Preeminence of Christ
And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
Colossians 1:17-18. (NKJV)
Only Jesus Christ, our great Saviour and High Priest can truly be said to have preeminence: ‘That means he is first. In everything. First in importance, first in honor, first in exaltation…Jesus is the “head” and the “beginning” and the “firstborn”…’ 1
The one who came from heaven to earth and took on human flesh for our salvation, was ‘from the beginning’ as we read in John 1:1, 3-4: ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made…In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.’
Jesus is ‘the firstborn from the dead’. In accordance with the perfect will of the Father, Jesus finished the great work of atonement that was given to Him (John 17:4) and which enabled all humanity to be reconciled to God, to be justified, forgiven and made righteous in Him. The word of God reveals that, ‘while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.’ (Romans 5:8-10).
What a perfect sacrifice by Jesus who knowingly and willingly suffered the most excruciating, painful death and unimaginable shame. He was spat upon, suffered an illegal trial, he was whipped and scourged and mocked with a crown of thorns and eventually was nailed to the cross. What is my reaction to all this? I stand in awe at His feet and humbly bow down before my Saviour and the Redeemer who lives – the firstborn from the dead.
Jesus is ‘the head of the body, the church’. The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Ephesians writes, ‘And He put all things [in every realm] in subjection under Christ’s feet, and appointed Him as [supreme and authoritative] head over all things in the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills and completes all things in all [believers].’ (Ephesians 1:22-23 Amplified Bible).
I give thanks to God the Father who has highly exalted Jesus ‘…and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow [in submission]…’ (Philippians 2:9-10). Jesus is our Saviour, let us, therefore, ensure He is preeminent in our lives, and that He is first in everything, as we submit all things to Him.
Prayer
Abba Father in heaven, I thank You with all my heart for sending the Lord Jesus Christ to assure our salvation. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Study by Natu Moti
1 The Uncomfortable Implications of the Preeminence of Christ by Greg Stiekes, October 16, 2018. https://seminary.bju.edu/theology-in-3d
About the writer:
Natu Moti is a Deacon in the Birmingham congregation of Grace Communion International.
Local congregation:
Gracecom Birmingham
All Saints Church
George Road
Birmingham B23 7QB
Meeting time:
Saturday 1pm
Local congregational contact:
David Gibbs
Email: birmingham@gracecom.church
Word of Life contact:
wordoflife@gracecom.church