Who Is Jesus (Part 3)

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Title: Who Is Jesus Part III

Scripture: Heb 1:8

Theme: Jesus is reigning with God in Heaven, making intercession for us.

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on December 17, 2023

I want to begin the sermon with the background to a beloved Christmas carol:

O COME, ALL YE FAITHFUL

Latin hymn, 18th century

English translation by Frederick Oakeley, 1802–1880

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about!” … (Luke 2:15, 20)

The songs of the Christmas season comprise some of the finest music known to man, and this hymn is certainly one of our universal favorites. It was used in Catholic churches before it became known to Protestants. Today it is sung by church groups around the world since it has been translated from its original Latin into more than 100 other languages. The vivid imagery of the carol seems to have meaning and appeal for all ages in every culture.

The original Latin text consisted of four stanzas. The first calls us to visualize anew the infant Jesus in Bethlehem’s stable. The second stanza is usually omitted in most hymnals, but it reminds us that the Christ-child is very God Himself:

God of God and Light of Light begotten, Lo, He abhors not the Virgin’s womb; Very God, begotten, not created—O come, let us adore Him.

The next stanza pictures for us the exalted song of the angelic choir heard by the lowly shepherds. Then the final verse offers praise and adoration to the Word, our Lord, who was with the Father from the beginning of time.

For many years this hymn was known as an anonymous Latin hymn. Recent research, however, has revealed manuscripts that indicate that it was written in 1744 by an English layman named John Wade and set to music by him in much the same style as used today. The hymn first appeared in his collection, Cantus Diversi, published in England in 1751. One hundred years later the carol was translated into its present English form by an Anglican minister, Frederick Oakeley, who desired to use it for his congregation. The tune name, “Adeste Fideles,” is taken from the first words of the original Latin text, and translated literally means “be present or near, ye faithful.”

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant; come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem; come and behold Him, born the King of angels:

Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation; sing all ye bright hosts of heav’n above; glory to God, all glory in the highest:

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning; Jesus, to Thee be all glory giv’n; Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing:

Refrain: O come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord.

Ask God to help you and your family make this Christmas season the most spiritual one you have yet known. Worship Him—Christ, the Lord![1]

Jesus did come down to our level. We needed help, we needed a Savior. Jesus became one of us.

I want to show you that Jesus is the ruler. I want to show you that Jesus is now reigning as King of Kings. Lastly, I want to ask you if He is your King. First, we will return to Colossians 1:15-20, and then we will turn to Hebrews 1:8 and a few others.

We have been talking about Who Jesus Is. Three weeks ago, we talked about Jesus’ eternal past. Our beliefs of Who Jesus is begin in the Old Testament. Two weeks ago, we talked about Jesus as fully man and fully God. Today, I want to show that Jesus is reigning with God in Heaven making an intercession for us.

That is my theme:

Jesus is reigning with God in Heaven making intercession for us.

First, let’s read Colossians 1:15-20

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.

