Why Christ Is First

Colossians 1:15-19

Just who is Christ to you? And what does it mean to follow him? How would you define your relationship to Jesus Christ? If you had to rate his importance in your life, how high a rating would he get? On a scale of 1 to 10, where would you put Jesus, in terms of his importance to your life? Would he get a 7 or 8? Would he score as high as a 9? Could you honestly get him a 10? Is Christ first in your life?

As we will see today, the Bible teaches that Jesus Christ should have first place in everything. He should not merely be prominent; he should be pre-eminent. Jesus Christ is not want to be merely an important part of your life; he wants to be first in your life.

Our text today is one of the most moving and theologically profound passages of Scripture concerning Christ’s absolute supremacy, His absolute preeminence in everything. The simple but profound confession of the early Church was "Jesus Christ is Lord." That is still the confession of the Church. We can proclaim it unequivocally to the world. And we can say Jesus Christ is Lord over all.

When Peter proclaimed that great truth on the day of Pentecost, preaching before the multitudes gathered in Jerusalem (Acts 2), he concluded his sermon by saying, "Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." He proclaimed a fact that was true before the foundation of the world: Jesus Christ was and is and always will be Lord! And it was at that point that the people listening were cut to the heart and said, "Brothers, what shall we do?" They understood that if Jesus was and is truly Lord, then they had to make a response to that. They could not remain neutral. And neither can we. If Jesus is who he claimed to be, then we must either accept or reject him. We cannot remain indifferent. If we do, we have in fact rejected him.

But I believe that if you see just who Jesus really is, you will also see that the smartest thing you can do is to submit to him and surrender your life to live for him. There is an interesting phrase that we evangelical Christians often use. We sometimes talk about making Christ Lord of our lives. But the reality is that He is already Lord, whether or not we acknowledge His Lordship. What we really mean when we ask people to make Christ Lord of their lives, is to submit and surrender to His Lordship and to acknowledge Him as their Lord. Nobody can make Christ Lord; HE IS LORD! The only thing we can do is respond to the fact that He Is Lord.

In our text today, the apostle Paul gives us several good reasons why Jesus should have first place in all our lives. Let’s look at them briefly. Firstly, he should have first place in your life because...

He is the Manifestation of God.

The first reason why he should be given first place in your life is because of his relation to God. Notice what it says in Colossians 1:15a (NIV): "He is the image of the invisible God." In others words, he is the very manifestation of God.

In the Greek, this word "image" is the word eikon (eijkw;n). You might recognize its English derivative –– icon. It is an interesting word because it points to several things. It points to a statue or a portrait, or in our modern vernacular, a photograph. What is being said here is that Jesus Christ is the picture, the representation of, the picture of God. When Jesus came to this earth, God came in the form of a man. He walked among us and He lived among us. Here in Christ we see the image of the invisible God revealed. Do you want to know what God is like? Look at Jesus. Do you want to know what God would do if He came to earth and was made a man and had to live like you live? Just look at Jesus. He shows you exactly what God would do and who God is. He is the image of the invisible God.

This means that Jesus is divine. Look at John 1:1. In this passage we see clearly just who Jesus was and is: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." In the Jehovah’s Witness Bible, called the New World Translation, they add one little word to the last phrase of John 1:1. In their translation it reads, "and the word was a God." That little change makes a BIG difference. In the Greek, however, it says something altogether different. The actual Greek says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word (kai; qeo;" h\n oJ lovgo")." That’s the thrust in the original. What you see in Jesus is the Word made flesh. That’s the image He portrays for us. What we see in Jesus is the eternal God of the universe; Son of God, but God the Son, leaving His eternal glory and taking upon Himself the form of a servant.

If you turn to Hebrews 1:3, it says, "The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word." Philippians 2:6 says, "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped." He existed in the very form and essence of God. In Jesus, we have God made flesh. In Jesus, we have Emmanuel (God with us). He is the portrait of God. If you want to see God, just look at Jesus. He deserves first place in our life because he is the very manifestation of God. But he also deserves to be first in your life because…

Jesus Christ is Creator of the universe. In our passage, Paul calls him the firstborn over all creation. This is an interesting word. In the Greek it is prototokos, a word that signifies priority and preeminence. It is a word of honor, of position in relation to other things. What you have here is Paul saying, "He deserves priority over all things. He deserves first place over all things. He is supreme over all." And the reason why he is supreme over all things is because he was here before all things and he is Creator of them.

