OF COMETS AND CHRIST
Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>
August 22, 2004
Text: Colossians 1:15-29
One of the frightening things about science fiction stories and movies is
that sometimes they have become science non-fiction. There are those here
today that can probably recall stories about rockets and space travel
before there were such things. Now there are such things. Same thing with
computers and robots and such. Some science fiction authors have had some
very good imaginations.
Besides religion, probably no other genre delves into the beginnings of
creation and life more than science fiction. Of course, much of it is
speculation meant to tell a story, but like some of those other fictional
imaginings that have developed into contemporary reality, even fantasies
about discovering the origin of life have become close to reality.
Some scientists are calling comets undercooked leftovers from the vast
cloud of gas and dust that formed our solar system. If it was possible to
capture a comet sample, even just a few rocks - even just a thimbleful of
dust - some believe they could answer some fundamental questions about
the birth of the planets and the origin of life on Earth.
Now they are on the brink of doing just that. About seven months ago, a
streaking spacecraft entered the bright halo of dust and gas surrounding
Comet Wild 2 (pronounced Vilt 2), surviving a barrage of deadly debris
that traveled at six times the speed of an assault rifle bullet. The
armored NASA spacecraft was on a mission to collect a thimbleful of
stardust and then return the sample to earth for scientific study. This
treasure of space particles, sealed in a re-entry pod, will be delivered
by parachute to a test range in the Utah desert in January 2006.
Scientists speculate that as little as a half teaspoon of space-stuff
will serve as the basis for enormous and far-reaching conclusions about
the origin of the universe. That's amazing. Its also amazing that a
specially designed spacecraft could be aimed at a traveling comet and
successfully grab particles and debris out of space to bring back to
earth. As I said, it is amazing to consider what has transitioned from
science fiction to science non-fiction. (Kathy Sawyer, "NASA craft gets
samples from a comet," The Washington Post, January 3, 2004, A1)
More amazing than even all of this is the knowledge and insight that Paul
was given to pass along to the Christians of his day and all of the
future until the second coming of Christ. Colossians 1:15-29 is one of
the great texts of Scripture which lifts up who some throughout previous
centuries have called the Cosmic Christ. Consider this wonder: If a
single container of dust can tell us about the birth of our planet, then
it's not hard to believe that this single, solitary person called the
Christ can tell us all we need to know about the meaning of life and our
relationship with God.
Verses 15-18 tell us who Jesus is. Jesus the Christ is our thimbleful of
stardust. We read in verse 15 that He is the image of the invisible
God, the firstborn over all creation. Jesus is the human face of God. He
appears in flesh and blood to communicate to us the character of the
infinite and eternal Spirit. The Gospel of John puts it this way: "The
Word became flesh and lived among us," and we were able to see with our
own eyes the glory of the Father's only Son, "full of grace and truth"
(John 1:14). Ignatius, a leader in the early Church, explained it by
saying that "by the incarnation God broke his silence." Perhaps a little
school girl put it best when she said, "Some people couldn't hear God's
inside whisper, and so he sent Jesus to tell them out loud." (John W.
Yates II, "Christ is the image of the invisible God," December 2, 2001,
The Falls Church Web Site, http://www.Thefallschurch.org)
God has been every bit as real and active in the world before the advent
of Jesus. But prior to Jesus, Gods will was always made real by
imperfect men and women. After all, no matter how good the translator,
nothing beats knowing the language itself. So Jesus, who is God, spoke
and acted without the need of a translator. In Jesus, we see God's
compassion - out loud. In Jesus, we feel God's power - out loud. In
Jesus, we get a sense of God's nature - out loud.
We read in verses 16 and 17, For by him all things were created: things
in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers
or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He
is before all things, and in him all things hold together. As creator,
Jesus has the authority to instruct us in all matters of life. As the
author of the Hebrews letter was so careful to demonstrate, Jesus is
superior to the prophets, the priests, and the angels. He is superior to
all created beings. This causes us to marvel at his humility,
servant-hood, and sacrifice even more.
Look now at verse 18: And he is the head of the body, the church; he is
the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in
everything he might have the supremacy. Jesus is the head of the church.
Caught up in contemplating all that Jesus is revealed to be, Paul
expresses his ecstasy as he so frequently did. Our mission, our work, our
love and compassion, our worship and praise all have a Christocentric
flow and direction. Jesus Christ, who hurled whole galaxies across the
endless stretches of space, is the same Jesus Christ in whom "God was
pleased to have all his fullness dwell" and who is the one on whose
orders we act, by whom we have been commissioned, and to whom we give
glory.