  1. We see that Christ is the creator, sustainer, and ruler.
    1. Though we never see the noun “ruler” used in relation to Christ in this passage, this passage is all about Christ as ruler. Allow me to show you a few amazing statements:
    2. Recall that two weeks ago we talked about verse 16. Verse 16 says: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.
    3. Look at this. The Bible says that “Some things were created by Him,” no, it says, “All things were created by Him.” (See also John 1:3)
    4. The passage says all things were created by Jesus and then it goes into detail about His creation:
    5. Things in Heaven: what does that mean?
    6. In the Bible we can see that Heaven is a term used to describe outer space.
    7. In the Bible Heaven is a term to describe our atmosphere.
    8. In the Bible Heaven is a term to describe the place where God resides.
    9. I believe since the earth is mentioned in the next verse, this use of Heaven is referring to outer space and the location where God resides.
    10. It was by Jesus that the planets and the stars were created.
    11. Jesus created everything on earth: this includes every material.
    12. Then the passage says that this includes the visible and the invisible. What is the invisible? Well, I would guess the passage is talking about the air we breathe, the radiation we don’t see, and even the spiritual realm.
    13. Jesus created the angels.
    14. Lastly, the passage talks about the thrones, powers, rulers, and authorities. These were created through Him, but also for Him.
    15. This is a strong passage. Think about it. Colossians was written around AD 60, who’s in charge? Rome is in charge, Paul is writing this from prison, but He is saying Jesus is in charge. Paul is saying, It may appear as if Rome is in charge, but Jesus is actually in charge. All of these rulers were created by Jesus, and for Jesus. This statement by Paul is a very political statement. But this statement by Paul should be very encouraging for us today just like it was for them.
    16. If Jesus is the creator, He is the King, He is the ruler, He is in charge. Jesus is reigning!
    17. Look at Colossians 2:15 (ESV) 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
    18. Notice again the political imagery. This carries the idea that when Jesus hung on the cross and took God’s wrath on Him for our sins; He conquered the devil. Jesus conquered the spiritual forces of evil. Since the beginning, sin has had its way and its consequences, but Jesus took the punishment, restoring a right relationship between us and God.
    19. We still have secular rulers who are anti-God as they did in the first century. But this gives the image of Jesus going through a battlefield and taking the weapons away. Now, this could be literal in a spiritual way or a prophetic way. Some day in the future, every authority will bow to Jesus, currently Jesus reigns in a spiritual way.
    20. It may appear that certain governments are reigning and, although there are certain spiritual forces, even demonic forces at work, God will make things right, Jesus is in charge.
    21. So, I ask you, who is in charge? That is a question which I want you to answer. So, who is in charge? I think there are still a few asleep, who is in charge? Jesus is in charge.
    22. Now, verse 17 even says that all things hold together by Jesus. Think about that for a second. If Jesus stopped being in control, creation would fall apart. I tried to imagine that and the best image that I could get is this:
    23. This is a glass of water [show the water in the glass]. Currently the water is held together by the glass. But if I pour it out, [pour the water into a bowl] the water is no longer held together by the glass. Now, all analogies fail in one way or another and this one does as well because the water may be held together again, in this case by this other container. But you get the point.
    24. Jesus holds all creation together.
    25. Now, look at verse 18: Jesus is the head of the church. This means that we are His church, we are not my church or anyone’s church but Jesus’ church. We must be following His lead. We seek His lead through prayer and correct understanding of His Word.
    26. So, you can see from Col 1:15-20 that Jesus is in control and if He is in control this means that Jesus is also the ruler and King.
  2. Jesus is reigning.
    1. Hebrews 1:8 (ESV)
    2. 8 But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.
    1. Hebrews 1:8 is actually a quote from Psalm 45:6, and Psalm 45:6 says this about God the Father. But you may recall that two weeks ago we showed from the Scriptures that Jesus is God in the flesh. Actually, Col. 1:15 says that Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God. So, here, the author of Hebrews affirms Christ’s deity and that Jesus is reigning.
    2. How many of you want to serve a king that will be overthrown tomorrow?
    3. There is an ironic story in Daniel chapter 5.
    4. In Daniel 5, King Belshazzar is having this gluttonous feast which was likely a drunken orgy. Note: this is the king of the mighty Babylon. Babylon was pretty much a world empire; the tops of Babylon’s walls were wide enough for several chariots to travel side by side![2] During that feast, there is mysterious handwriting on the wall, which Daniel interprets in verses 25-28. The writing said, God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it, you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient, your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians. The English Standard Bible has a study note which says: “Belshazzar’s feast is exposed as the ultimate act of folly: he was feasting on the brink of the grave and either did not know the danger or refused to acknowledge it.” While he is feasting his kingdom is conquered! How ironic, God is the real king, and Jesus is the real king, even with the handwriting on the wall that is declared.
    5. Jesus’ Kingdom will not be conquered!
    6. How many of us want to serve a king who will be overthrown next year?
    7. How many of us want to serve a king who will be overthrown in 10 years? Well, maybe.
    8. But wouldn’t we prefer a King who will never be overthrown?
    9. Jesus will never be overthrown. His Kingdom will not end.
    10. Jesus is interceding. Remember from two weeks ago 1 Timothy 2:5? This passage tells us that Jesus is our mediator. As our mediator that means Jesus is interceding for us. Another passage that supports this is:
    11. Hebrews 7:24–25 (ESV)
    12. 24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. 25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
    13. How do we feel about that?
    14. Is Jesus our King?
    15. Have you surrendered everything to Him?
    16. You know how sometimes we don’t do a job fully? Maybe you have had children who are supposed to clean their room, so you go up, and the room looks clean until you open the closet, and everything falls on you, or something like that.
    17. Sometimes we do this with our relationship with Christ. We don’t surrender everything to Him. Instead, we hide things. In this case, you are not allowing Him to be the King of your life. This is important for all of us. If you don’t know Christ, you must submit to Him, but also, if you do know Christ, continue to surrender to Him.
    18. Is Jesus your King? Can people tell that you are celebrating Jesus’ birth this Christmas, or does it seem to be more about you and your family alone?
    19. We have made Christmas about everything but Jesus, haven’t we?

