Author: Charlie Garrett

Matthew 15:16

Charlie Garrett Daily Writing, Matthew (Written)

Thursday, 25 December 2025

So Jesus said, “Are you also still without understanding? Matthew 15:16

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And Jesus, He said, ‘And yet, you, you are unintelligent!’” (CG).

In the previous verse, Peter came to Jesus and said, “You expound to us this parable.” With that, Matthew records, “And Jesus, He said.”

Jesus’ response is not a question. Rather, it will be a statement. He has been instructing them on matters, and they have been unable to put His words into intelligent meaning in their minds. Therefore, what He says is an emphatic declaration. It is also in the plural. He is speaking to all of the disciples, “And yet, you, you are unintelligent!”

There are two new words. The first one, akmén, means “a point.” The idea is that it refers to a point in time. If one were to coin a new word to suit the literal meaning while conveying the intent, the word “pointly” would get the point across. Someone should consider coining it in this context.

For now, the adverb “yet” is sufficient. The point in time is reached, and yet, there is something that is awry. That leads to the next new word, the adjective asunetos, unintelligent. It comes from a, the particle of negation, and sunetos, to mentally put together, and thus sagacious.

HELPS Word Studies says, “foolish because incoherent (failing to ‘put facts together’).” Also, “a person failing to structure information in a meaningful way, and therefore unable to reach necessary conclusions.” The word is often translated as “without understanding.” A single word that exactingly describes the person is “unintelligent.”

Jesus isn’t asking them if they are yet without understanding. He is affirming that they are, as yet, unintelligent. They have heard His words, and they have not learned to come to proper conclusions concerning what He is saying. This will continue even till the time of His crucifixion.

Life application: It may seem harsh for Jesus to say to His disciples so directly that they are foolish or unintelligent, but it is not at all uncommon in Scripture. Such words are used throughout the Old Testament when referring to the people of Israel –

“When its boughs are withered, they will be broken off;
The women come and set them on fire.
For it is a people of no understanding;
Therefore He who made them will not have mercy on them,
And He who formed them will show them no favor.” Isaiah 27:11

Such examples are common. The Lord rebukes the people for their lack of heeding Him, attending to His words, etc. In our modern society, it is considered offensive to say directly to people that they are foolish, unwise, unintelligent, and so forth. But to coddle people unwilling to engage their brains will lead to a generation of people who truly are unintelligent.

If we remain in a slumber, without rebuke for our unwillingness to learn, there is no incentive to strive for better. When everyone on a team gets the same award, there is no reason for anyone to strive to be the best. The Bible unashamedly says otherwise –

“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.” 1 Corinthians 9:24

In fact, striving for what is right is so important that Jesus instructs those of Israel to do so with the thought of eternal consequences for not doing so –

“Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.” Matthew 13:24

When we approach matters of life, we should take time, demonstrating patient perseverance and wholehearted dedication to the task at hand. Marble will not tolerate an impatient and impulsive sculptor. Rather, the one who is wise with the hammer and chisel will slowly and methodically pay attention to the task set before him, mentally shutting out what will distract him.

If this is so for worldly things, how much more dedicated and patient should we be in our pursuit of God and of obtaining right understanding in His word? Are we so foolish as to strive for the best in polishing our car but neglect the eternal rewards there are for seeking God as He intends for us?

Jesus pointedly said to His disciples, “And yet, you, you are unintelligent!” Is He speaking the same to us today? Or is He pleased with our pursuit of who He is, as we attend carefully to His words? Let us receive a word of commendation from Him as we rise each day to consider Him and reflect on His majesty.

Lord God, thank You for the rebukes of life that spur us on to greater achievements. Yes, words of chastisement can be painful at the time, but we know that they are normally working for something better in us if we just pay heed. May we learn the lessons from them and strive to excel as we seek You in Your superior word. Amen.

 

Matthew 15:15

Charlie Garrett Daily Writing, Matthew (Written)

Wednesday, 24 December 2025

Then Peter answered and said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.” Matthew 15:15

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And Peter, having answered, he said to Him, ‘You expound to us this parable’” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus noted that if the blind-conductors are also blind, they will both fall into a pit. Having finished His words, Matthew notes, “And Peter, having answered, he said to Him.”

Peter heard something that needed clarification from Jesus’ words. Therefore, he continues, “You expound to us this parable.”

Here is a new word, phrazó. It is found only here in the New Testament. It means to indicate by word or act. Thus, it is rightly defined as “expound,” which signifies to explain the meaning in a detailed manner. Peter goes back to Jesus’ words of verse 15:11, not knowing the meaning of the parable –

“Not the ‘entering into the mouth’ it profanes the man, but the ‘proceeding from the mouth,’ this, it profanes the man.”

The problem with Peter’s words is that Jesus wasn’t speaking in a parable at that time. Hence, he misunderstood the intent of Jesus’ words. For this, he will receive a rather stern rebuke, followed by a more detailed explanation of Jesus’ intent.

