Plainly Speaking
 with Karl J. Forehand

 

 

The Preeminence of Christ

(Colossians 1:15-19)

by Karl J. Forehand

 

  Preeminence is not word we use everyday in our vocabulary.   It means “supremely eminent; distinguished above all others; outstanding, conspicuous.  Notice the phrase “distinguished above all others.”  We are constantly striving to out perform others and to gain a place of position over others.  However, in God’s economy, there is not a person that is distinguished above all others except Jesus Christ.  The rest of us are in the same boat.  That is why we should never refer to humans as “eminence.”  Jesus Christ is the only one that distinguished himself above all others.

 

  The Gnostics at this time wanted to dethrone Jesus.  They wanted to put him on a level somewhere just above the angels.  They couldn’t conceive of God also being man.  We do similar things today when we elevate men and deny the deity of Jesus Christ.  But Jesus is not just prominent--he is preeminent.  He is not just important--He is omnipotent.  

 

  Let’s look at 5 categories Paul recognized about Jesus.

 

1.  He is the Savior

 

For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.  (Col. 1:13-14)

 

  The deliverer has to have the ability to do so.  That may seem kind of obvious, but it is very significant.  None of us are able to do the delivering.  He has the power (the ability) to do it and he actually took the steps necessary to do. 

 

  Is He your savior.  If He is, are you allowing Him to be your daily deliverer?

 

2.  He is the Eternal Link

 

And He is the image of the invisible God  (Colossians 1:15a)

 

  To the Gnostics, Jesus had become just an emanation from God.  They assumed that, since matter was evil to them, we should either abstain from all activity or just enjoy it.  Both approaches are wrong, but they also wouldn’t consider Jesus as a man because then they would have to admit that He became matter. 

 

  Jesus did become matter.  He had flesh and bones.  By the way, matter is not good or evil – it is temporal and not eternal; but it cannot sin or cause someone to sin.  When Jesus became man, He showed us what God is like (image).  John said, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” 

 

  We can think of an image in one of two ways.  First, it could be a likeness such as a coin or picture.  But an image can also be a manifestation.  This is what Jesus did when he became man.  He became a manifestation of the nature and being of God perfectly expressed in man.  The writer of Hebrews said, “He is the express image of His (God’s) person.”  John 1:18 tells us that no one has seen God, but Jesus revealed Him. 

 

  Have you made the connection?  We ask, “What is God like?’  Jesus showed us – maybe we should direct our focus to Him.

 

3.  He is the creator

 

  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.  (Colossians 1:16-17)

 

  He is the creator of all things.  That includes matter, time and space.  He created the visible, the invisible, the heavens and the earth.  He created everything.  But He is not just the creator, He is the cause of all things.  Everything was not just created by Him; but for Him.  He is the primary cause – He is the plan.  He is the instrumental cause – He is able to do it.  He is the final cause – it is for His pleasure. 

 

  He is also the one that keeps it together.  Scientists can explain what matter is; but children still ask “What holds it all together?”  How is the earth perfectly tilted on it’s axis and why does it stay there?  How does the earth stay the perfect distance from the sun?  How does gravity really work and why is our atmosphere so perfect for life.  The answer:  there is One that holds it together.

 

  Only God can create – man can only manipulate and manufacture.  The Hebrew word for create “bara” is only used of God.  Because Jesus is the creator, he can become part of what He created. 

 

  Are you trying to create things that only the creator can produce? 

 

4.  He is the Head of the Church?

 

He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything.  (Colossians 1:18)

 

  Just a side note:  many of us need to flatten out our org charts.  We don’t need a hierarchy of people above us when we report to God.  Jesus is the head – we are the body.  We don’t need to report through a chain of body parts.  We need to talk to the head. 

 

  When Paul uses the illustration of the head and the body, it shows us several things:

-         The church is an organism, not an organization

-         The body does the work of the head – Jesus is not working for us

-         The relationship between the head and the body is real and intimate

 

  Is He the head of your life?  Are you living the life that you were resurrected to live?  Most of us willing accept the death of Christ as payment for our sins.  But, the head of the church is the
”firstborn” from the dead – He is alive!  The rest of the body needs to participate in the LIFE of Christ.  I think some of us were buried in baptism and forgot to stand up out of the water.

 

5.  He is the fullness of God

 

For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him,  (Colossians 1:19)

 

  Everything that God is dwells in Christ.  Colossians 2:9 says, “For in Him (Jesus) all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form.”  The fullness (the sum total of divine power and attributes) dwells (is a permanent part of His being) in Jesus Christ.  And, if Christ is in us, then we have everything we need.

 

  You have the fullness of God when you have Christ – are you ignoring that?

 

  Are there things you need to be delivered from?  Jesus is the deliverer – He is able.

 

  Do you want to know what God is like?  Jesus is the link between God and man.

 

  Is you life out of control?  Jesus is the creator and sustainer of life.

 

  Is church life not functioning for you?  Jesus is the head – is He head of your life?

 

  Do you want more from God?  Jesus is the fullness of God.

 

 

                                                                                                                                                      © 2003    Karl J. Forehand

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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