Who Is Jesus? Part 2 of 3
6-10 of 10 points
From “Study and Obey”
- He is the Head of the Church –
He is over the universe as a whole and He is also over the church specifically. The universe was created through Him and for Him and the church was also created through Him and for Him. This is a simple, but important truth. Christ is over the church.
The head of the church is not any person, whether a prophet, a pastor, no matter how dynamic. It is not my church. It is not your church. It is not the pope’s church.
The head of the church is not any organization, denomination, or institution, including any governments.
We cannot serve two masters. Neither can a church serve both God and government. A church will face many problems and be tempted to compromise if it accepts government control.
There is only one head, and it is Christ. This does not mean that leaders aren’t important. Leaders (appointed in biblical ways) are very important and are used by Christ to shepherd and lead this vast body.
Hebrews 13:17 – Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.
We are commanded to submit to our leaders. But this is akin to a parent who asks the younger children to follow the instructions of the oldest child while he is gone. The younger children need to obey not because of any inherent authority in that oldest child, but because of the command of the parent, in who rests all the authority over the children.
The church and people in the church belong to Christ, not to us. It is not your church or your fellowship or your convert in the sense that those things belong to you. They don’t belong to me. Or to you. Everything belongs to Christ.
That is important. It changes the whole mindset of how we serve. We should not compete with other groups to get more numbers. We should not demand personal loyalty from those we are called to serve. We should not take offense if someone we have discipled or taught, moves on to another church or lighthouse God has called him to. Because they don’t belong to us.
Some time ago, in one rural village area of Asia there were two preachers. One had been sacrificially serving the community for years. He gave up a career and his own pursuits to serve the Lord. He held revivals. He mentored people. Then a new preacher came into the area. He also preached to big crowds. He also mentored people. His teaching style was a bit different, perhaps more engaging. But the content was basically the same. His persona was more attractive. Soon large numbers of people left the ministry of the old preacher and joined the new preacher’s ministry.
Some of his closest followers were upset. They complained to him, “Our meetings are much emptier than before. You are not as popular as before. You have given everything to this community, and now they have all abandoned you and gone over to this new guy.”
How did he respond?
“He must increase and I must decrease,” answered John the Baptist. John the Baptist understood. It wasn’t about him. It was about Jesus. His entire ministry was to point people to Jesus because Jesus is the head. We must be willing to decrease in every way so that all the spotlight, all the glory, all the praise is on Jesus.
- He is the beginning –
He existed from the beginning. John said, “in the beginning was the Word.” He is the cause of this world. He is the cause of our physical life. He is the cause of our spiritual life.
When you see a ball rolling down the street, you might ask, “what caused that?” Probably a person rolled it. Then you go back, where did the person come from? And you keep going back, back, back. Finally, you would arrive at a point in time when there was nothing except the Trinity. He set things into motion.
Everything we see around us has a cause (cause and effect). But He is the first cause or what theology calls the “uncaused” cause.
- He is the Firstborn from the Dead –
1 Corinthians 15:20 – But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
1 Corinthians 15:22 – For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.
It is because of Christ’s resurrection from the dead that we know we too will be resurrected one day. His new life guarantees our new life. He is the proof that the promise of eternal life and salvation is true. 1 Corinthians 15 makes it clear that if Christ was not raised from the dead then we have no hope and our faith is useless. His resurrection is the lynchpin which holds together the whole gospel and all the promises in the gospel.
If you go back in time all the way to the beginning, Jesus is there. He is like the Mt. Everest, which fills up your entire view. He is the “Wow of all wows.” And if you go forward in time, Jesus is the first one to be raised from the dead. And He is also the best/highest rank (remember that word firstborn can mean either). But that resurrection is also our hope. It is the guarantee of something better. In Revelation 20-22, we can see the final result. Eternal life. Perfect righteousness. Glorified bodies. New Jerusalem. New Heaven. New Earth. He will bring all of it.
Our hope is made sure because of Jesus’ resurrection.
It says here, “that in everything, He might be preeminent.”
- He will take His place in Pre-Eminence –
” So that He will come to have first place in everything”
At every point in time, Jesus is supreme. He is the priority.
But sometimes there is a gap between reality and how reality is perceived. Although Christ is the Creator of this world, most people do not recognize Him as such. Although He holds this world together, most people do not recognize this or accept it. Although He is the rightful ruler and authority of this world, most people do not submit to his authority or recognize Him as the ruler.
One day this gap between who Jesus is and how this world perceives Him will be bridged. One day we will see Him as He really is (1 John 3:2.) One day in the future every person will bow the knee to Christ and confess that He is the Lord (Philippians 3:10-12).
He is the Lord already. Let’s make sure that we are putting Him in first place in our lives.
- He is 100% God –
In Him, all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell – Similar to the fact that He “is the image of the invisible God.”
Paul states the same truth in multiple ways to make sure you don’t miss it. Someone might say, “Well, He is only the image of God. That is just something about the surface. He is not really God.”
So here, Paul says, “all the fullness of God” was pleased to dwell, “In Him.” It is not just a surface thing. He doesn’t just look like God. He is God. The second member of the Trinity, who existed from eternity past, as an invisible spirit, chose to condescend to take on human flesh. He did not do this reluctantly or under compulsion, but He was cheerful giver. He gave Himself to us.
Not just a piece of Himself. Not just a reflection. He didn’t just anoint or empower a man. He became one. The Son of Man was not just a shell. He was the living God.
Why did He do this? The next verse gives the answer, for our reconciliation.
In order to represent us, He had to become one of us. In order to save us, He had to be sinless and divine. Jesus is the ultimate peacemaker. He gave up His life to make peace between us and God.
Who is Jesus? He is God.