Yes, Jesus came as a baby, but He no longer is a baby. Yes, Jesus worked as a carpenter, but He no longer is a carpenter. Yes, Jesus walked with His disciples, but not anymore. Yes, Jesus hung on the cross, but He died and rose again. Jesus is no longer dead; He is reigning with God in Heaven.

I like what Tim Keller wrote:

It’s like that song they sang in the Live Aid concert in 1985.
We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let’s start giving
That’s what most people think the meaning of Christmas is. After the Live Aid concert in 1985, Bob Dylan, who was one of all those rock stars who were singing (remember that video?), said to the press he was very uncomfortable singing a song like that. Somebody said to Bob Dylan, “Why were you uncomfortable?” He said, “I’ll tell you why. Because man cannot save himself.”
So we look today unto Bob Dylan for the true meaning of Christmas, because he got it right. The Bible says Jesus Christ came because we cannot save ourselves. There’s a problem. He had to do something about it. The way Christmas is expounded in public anymore is that Christmas means if we work hard we can save ourselves, and Bob Dylan was right.
Peace on earth and mercy mild. God and sinners need to be reconciled.[1]

Check mate or NOT:

I love this painting:

If you know anything about the game of chess, you know it all comes down to when the King on either side can move no more. Once the king is trapped, the winning side declares “checkmate” and the game is over.

There is a painting that once hung in the Louvre museum in Paris, painted by Friedrich Moritz August Retzsch. Today, the painting is popularly known as “Checkmate.” It is now in private hands, having been sold in a Christie’s auction in 1999.

The painting depicts two chess players. One is Satan, who appears arrogantly confident. The other player is a man who looks forlorn. If Satan wins, he wins the man’s soul. You can view more of the creepy details below.

According to legend, and probably fact, the story goes like this. A chess grand master came upon this intriguing painting in the Louvre museum alongside other famous art such as the Mona Lisa.

The grand mastered stared a long time at the chess board in the painting and finally noticed something surprising. The typical interpretation of the painting (that the devil had the man in “checkmate”) was incorrect.

Though the devil seemed to be the obvious victor, he was in fact not winning. The man, who thought he was losing, was actually winning.

According to the arrangement of the pieces left on the chess board, his king had one more move. This fateful move would make him the winner of the game.

The grand master called the curator and determined that the title “Checkmate” did not fit the scene because the forlorn-looking player actually had the ability to defeat his opponent, though he didn’t realize it yet. His king had one more move.

THE SPIRITUAL IMPLICATIONS

Now think about the spiritual implications of this painting with me about what the grand master discovered.

Repeatedly in Scripture, God assures his people that there is always a way of escaping situations that seem hopeless at the time.

  • When the people of Judah were deported to Babylon because of their sinfulness, God revealed that a future day of release would come.
  • Just as God provided water for the Israelites in the desert, he would also provide for them on their long trek homeward.
  • A little boy in John 6 only had two fish and a few loaves of bread to feed thousands of people. It looked like checkmate, but our King had another move left! They collected 12 baskets of leftover food after the meal was served.
  • In the Old Testament, Daniel was thrown into a den of hungry lions. It looked like checkmate, but our King had another move left and Daniel remained safe.
  • In John 8, it looked like checkmate for a woman about to be killed by angry men with stones. But Jesus told the woman to go and not sin anymore.
  • On Good Friday, the criminal next to Jesus on the cross thought it was the end, yet he still repented.

So often in life, we consider the world to be a mess. With war, violence, a deadly pandemic, unemployment, struggling marriages, depression, isolation, and more … we can easily become disillusioned. People begin to feel lost. We look for direction but often end up on the wrong path. It looks like checkmate, but we need not fear—the game is not over.

Our Creator God still has one move left! Our lives and future are in His hands. The Lord is the only King who can never be defeated..[2]

[1] Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).

[2] https://haventoday.org/blog/closer-look-checkmate/

[1] Kenneth W. Osbeck, Amazing Grace: 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1996), 367.

[2] English Standard Study Bible. Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Wheaton Ill. 2008.  Study note on Jeremiah 51:44; page 1470.

[3] Swindoll, Charles R. Read in Swindoll’s Ultimate Book of Illustrations & Quotes. Thomas Nelson. Nashville, TN 1998. Page 550. Quoted from A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God. 

[4] Ibid., Page 313.

[5] Charles R. Swindoll, The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart and 1501 Other Stories (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2016), 85.

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