jesus can do this. 

He has reconciled shows the significance of Christ’s work on the Cross. It does not mean that all people will be saved, since many passages clearly say that unbelievers will suffer eternal separation from God. The work of Christ will overthrow the damage effected by the Fall and change all of creation from a position of enmity to a relationship of peace and friendship.

We who were once enemies of God and alienated by our own wicked works will one day be presented as above reproach on account of Christ’s death for us. 

The perseverance of the Colossians was proof of the reconciling work of Christ on their behalf. Paul uses “Every creature under heaven” as an exaggeration to illustrate the rapid spread of the gospel. The apostles are said to have turned the world upside down, even though their ministry up to that point had been limited to a small portion of the eastern Mediterranean region. The NKJV Study Bible

God showed his justice in requiring full satisfaction. This mode of redeeming mankind by the death of Christ was most suitable. Here is presented to our view the method of being reconciled. And that, notwithstanding the hatred of sin on God’s part, it pleased God to reconcile fallen man to himself. If convinced that we were enemies in our minds by wicked works, and that we are now reconciled to God by the sacrifice and death of Christ in our nature, we shall not attempt to explain away, nor yet think fully to comprehend these mysteries; but we shall see the glory of this plan of redemption, and rejoice in the hope set before us. 

If this be so, that God’s love is so great to us, what shall we do now for God? Be frequent in prayer, and abound in holy duties; and live no more to yourselves, but to Christ. Christ died for us. But wherefore? That we should still live in sin? No; but that we should die to sin, and live henceforth not to ourselves, but to Him. Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

John 1:16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.

2 Corinthians 5:18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,

Ephesians 2:16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.