Verses 21 and 22 tell us who we are. In revealing who Jesus is and what
he has done, we gain insight into our nature as created, human beings -
if we have eyes to see and ears to hear.
Consider verse 21: Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in
your minds because of your evil behavior. Alienated from God; enemies
because of our evil behavior. We are no friends of God. We rebel; we
reject; we persecute the very Word of God. The history of the Israelites,
Gods chosen people, is our history as well. We are at war with God.
This is where humanists and other such philosophies get hung up. They
attempt to transfer to God the blame for our rejection of God. Since God
cannot allow sin to co-exist alongside His holiness, He punishes us for
our sinful rebellion. Those who fail to see any further, become angry at
God for His apparent cruelty. Why should God punish good people? they
ask. So such people reject God even more and add to their disobedience.
Alienated; enemies of God - that is who the Cosmic Christ reveals us to
be.
But it does not end there for anyone who sees beyond his or her sinful
behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body
through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free
from accusation
The Cosmic Christ shows us that we are reconciled! Not
because we have seen the error of our ways and built some Tower of Babel
so that we can approach the holy God, but because God has sacrificed His
very Son to reconcile us to Him. As we well know from the testimony of
Scripture and song, we once were lost, but now are found; was blind, but
now we see. Alienated, lost, blind - this is what we learn from the
testimony of the Cosmic Christ. But we also learn through this same
Christ of the Cosmos that we are reconciled; that we are found; that we
can see.
While it may be exciting to some what they may discover with their
thimbleful of comet dust, the fact remains that whatever they discover
will likely have little impact on our lives. The way I live, the way you
live, the way anyone lives will probably not be altered by whatever
discoveries are made concerning the origin of matter. By that, I mean
that no response will be required on our part. Why should there be? Our
lives are not affected by what a comet does.
Not so with Christ. Our thimbleful of knowledge that Christ has already
given us requires very much our response. We are told what we must do.
We must continue in the faith. Verse 23 begins,
if you continue in your
faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the
gospel. It matters very much to Christ that we be faithful. Significant
studies and sermons can be devoted to the rich depths of faith and
faithfulness, but for the application rendered by Paul in this letter, it
means simply to continue to live the belief of Gods promises and not
wander aimlessly between the instructions of God and the philosophies of
man.
We must serve. Finishing verse 23, we read, This is the gospel that you
heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of
which I, Paul, have become a servant. This is not from Paul; it is from
Christ. We know the times and the ways that Jesus taught and showed his
disciples to serve. Jesus did so many things that should have been
beneath him. He spoke with and touched people who were supposed to be
ignored and cut off; he washed the feet of his students, the disciples;
he allowed himself to be persecuted. All of this so that we could be
reconciled. So we, too, are to become servants.
We must proclaim the Word. Paul continues his thought, revealing that our
service fulfills a particular purpose: I have become its servant by the
commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness
We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so
that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. In our families, in our
churches, in our towns, and in our world, we proclaim and teach the Word
of God.
When the spacecraft Wild 2 lands in Utah in 2006, some scientists expect
to learn a lot about the universe from a little comet dust. That remains
to be seen, and it remains to be seen what man might do with any new
knowledge gained. It is sad that some believe that science is at such
great odds with Christian faith when some rather brave men and women of
science have expressed the faith of Christ in their work. Writes American
astronaut Commander James Irwin, The earth reminded us of a Christmas
tree ornament, hanging in the blackness of space. As we got farther and
farther away, it diminished in size. Finally, it shrank to the size of a
marble, the most beautiful marble you can imagine. That beautiful, warm,
living object looked so fragile, so delicate, that if you touched it with
a finger it would crumble and fall apart. Seeing this has to change a
man, has to make a man appreciate the creation of God and the love of
God. (James Irwin, quoted in A Thimbleful of Stardust, Homiletics,
vol. 16 no. 4, 2004, p. 40)
When God landed on Earth in Jesus Christ, it didn't seem like much to
those whose minds were filled and clouded by sin. As this Christological
hymn makes clear, though, we have learned much from the Cosmic Christ:
who Jesus is, who we are, and what we must do. As Paul and the other New
Testament authors reveal, one man can unlock what we need to know about
God and life.
Rev. Charles A. Layne, pastor, First Baptist Church, Bunker Hill, IN
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