Life application: It is not always easy to know when something in the Bible is being spoken literally, metaphorically, in parable, or in some other way. It is also difficult to determine if what is being spoken of is one thing rather than another.

A good example of this is found in Joshua –

Then Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel:
“Sun, stand still over Gibeon;
And Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.”
13 So the sun stood still,
And the moon stopped,
Till the people had revenge
Upon their enemies.

Is this not written in the Book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. 14 And there has been no day like that, before it or after it, that the Lord heeded the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel.

Translations generally assume that Joshua’s words indicate that the sun and moon literally stood still in the heavens. This is then bolstered by the words of verses 13 and 14. However, the words are poetic, having been included in the Book of Jasher. The way it properly reads and what is happening is as follows –

“Then, he will speak, Joshua to Yehovah, in day gave Yehovah the Amorite to faces sons Israel, and he said to eyes Israel:

‘Sun, in Gibeon, you must be silent.
And moon in depth Aijalon.’
And is muted, the sun.
And moon stood.
Until he will avenge nation – his hatings.

Not it written upon scroll the Upright (One)? And it stood, the sun, in the half the heavens and not it hastened to go, according to day complete. And not it was according to day, the it, to its faces and after it, to hearken, Yehovah, in voice man, for Yehovah being fought to Israel.” (CG)

Notice the structure:

V.12 – [Then, he will speak, Joshua to Yehovah, in day gave Yehovah the Amorite to faces sons Israel, and he said to eyes Israel].

V.13 Until he will avenge nation [Israel] – his hatings.

V.15 – And not it was according to day, the it, to its faces and after it, [to hearken, Yehovah, in voice man, for Yehovah being fought to Israel].

The bracketing thoughts explain what the exceptional thing was. It wasn’t that the sun and moon stood still in the skies. Rather, it was that the Lord listened to the voice of a man and fought for Israel.

As you read the Bible, understand that what you are reading has been translated by man. A translator comes to the text with biases and presuppositions. If he is only a translator, he is also trying to make sense out of very difficult language. Therefore, it is natural to make assumptions based on a lack of study.

Even scholars will start with presuppositions, reading a translation first and then working with that picture in their minds. Because of this, be careful to stop and contemplate what you are reading from other perspectives. You may find that what you thought was correct was not.

In the end, you will get out of the word as much as you put in.

O God, may we be willing to carefully consider all things Your word tells us. Help us not to get caught up in sensationalism or “going with the pack” mentality. May we first and foremost consider what You are telling us and why. Help us in this so that our time of study will be methodical and filled with proper insights concerning Your word. Amen.

 

Matthew 15:14

Charlie Garrett Daily Writing, Matthew (Written)

Tuesday, 23 December 2025

Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.” Matthew 15:14

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“You leave them! They are blind, blind-conductors. And blind, if they should conduct, both – they will fall into a pit” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus told His disciples that every plant His heavenly Father had not planted would be uprooted. He now says, “You leave them!” The words are imperative. Their instruction is based on corruption, not the truth. What the Father plants is truth, but the devil only sows lies, confusion, etc. To explain further, Jesus says, “They are blind, blind-conductors.”

A new word is seen here, hodégos. It is from hodos, way, and hégeomai, to lead. Thus, it speaks of one who leads in the way, and thus a conductor. With the adjective blind attached to the thought, they are conductors of the blind.

And yet, Jesus notes that they, too, are blind. Paul, speaking to the Jews in Romans 2, uses the opposite terminology to describe the way they felt about themselves, even though they acted contrary to their teachings –

“Indeed you are called a Jew, and rest on the law, and make your boast in God, 18 and know His will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, 19 and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in the law. 21 You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal? 22 You who say, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? 24 For ‘the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,’ as it is written.” Romans 2:17-24

This is the attitude that Jesus rebukes in these leaders of Israel. They were blind leading blind people. It is a recipe for disaster. He next says, “And blind, if they should conduct, both – they will fall into a pit.”

It is an obvious truth. When a blind person is conducted, it is where the conductor takes him. He is placing his trust in the one leading him. But if the conductor himself is blind, any step he takes could bring him to the edge of a pit. The next step will see him tumbling in along with the one he was charged to lead.

Now imagine one who is willfully blind, like these leaders of Israel. They were disregarding the law and causing others who were untrained in the law to follow them –

“One who turns away his ear from hearing the law,
Even his prayer is an abomination.
10 Whoever causes the upright to go astray in an evil way,
He himself will fall into his own pit;
But the blameless will inherit good.” Proverbs 28:9, 10

Isaiah prophesied of Israel’s blindness. It was a chronic condition with them –

“Hear, you deaf;
And look, you blind, that you may see.
19 Who is blind but My servant,
Or deaf as My messenger whom I send?
Who is blind as he who is perfect,
And blind as the Lord’s servant?
20 Seeing many things, but you do not observe;
Opening the ears, but he does not hear.” Isaiah 42

Life application: Think of the variety of doctrinal disputes between Christian instructors:

*Israel are God’s people vs. Israel are not God’s people. *The church replaced Israel vs. Israel and the church are separate entities. *Salvation is eternal vs. Salvation can be lost. *There is such a thing as the rapture. There will be a pre-trib rapture. There will be a mid-trib rapture. There will be a post-trib rapture. *The church began at Pentecost vs. the church began with Paul’s conversion. *Believers are free from the law. Believers must adhere to the law. Believers are free from the civil law but are bound to the moral law. *The Sabbath must be observed. A Christian Sabbath must be observed. No Sabbath is necessary. *Bacon is bad vs. bacon is good.

