The Limitless Love of God Week 3: Love the Source of Life (Creation) Part 3

Colossians 1:16, For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. (Italics added) (NKJV)

Here we find the three roles of Jesus in Creation: Architect, Agent, and Heir.  In week 1 we discussed Jesus as the Architect of Creation, in week 2 we focused on Jesus the Agent of Creation.  This week we will focus on Jesus the Heir of Creation. All things were created for Him. He is the One for whom all things were created, the goal of creation.

Jesus is the Heir of Creation

Today we will look at 4 characteristics of Jesus as the Heir of Creation: Jesus is the Firstborn of Creation, the Divine Son of God, the Heir of All Things, and the Sustainer of All Things.  

Jesus is the Firstborn of Creation

Colossians 1:15b, … He is the Firstborn of all creation. (AMPC)

Firstborn, here is used to show Jesus’ position of superiority and authority. William MacDonald, in the Believer’s Bible Commentary says, “The expression firstborn over all creation has nothing to do with birth here. It simply means that He is God’s Son by an eternal relationship. It is a title of priority of position, and not simply one of time.” 1

In ancient Hebrew days, the heir was usually the firstborn male.  He was given all the rights and privileges of the father, and these were not shared with the other children.  He was the representative of the Father and as heir was given the management of the household as well as the authority to transact all business for the family.  Jesus, as the firstborn of God has been given, divine authority over all of creation.  

As we discussed in the previous lesson, Jesus was not created, he is the Creator!  

Romans 8:29, For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. (NLT) Firstborn here means in rank or honor.  He is not equal to the others but has a supreme place of honor among them.  Matthew Henry writes, “that he might be the first-born among many brethren; that is, that Christ might have the honour of being the great pattern, as well as the great prince, and in this, as in other things, might have pre-eminence.”

Colossians 1:16, 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. (ESV). “The apostle now states the ground for Christ's dominion over creation: he is firstborn (Lord) over creation because he made it. To him it owes its unity, its meaning, indeed its very existence.” 2

Luke 2 gives us the account of the angel Gabriel visiting with Mary to announce that she had been chosen to be the mother of the Son of God.  In verse 35 we read his words, ‘And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.”’ (NKJV)

In his great love for mankind, Jesus chose to become “the firstborn of creation” by coming to earth in human form.  As the Architect of Creation, as we discussed in lesson 1, this was Jesus’ plan from before the beginning of time as we know it.  It was not a pitch hit after Adam and Eve sinned!  It was the original plan from the conception of creations design; God becoming man and bearing the penalty for our sin once and for all!  

Jesus was the firstborn of many sons, of whom we are but a few!!!

Jesus is the Divine Son of God

Colossians 1:15a, He is the image of the invisible God. (ESV)

“The word “image,” meaning copy or likeness, expresses Christ’s deity. This word involves more than a resemblance, more than a representation. He is God! Although He took on human form, He has the exact nature of His Father (Hebrews 1:3).”3  Hebrews 1:3a, He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature…(ESV) 

In his commentary, Matthew Henry writes, “He is so the image of God as the son is the image of his father, who has a natural likeness to him; so that he who has seen him has seen the Father, and his glory was the glory of the only-begotten of the Father, John 1:14; 14:9.” 4

Colossians 2:9, For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. (NLT) Here we find two truths, the fullness of God lives in Jesus, and it lived in him in his human body.  Jesus was fully God before his human birth and Jesus was fully God while he walked on the earth.  Jesus was, is, and always will be God!!!! “From all eternity, without any beginning, the Father has always had a perfect image of himself and a divine reflection or radiance equal to himself, namely, the Son.” 5

Philippians 2:6-8, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (ESV)

In these verses we see the love of God demonstrated by Jesus. In his person, character, nature, Jesus was, is, and always will be God.  However, “When a world of lost mankind needed to be redeemed, He was willing to relinquish His positional equality with God—the comforts and joys of heaven. He did not consider them something that He had to grasp forever and under all circumstances.” 6  He chose to leave his position in the Heavenly Godhead, to take on flesh and dwell among man.  

