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Review: 

• There is hope in the gospel that gives life.
• It’s Jesus only as the true gospel—redemption and the forgiveness of sin.

Qualifications for such exclusivity. 

Read Colossians 1:15-20

Illustration: Profiles and bio’s.

• My unique food habits or desire to have access to heavens archives.
• Staff- Loves space movies and before sunrise as favorite time of day.
• Staff- One doctorate on staff and a love for the Red Sox.
• Staff- Thinks he looks good bald.
• Staff- Long time a part of ballet and fluent in French.
• Staff (plural)- Favorite drink—coffee!

Skills, experience, and education are primary.

Seven superior qualifications for Jesus being the exclusive means for redemption and forgiveness of sins.

1. Do you know who His father is? (15)

• “THE SON” of all sons.
  
  
• He looks like his dad.
  
  
• He is the heir and has ultimate authority over what is the Father’s.

2. Creation is his masterpiece. (16)

• He is the Creator.
  
  
• In him, through him, and for him:
  • ALL things were created—visible and invisible.
  • Anything or anyone with power—seen and unseen.

3. Being infinite, He is the glue that holds everything together. (17)

• Without him there would be chaos in the universe.
  
  
• Without him there would be chaos on earth.
  
  
• Without him there would be chaos in the spiritual realm.

4. By defeating death, He leads the movement of those raised to life. (18)

• He is the High Priest of the church.
  
  
• The church is made up of those who have crossed over from death to life.
  
  
• He was the first to render defeat of death in finality.
  
  
• As firstborn of the resurrected ones, he has supreme authority and provides the exclusive means of reconciliation with God.

5. He is God through and through. (19)

• Any attribute of God is also an attribute of Jesus. Vice versa. (15)
  
  
• They are in unity with each other “pleased to fully dwell in him.”

“This is my son, with whom I am fully pleased.” Matthew 3:17

“This is my son, whom I love; with him well pleased. Listen to him!” Matthew 17:5

6. He is the exclusive reconciler between God and all of creation above and below. (20)

• There are things broken in the spiritual realm and in the physical realm.
  
  
• Reconciling to himself is to reconcile to the Father.
  
  
• To spare not even his life for the sake of reconciliation is the ultimate example of love.

7. He is the ultimate peacemaker. (20)

• Making peace requires great price up front but gets better in time.
  
  
• Keeping the peace easy up front but gets more and more difficult in time.
  
  
• Peace, lasting peace, with God and with others can only come through the gospel of Jesus Christ.
  • By his blood shed on the Cross.

Who do you say Jesus is?  Your eternity depends on it.

What say you?

Who would people in your oikos say Jesus is?  Their eternity depends on it.

John 17:3 “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”

John 14:6 “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Crossing from death to life:

Admit you are a sinner in need of a savior.
Believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead.
Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord.

Benediction:

“If I believe this, I must acknowledge both His unique power and His impossible love that has offered redemption to His creation of which I am a part.”

Who is Jesus to you?  What say you? Your eternity depends on it.