On and on it goes, with ten thousand points of doctrine. When a teacher is wrong in his doctrine, he is blind, at least in that area. But he is now leading others who are blind because they have never been taught to see properly. Imagine something as critical as law observance, and what Paul says about that –

“But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:8, 9

People who teach observance of the law, the subject of Paul’s letter to the Galatians, are exactly the type of people Jesus was speaking about. They are blind, and they are leading others into the same pit they are in.

How can you know if you are being taught something incorrectly? The only way to even have a hint of it is by at least being aware of the source of what you are being taught. In the case of Christianity, the source is Jesus. The place to find instruction about Him is in His word. So be sure to read your Bible daily. It is important.

Glorious God, wisdom is found within You. Help us to pursue You and to desire to know the truth of what Your word tells us. So many people teach so many different things. So, Lord, as we read Your word, give us sound and proper insight into what it says. Help us to be wise as we look for instructors of Your word to guide us. Amen.

 

Matthew 15:13

Charlie Garrett Daily Writing, Matthew (Written)

Monday, 22 December 2025

But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Matthew 15:13

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And having answered, He said, ‘Every planting that not He planted, My heavenly Father, it will be uprooted” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus’ disciples came to Him, exclaiming that Jesus knew the Pharisees were offended when they heard His saying. In response to that, Matthew records, “And having answered, He said, ‘Every planting that not He planted, My heavenly Father.”

A new word in Scripture is seen, phuteia, a plant, but literally a transplanting. It is found only here in the Bible. Jesus is referring to the religious leaders, equating them with plants. It is probable, He is connecting this to the parables He gave in Chapter 13 –

“Another parable He near-set them, saying, ‘It is likened, the kingdom of the heavens, to a man having sown good seed in his field. 25 And in the ‘sleeps the men,’ he came, his enemy, and he sowed darnel in between the wheat, and he went away.’” Matthew 13:24, 25

The explanation of that parable is found in Matthew 13:37-43. Along with that, there are other such references to be found in the Old Testament, such as in Deuteronomy 29 –

“…so that there may not be among you man or woman or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the Lord our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations, and that there may not be among you a root bearing bitterness or wormwood; 19 and so it may not happen, when he hears the words of this curse, that he blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall have peace, even though I follow the dictates of my heart’—as though the drunkard could be included with the sober.” Deuteronomy 29:18, 19

“And the Lord uprooted them from their land in anger, in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day.” Deuteronomy 29:28

As was recorded at times in the Hebrew Scriptures, something the scribes and Pharisees would have known and understood, and as Jesus relayed to the disciples in Matthew 13, Jesus notes of these apostate leaders, like darnel or a root of bitterness and wormwood, “it will be uprooted.”

Just as a plant can be transplanted by one person, it can be uprooted by another. If the devil has sown into God’s field worthless plants, it is certain that the Lord will have them uprooted and disposed of through judgment and fire.

Life application: The Bible uses simple metaphors to convey deep spiritual truths. The things it mentions are things that were understood by the people in the land. And despite Israel being a land that many people may not be able to fully identify with, such as a desert if someone is raised in a forest, the surrounding explanations are usually sufficient to enlighten people to whatever is being conveyed.

And yet, the spiritual truths that are tucked away in Scripture are so deep and so profound that to this day, people are still discovering new information from this word. Because of this, you will get out of the Bible whatever effort you put into it.

At the same time, some things are only meant to be properly understood or interpreted at specific times. God slowly releases the information, inspiring His people to understand His word according to His wisdom.

This is why new things continue to be found. So don’t be frustrated if something comes out and you think, “Why didn’t I get that!” There is enough in the word of God to satisfy the minds of His people until the consummation of all things comes to pass.

Keep reading, meditating, and studying His word. It is a treasure trove of God’s wisdom in relation to the process of redemption that is going on in the world around us.

Glorious God, what a wonderful word You have given us. Thank You for its insights into so many areas of life. When we pick it up and read it, it always seems relevant to what we need to hear right at that moment. What an amazing and relevant word You have given us! Amen.