In John 17:5, Jesus prays, And now, Father, glorify Me along with Yourself and restore Me to such majesty and honor in Your presence as I had with You before the world existed. (AMPC) Here again is another reminder that before he came to earth Jesus and the Father shared the same glory.  In love he laid it down, and in Victory, Hallelujah, he picked it back up and is seated at the right hand of God today!!!!

Jesus is the Heir of All Things

In Psalm 2:7b-8, “The Lord said to me, ‘You are my son. Today I have become your Father.  Only ask, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, the whole earth as your possession.  Here we read a prophetic Psalm about the Messiah’s sonship and inheritance.  

Hebrews 1:2, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. (NIV) As creator, all of creation already belonged to Jesus, however, as a man, here we see that God has appointed him heir of all things. 

By calling Jesus the heir of all things, Hebrews acknowledges that everything the heavenly Father has planned, created, and purposed ultimately belongs to the Son. John the Baptist testified, “The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands” (John 3:35; see also John 16:15). 7

John 16:15, All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me. (NLT)

"Heir of all things," then, is a title of dignity and shows that Christ has the supreme place in all the mighty universe. His exaltation to the highest place in heaven after his work on earth was done did not mark some new dignity but his reentry to his rightful place (cf. Php 2:6-11). 8

Colossians 1:16, For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. (NIV) Creation itself is part of Christ’s inheritance. 

Jesus is the Sustainer of All Things 

Romans 11:36, For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. [For all things originate with Him and come from Him; all things live through Him, and all things center in and tend to consummate and to end in Him.] To Him be glory forever! Amen (so be it). (AMPC)

“The Almighty is self-contained. He is the source of every good, He is the active Agent in sustaining and controlling the universe, and He is the Object for which everything has been created. Everything is designed to bring glory to Him.” 9

Revelation 4:11, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. (KJV) Wow!  The goal of creation was to bring pleasure to God.  When asked why God bothered to create mankind when he knew we would sin and turn against him, Billy Graham answered, “God created us for one reason: to know Him and love Him and have fellowship with Him.” 10  God chose to create us for love and from love!!

Not only was everything created for him, but it is also all continually sustained by him.  Colossians 1:17, And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (ESV). He holds everything together.  If it were not for him the universe as we know it would fall apart.  

Hebrews 1:3b, and upholding all things by the word of His power. (NKJV) 

Imagine that, by the word of His power… What does this mean?  Think about this, John 1:1 tells us that Jesus is the Word made flesh.  The Word, by the word of HIS power, upholds all things.  Hebrews 1:3b in the NIV says, sustaining all things by his powerful word. 

Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines uphold as: 1. to lift on high; 2. to support; to sustain; to keep from falling or slipping. It defines sustain as: 1. to bear; to uphold; to support; 2. to hold; to keep from falling; 3. to maintain; to keep alive; to support; to subsist.

The word of Jesus power keeps the planets in their orbit, it keeps the earth from spinning out of control, it keeps the sun and moon at their proper distances from the earth, it keeps universe from falling apart and on top of all of that, it lifts mankind from his lost condition and restores him to sonship with the Father!!!!  That is love!!!!

In conclusion, we see that Jesus is the Firstborn of Creation, the Divine Son of God, the Heir of All Things, and the Sustainer of All Things.  It is his love for us that brought Jesus to earth as a man, laying aside his divine nature, to sacrifice himself for us, and it is the word of HIS power that continues to sustain us today!!!  Greater love hath no man than this…..

Works Cited: 

1  Believer’s Bible Commentary Copyright © 1989, 1990, 1992, 1995, 2016 by William MacDonald

2  Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament Copyright © 2024

3  https://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-first-born.html

4  Matthew Henry's Commentary

5  https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/jesus-is-the-christ-the-son-of-god

6  Believer’s Bible Commentary Copyright © 1989, 1990, 1992, 1995, 2016 by William MacDonald

7  https://www.gotquestions.org/heir-of-all-things.html

8  Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament Copyright © 2024

9  Believer’s Bible Commentary Copyright © 1989, 1990, 1992, 1995, 2016 by William MacDonald

10 https://billygraham.org/answers/god-created-us-for-one-reason




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