 

John 10:30 (I and the Father, We Are One) – 2025 Christmas Sermon

Charlie Garrett Recent Sermons (Written), Special / Holiday (Written)

Artwork by Douglas Kallerson

John 10:30
(I and the Father, We Are One)

Who, He is, ‘image the God, the invisible,’ Firstborn – all creation. 16 Because in Him, it was created, these all, the ‘in the heavens’ and the ‘upon the earth,’ the visible, and the invisible, whether thrones, whether lordships, whether rulers, whether authorities. These all, through Him and unto Him, it has been created. 17 And He, He is before all, and the ‘all,’ in Him, it has been co-established. 18 And He, He is the Head, ‘the body, the out-calling,’ whom He is the beginning – Firstborn from dead, so that He might be, in all, He preeminencing.” Colossians 1:15-18 (CG).

(Typed 24 November 2025) At Christmas, people get excited for various reasons. In Japan, at least when I lived there forty years ago, people would get excited about the holiday. A week before Christmas, lights would go up everywhere. The stores were filled with special presents for the holiday while Christmas music filled the aisles of the stores. And you would be remiss if you didn’t buy a kurisimasu kaiki to celebrate.

At midnight, while everyone was digesting their kurisimasu kaiki as they slept, the lights were being taken down. By morning, you would never have known it was Christmas. In the US, it is no less vulgar. It just goes on a bit longer. Landfills overflow with shredded wrapping paper and less-than-ideal toys.

Some people get excited, even angry, about the day. Atheists sue, Muslims target, and legalistic, better-than-everyone-else Christians condemn those who would dare to celebrate a “pagan” holiday.

The timing of Christ’s birth wasn’t December! They quibble over the dating, hate their neighbor as they do, and miss the whole point of what the day signifies. If they checked the Feasts of the Lord recorded in the books of Moses, they would find that several of them coincide with pagan holidays. Add in the Feast of Dedication recorded in John 10:22, and they would see that it does too.

So there must be a reason why there is a closeness between the dating of God’s redemptive calendar and the general dating of other calendars.

Text Verse: “I and the Father, We are One.” John 10:30 (CG)

For clarity, Jesus was born on the Feast of Acclamation, recorded in Leviticus 23:23-25. That would have been the September-October timeframe. This means He was conceived right around the time of the Feast of Dedication, which corresponds to the Christmas timeframe on modern calendars.

So the day we are celebrating, though lost through time and because of a lack of understanding of what the Bible conveys, is not the birth of Jesus from the womb. Rather, it is the day Jesus was conceived in the womb, the very moment of the incarnation.

However, regardless of the day, and apart from how any saved Christian celebrates the day, meaning with understanding or ignorance about the details, we come together like those in Japan, to have a moment of celebration, a deviation from the routine, and to enjoy family and friends in a, hopefully, closer bond for a span.

The job of the preacher, my job, is to instruct you on how to more appropriately celebrate the day, or at least how to more fully understand what the day signifies. That way, even if you have traditions of various sorts that have nothing to do with the Bible, which is perfectly fine by the way, you will be directing your hearts and minds to the One who is ultimately the reason behind Christmas.

By carefully and contemplatively considering the words of Colossians 1 in relation to Jesus, it is incredible to ponder the magnificence of the moment of conception, followed by His life, as recorded in the Bible.

God had a plan. It was one set in His mind before a single thing beyond Himself existed. Before Creation, He was, just as He is today, and just as He will be forever and ever. In His state, there is perfect fellowship in Himself that was the impetus for going beyond Himself.

Knowing that He could share Himself with a creation of His design, while also knowing there would be a time of chaotic existence that would inevitably result from creating a cognitive, sentient being, He saw that the final result would be worth the intermediate stages of disorder, disharmony, and downright evil that would be realized in the process.

With this final goal in mind, and allowing for the interim chaos that had to be, He spoke the universe into existence. He then fashioned it to be filled with order and precision. From our perspective, there is harmony, grace, and a demonstration of love in how all creation works and in how the various parts interact with one another.

And yet, there are also chaotic events that constantly terrify us, swirling, erupting, and shaking our home planet. These tragedies, however, aren’t something unexpected to God, nor do they mean things are out of control, a common sentiment among those who deny God’s existence, leading them to their faulty conclusions concerning the matter.

What seems to be unmanageable and chaotic from one perspective may be perfectly proper from another. The old saying, “You have to break a few eggs to make an omelet,” means that the chaotic breaking of an egg can lead to a good (well, a yummy) end.

It is true that people die in accidents, wars, natural disasters, and from old age, but it is also true that if these things weren’t taking place, there would be no people from whom God could build a church.

It may seem cold and crass that a comparison between eggs and people has been put forth, but the Bible goes further, comparing people to clay jars, fashioned according to God’s will and to be used or disposed of according to that will.

We use things, be it eggs, clay jars, wood, hay, and straw, to provide examples of how things may be treated. These concepts give us understanding in other things. But more relevant to the matter is that we, as humans, tend to overvalue our importance in the grand scheme of things.

We are cognitive beings who understand things from our perspective. We are physical beings who have needs and desires. Therefore, when we interact with the world around us, things are perceived from our own limited perspectives and in relation to our hopes, needs, wants, desires, and so forth.

This naturally makes us self-centered. We look at the world and think, “I am me. I am important.” We also do this with those we are close to. “This is MY child, how dare God give him cancer!”, as if God owes us or our children health and ease.

We often also place high value on our pets, our houses, and our bank accounts, as if they have great importance. At the same time, however, we may hear of 250,000 people being swept away in an Indonesian tsunami and not think a thing of it.

When we see people dying in war, we will evaluate those deaths based on who we are rooting for. The soldiers who die on the other side “got what they deserved.” Can’t you see how limited we are in our thinking!

The soldier who was killed at 10:42 am had just left his family a few days earlier. He had hopes and dreams. He had a girlfriend and a good job with many friends. He had a special pet puppy, and he never hurt a thing. But he “got what he deserved,” according to the other “good” side of the conflict.

But he also had something else. He had Jesus. Unlike most of those around him, and most of those on the other side of the conflict, he had Jesus. The others, all with their own families and lives, had sin. Now, who is “getting what he deserves?”

According to the Bible, we all deserve death and eternal separation from God. Depending on how we live our lives, we deserve varying levels of punishment as well. We really overestimate our own value as human beings. To God, and apart from Jesus Christ, we have none.

But we also have the potential for great, even eternal value. The difference between the two is Jesus. Without Him in the mix, the creation of the universe, the formation of man, and the breath of life being breathed into his lungs is an exercise in futility, even vanity.

God could have remained in perfect fellowship with Himself and spared all the effort of setting things in motion. However, despite all of the things that from our perspective are bad, evil, wicked, painful, horrifying, and so forth, everything that is happening is intended to meet a good purpose –

“But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” Genesis 50:20

While eggs are being broken, an omelet like we cannot even imagine is being made. And the entire process, from beginning to end, is centered on God Himself and His plan of making it come about. Colossians 1:15, speaking of Jesus Christ, says, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.”

Words have meaning, and those words cannot be disassociated from the context of what is being said in Colossians 1 without destroying the intent of the author.

Paul’s words there, and in the verses that follow, are precise. They are intended to cut through heresies that were already being introduced concerning Christ Jesus at that early date. In order for those at Colossae, and all believers in all ages since then, to understand proper Christological doctrine, he penned those words about Jesus Christ.

Paul says of Jesus, “Who, He is, ‘image the God, the invisible.’” The Greek word translated as image “assumes a prototype, of which it not merely resembles, but from which it is drawn.” It is then “More than a ‘shadow,’ rather it is a replication” (HELPS Word Studies).

This replication reflects what it is replicating for us to understand. There is a stress on the words, “image the God, the invisible,” to lead us to grasp that Jesus Christ is revealing that which would otherwise be unknown. This is the purpose of the incarnation.

God, who is love and who created with intent and purpose for fellowship beyond Himself, essentially replicated His being through the incarnation. It is more complicated and precise than that, but this is stated as a way of conveying the truth of God in Christ by Paul.

God’s perfections and His very Being are seen in Christ, being completely and accurately displayed in Him. This is explained in several different ways in the Bible. A few examples are –

“No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” John 1:18

“He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” John 14:9

“I and the Father, We are One.” John 10:30 (CG)

What is being conveyed to us is that God is, but we cannot see Him. In order for us to understand Him in an intimate and personal way, He united with His creation in the womb of Mary, coming as Christ Jesus.

Therefore, He is the image, or replication, of what we could otherwise not see. He explains the Father to us because He is one with the Father, having come from the Father. The choice of wording Paul gives, and the many references elsewhere in Scripture, call out for us to believe that Jesus Christ is God, nothing less.

When referring to God, Hebrews 1:3 calls the Son “the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person.” Paul repeats that sentiment in 2 Corinthians 4:4. God is, and Jesus is God.

Jesus is also described as “Firstborn – all creation.” It is an interesting Greek word, prototokos, being derived from prótos, “first” or “preeminent,” and tiktó, “bring forth.” The German scholar Bengel says of this word, “Time is an accident of the creature. Therefore, the origin of the Son of God precedes all time.”

In other words, Paul is not saying that Jesus is the Firstborn of all that is created, but He is the Firstborn prior to all that is created. He is eternal, having issued from the Father and having preceded time itself.

Vincent’s Word Studies says of this word, “As image points to revelation, so first-born points to eternal preexistence.” This is logically supported by the words to come. If this were not true, then Paul could not continue with his presentation the way he does, and yet he will.

Moreover, the pattern used here in Colossians 1 is repeated in Hebrews 1 and John 1, showing that it is not a mistake by Paul, but it is rather logical and proper.

There is Christ, and then there is creation, which follows. Logically, Christ then is God, issuing from the Father prior to the creation of time itself, and having been in eternal fellowship with Him.

Understanding this inescapable truth, Paul next writes in verse 16, “Because in Him, it was created, these all, the ‘in the heavens’ and the ‘upon the earth,’ the visible, and the invisible, whether thrones, whether lordships, whether rulers, whether authorities. These all through Him and unto Him, it has been created.”

Saying “because” is given as an explanation of the previous verse, which refers to Jesus as “image the God, the invisible.” Verse 16 is given to explain and expand upon that. It is not that Jesus Christ is merely a knock-off copy of God. Rather, He is God, wholly and completely. Paul substantiates that by saying, “Because in Him, it was created, these all.”

We have read about God creating elsewhere, haven’t we? In Genesis 1:1, it says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” The term “the heavens and the earth” is meant to be taken as an all-encompassing statement. Elohim created all things.

Elohim is the Creator; Jesus is the Creator. It is not hard to figure out what Paul is telling us. And more! The words “these all” (ta panta), being plural, provide a collective sense. This then signifies the entire universe, which includes all things.

From the atoms to the galaxies, all things were created by Him. Without the article in Greek, it would mean all things individually, but the article shows that it is all things collectively. He created, and all things came to be.

It is the same message written by John at the very beginning of his gospel, “In beginning, He exists, the Word. And the Word exists with God. And God, He exists – the Word” John 1:1 (CG).

It is the same message that is repeated in various ways and by various writers in both Testaments of the Bible. Logically, there can be only one Creator. Anything created by Him is then a contingent being, a created and dependent being that cannot create anything.

And yet, man has done everything possible to deny the deity of Jesus Christ in order to separate Him from what is said about Him. They have even added words into this verse in order to change the meaning of it, hoping to obscure what God has done in and through Jesus Christ.

As for Paul’s words of Colossians 1:16, in the words “was created,” the aorist tense denotes a specific, definite event which occurred in history. It wasn’t that there was a creation, and then a re-creation. Nor were there some things created, and then other things created later. Instead, all things were created, and they remain as the creation to this day.

As Paul continues, and as if his words were as yet insufficient to describe Jesus, he says, “the ‘in the heavens’ and the ‘upon the earth.’” Again, this is an all-encompassing statement concerning the totality of creation.

His words again return to Genesis 1:1, showing that everything created by Elohim was created by Jesus. Elohim is God, and yet, Jesus is God. It is not hard to figure out what Paul is conveying to us. But to ensure that even the dull of mind can figure it out, he continues, “the visible, and the invisible.”

We understand that “these all, the ‘in the heavens’ and the ‘upon the earth,’” includes things which cannot be seen, such as spirits. Everything in the material world, and everything in the spiritual world, is included in Jesus’ creative efforts. No angel exists apart from His work of creation.

And more, Paul continues with, “whether thrones, whether lordships, whether rulers, whether authorities.” Within both the spiritual and the earthly realms, there are levels of authority that govern the affairs of sentient beings. These were created by Christ Jesus. None exists apart from His authority in creation.

All things, and all levels of authority, are subordinate to Christ Jesus. As a qualifier to this, however, Paul elsewhere says –

“For ‘He has put all things under His feet.’ But when He says, ‘all things are put under Him,’ it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. 28 Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.” 1 Corinthians 15:27, 28

Jesus Christ is not above the Godhead. Rather, He is a member of it.

Paul finishes verse 16, saying, “These all, through Him and unto Him, it has been created.” He repeats the words ta panta, these all, in order to recapitulate what he had just said. The words, again being collective, speak of everything.

Nothing is left undone, and His creative efforts are all-inclusive. The scholar Lightfoot says, “The latter describes the definite, historical act of creation; the former the continuous and present relations of creation to the Creator.”

Paul’s words of this verse are so clear, so meticulously presented, and so obvious as to what they are relaying that even a dolt, nay – a sub-dolt – should be able to figure out what he is saying.

Paul is not merely implying that Jesus is God. Rather, his words make the claim explicit. But this doesn’t fit with the theology of heretics, and so they will actually change the word of God in order to deny what Paul is saying.

Think about that in relation to what was said earlier. Man, apart from Jesus Christ, has no value because man has sin. God understood that even what He has provided to instruct us on who He is and what He has done, meaning His word, would be manipulated by man to deny who He is.

And yet, we think we are the center of everything while denying the Creator of all things. Could a more poignant example of man’s true worth apart from Christ be seen?

As for Paul’s words, they continue in verse 1:17, saying, “And He, He is before all, and the ‘all,’ in Him, it has been co-established.” The words, again, are intended to highlight the deity of Christ.

The first clause is stated emphatically, And He, He is before all.” It is an unequivocal declaration that His existence precedes any and all creation. He, in the absolute sense, is the Creator because nothing precedes Him. Nothing. This includes space, time, and matter. It includes anything that may be apart from those things that we are wholly unaware of.

As only God existed before all things, then Jesus Christ is God. He is the One who spoke to Moses, saying, ehyeh asher ehyeh, “I will be that I will be” (CG). In other words, He is because He is. He is uncreated and exists necessarily, because there is existence. But it is not because there is existence, meaning the universe, that He exists.

Jesus Christ, Yehovah incarnate, is self-existent and dependent on no other thing. His claim in John 8:58 is more fully understood because of this –

“Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham was, I, I Am.” (CG)

Colossians 1:17 confirms the words of the previous verse, “These all, through Him and unto Him, it has been created.” If He alone is before all things, then He must be the Creator of all things. Only He is a necessary Being. All other things are contingent, dependent on Him for their existence and continuation.

But because only God is a Necessary Being, then Jesus must be God. This is further realized in the words, “in Him, it has been co-established.” In other words, everything was placed together, and everything continues to be held together by Jesus Christ.

The sentiment is restated by the author of Hebrews using the words, “and bearing these all, the utterance, the power through Himself” Hebrews 1:3 (CG). The universe (these all) was created by Him. Being contingent, it is also dependent on Him at all times for its continued existence.

This shows us that He is God, who alone is absolutely necessary. He cannot not exist. All other things could simply not be. But God alone must exist. This is the Being who Paul says Jesus Christ is.

As the Bible teaches that God is also Father and Holy Spirit, we are being instructed in the doctrine of the Trinity. It helps explain why God created. He is capable of fellowship. He created in order to extend that fellowship beyond that which exists in Himself. It is an inescapable result of accepting the words of Scripture when taken at face value.

As for Paul’s words, they continue, breaking from the creation model and stating something beyond the wildest imaginations of man. And yet, the words are fully in line with the preplanned purposes of God, which existed before He spoke a single thing into existence. Paul writes, “And He, He is the Head, ‘the body, the out-calling,’ whom He is the beginning – Firstborn from dead, so that He might be, in all, He preeminencing.” Colossians 1:18

Jesus was presented in relation to the creation. He existed before it and above it. He created it, and He has sustained it since its creation. The words refer to Him being preeminent in all ways in relation to creation.

In verse 1:18, He is presented in relation to the church, a body which came forth out of the creation, and which is formulated from what He has done in creation. Paul emphatically says that “And He, He is the Head, ‘the body, the out-calling.’” (CG).

The emphatic “He” is given as a parallel to His being the image of God. The One who is the image of God is He who is the Head of this newly derived body. There is parallelism running between the two thoughts, which will be built on by Paul.

The people of the world are all a part of the creation, but because of the fall and because of free will within man, not all of those in creation have acknowledged God. However, within the stream of humanity, God has called out a group who acknowledge Him. Those in this group have become members of His body.

Paul deals with this in the book of Ephesians, where a stress is placed upon the unity of the body. Now he places the stress on the preeminent position of Christ within the body. Jesus Christ is the Head of this group, the out-calling, meaning the church.

While speaking of Him, Paul says, “whom He is the beginning.” As He is the One who created all things, so He is the beginning of the new thing which God has done within the creation. In this body, which is called out of the world, Christ is the beginning of it, being “Firstborn from dead.”

This is where the parallelism finds its true anchor. It is between Christ’s position in relation to creation and His position in relation to the church. He is “Firstborn – all creation” as was seen in verse 15, and He is “Firstborn from dead.” The two thoughts place Christ Jesus in the preeminent position in all things.

However, there is a point that must be considered. Though Christ is the firstborn of both, His status in relation to the church differs from His status in relation to creation. He is the Firstborn from the dead, having been One who was… dead, just as those who come after Him also die. However, though He is the Firstborn over all creation, He is not a part of the creation.

In other words, it shows the magnitude of what Christ, the Creator, was willing to do in order to identify with those He has called. He was willing to participate in the most humiliating aspect of all in order to fellowship with us.

Death is the result of sin. He was willing to take our sin upon Himself and die. Having no sin of His own, He had to resurrect. It is impossible that it could be otherwise. Peter exclaimed in Acts 2:24 that it was not possible that Jesus should be held by death.

In His resurrection, He carried our sin away through His death, leaving it in death so that we might follow Him in life. He is the Firstfruits from the dead. He is the Pattern for all who will afterwards arise from the dead.

But this refers to the resurrection, not merely a reanimation. Others have been reanimated to life. It happened to Lazarus. It has happened in hospitals throughout the world as well. Those people died or will die again.

On the other hand, what happened to Jesus is of another order entirely. His was a resurrection. It is a permanent restoration of life because of a spiritual connection with God. The power is that of an indestructible life. When Lazarus was raised, this wasn’t the case. His life was and remained destructible because his sin debt had not been dealt with. As such, there was no spiritual connection with God.

Jesus died. His death was a destructible death, but it was not destructible for Him. He had and always retained the spiritual connection to God. Jesus’ death was a substitutionary death. He vicariously died for our sins.

In His dying for our sins, sin no longer has mastery over us. Therefore, anyone who comes to Jesus by faith has the spiritual connection with God restored. Because of this, our death is not a destructible death, except for the physical body that our souls bear.

Jesus is the First of the resurrection, coming forth to eternal life. For those who come to Him, death, meaning spiritual death, is conquered in Him. Therefore, all who are in Him are spiritually alive in God.

Whether in relation to creation, or in relation to the church, Christ is first so “that He might be, in all, He preeminencing.” As Vincent’s Word Studies states, “He became head of the Church through His incarnation and passion, as He is head of the universe in virtue of His absolute and eternal being.”

In all things and in all ways, Jesus Christ is the first. He holds the position of absolute preeminence. But this also teaches us a truth about ourselves. Jesus is the Head of the body, the out-calling of God. A body is something united. It is a whole that has many parts, but it is a whole.

This is why Paul uses the term “in Christ” again and again in his writings. He is making a point concerning us. Paul repeatedly says, “God in Christ.” However, he also says, we are “in Christ.” In other words, Christ, the Messiah, is the tie that binds between the two.

God has united Himself with His creation, not only in the incarnation of Jesus, but He has also done so with us through Jesus. Jesus is the One who stood in our place in death. As such, He is the One who has restored us to life. In this, God has sealed us, in Christ, with the sealing of the Holy Spirit.

What does this have to do with Christmas? It means that the fellowship of family, something we celebrate at Christmas, is brought to an entirely different level because of what Christmas signifies.

God united with His creation on this celebratory day. It was with the intent of forming a family to fellowship with. He considered what the act of creation meant, including trials, sadnesses, disasters, and death, and He knew that it would be worth all of what we consider “evil” to proceed.

Joseph said to his brothers, “…you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” God knew what the devil would do. He intended evil against God, but God meant it for good.

A purpose for all the bad in the world is being served. Every time someone responds to the good news of God in Christ by responding to the gospel, God’s ultimate plan of a forever family is being realized.

God is not unconcerned about the trials and sadnesses of humanity. But they are a reality that must exist in order for His plan to come about. For those not in Christ, there are almost an infinite number of reasons why it is so.

The time, location, conditions, and attitudes of our existence all bear on whether we will be in Christ or not. A person who was born at an inopportune time will never have the chance of hearing or responding to the gospel.

A person born in an area that is not evangelized because money, access, and resources made it impossible for it to take place will never have the opportunity as well.

It may be that the conditions in a country, such as North Korea, make it impossible for the gospel to be shared. This isn’t God’s fault. Rather, it is how things happen. Why would we blame God if we got in a car and had an accident?

We choose to own cars. We voluntarily get into them knowing the conveniences and the risks. Would we be happy if God said, “You cannot have cars?” Likewise, we appoint leaders. It is the way the world is set up. North Korea has its leader because that is the way it is. God is not to blame.

Likewise, people have their own attitudes and dispositions. There are 8.5 million people in New York City. The vast majority of them have heard of Jesus. Many of them have in-depth knowledge of Him. And yet, only a small portion of them have accepted His offer of peace with God.

Is God to be blamed for that? None of these things shows either an incompetent or an uncaring aspect of God. The fact that He sent Jesus, with the specific purpose of dying for sin, indicates that He cares about sinful human beings.

Don’t overestimate your value in God’s eyes. But don’t dismiss it either. The potential in you, because of Christ, is what matters. You have a choice this Christmas. Accept the offer of God’s Son, given for You in the Person of Jesus Christ.

If you do, you will be the pearl of great price that Jesus was willing to sell all for. It is your faith in Jesus that will make it so. The world is filled with flawed, useless pearls that God will not deal with. But there is one, the people who have faith in Jesus, for whom He was willing to sell everything.

This is the kingdom of the heavens that Jesus speaks of, and you can be a part of it because of the Christmas Child that God gave for the sins of the world. Be sure to receive what He has done today.

Closing Verse: “Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.’
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
14 ‘Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!’” Luke 2:8-14

Next Week: 1 Samuel 14:15-30 Pretty yearny, like skies so sunny… (A Journey – the Honey) (27th 1 Samuel Sermon)

The Zeal of the Lord of Hosts

Unto us a Child is born
A time to rejoice and not to mourn

Unto us a Son is given
The One to lead us from death to a’livin’

And the government will be upon His shoulder
Every eye will see Him; every soul will be His beholder

Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom’s realm
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever – He at the helm
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this

And His name will be called Wonderful
The Counselor and Mighty God is He
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, pure and white as wool
Of the increase of His government and peace, no end shall we see

Do not be afraid, for behold
I bring you good tidings of great joy
Which will be to all people, forever told
The wondrous story, the birth of a Boy

For there is born to you this day
In the city of David, a Savior, it is He
Christ the Lord, whom heaven’s hosts obey
The Messiah has come, and now you may go and see

And this will be the sign to you:
You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes
Lying in a manger, a glorious view
The Christmas Child whom our Heavenly Father bestows

A Child like no other has come to dwell among us
He shall lead us in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake
And His name is called out, His name is JESUS
Come, and of the Heavenly Child partake

He is God’s gift and heaven’s treasure
He is Immanuel – God with us
And He bestows upon us grace without measure
The Christmas Child, our glorious Lord – JESUS!

Hallelujah and Amen…