He is the Creator God. He called all things into existence. The terms "visible, invisible, thrones, powers, rulers, authorities" are terms for angelic and demonic spiritual beings. It’s by his creative hand that everything, visible and invisible, physical and spiritual, is made.

Earlier we quoted from the first chapters of John and Hebrews regarding Christ’s deity. Those same chapters also address his creative power as God.

Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (John 1:3 NIV)

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. (Hebrews 1:1-2 NIV)

It is clear that Christ is the Creator, and we should serve him for that reason alone. But he is more than simply Creator. According to our text, he is also the Sustainer of the universe. Our text says that in him all things hold together. This is an interesting phrase. All things stick together in Him. He is the Sustainer. It implies to us that without the presence of the eternal God of the universe, things would literally fly apart.

Now, I am not a scientist, but what little I do know about the atom amazes me. Scientists still do not know just one holds the atom together. They explain it many times by citing some unknown "force" of nature. As Christians, we know what this force is. It is the power of the eternal God. Christ holds this universe together. He sustains everything that is and will continue to do so until he comes again.

But there’s something more. He is not only the Creator of all things, He is not only the Sustainer of all things, but He is the Destiny of all things. Our text says that all things were created by him and for him. Everything that has been created, was not only created through His power, but also created for His purposes.

God made you, not for your own purpose, but for his purpose in the universe. Christ brought us all together in this place, not so we could do our things, but so we could do his thing. God gave you the profession you’re in, not so that you could do your thing, but so you could be involved in his purpose in the universe. If you’re a doctor, you’re not just simply a doctor, you’re there to show people what Christ would be like were he a doctor. If you’re a lawyer, you’re there to show people what God would be like if he was trying a case. If you’re a secretary, you’re there to show all the other secretaries and your boss what Christ would be like if he was typing a letter or doing the activities that you engage in. You’re there so that you can infiltrate the world and show people what God is like living in a human being. You’re on mission, wherever you are, for the Lord Jesus Christ as his ambassador. Jesus Christ has called you to himself so that you could do his will and fulfill his purpose. You were created by him and for him.

Christ should be first in your life because he is the manifestation of God, and because he is the Creator of the universe. But there’s one more reason mentioned in our text. Christ should have first place in your life because...

Here is an interesting image Paul gives us to consider –– the image of a physical body. In a physical body, the head is the controlling part of that body. A body is not much good without a head. It is an essential part of the body. I can survive without my arm. While I would be severely limited in some respects, if I had to choose between having my arm or my head chopped off, it would be an easy choice. I’d choose my arm (some of you might choose my head). Paul is saying, "He is the boss, He is the ruler, He is the head, He is the controlling factor of the body." The body here is the Church.

As Christians, we are all part of the church. As such, we must understand that we should respond to the will of Christ, our head. There are many forms of Church government in existence. There is an episcopalian form of government that gives authority to pastors or bishops. There is a presbyterian form of government the gives authority to elders. And there is a congregational form of government that gives authority to the membership at large. Which is right? Well, if Christ is not running the show, then none are right. You see, whatever the leadership structure, our job is to try to find the will of God. Our goal is to try to discern what Christ wants for his church and then follow him. As our text says, our goal should be that in everything he might have the supremacy.

This is what Jesus Christ wants –– first place in everything! He is the head of the Church. This is true both administratively and organically. The Church is like the human body. We’re all members of the body, and he is the head. He breathes direction. He is order. He came forth from the dead. It is by that resurrection power that we live and move and have our being. We can’t exist without Him.

I want you to understand something from this. I want you to see that Jesus does not want prominence. Many churches only give Jesus Christ a prominent place. Jesus does not want, deserve, or in any way desire prominence in our affairs. You know how we give him prominence? We mention him every once in a while as we go about our business, doing things the way we want to do them. We get together in meetings, and decide what we want to do, and then pray at the end of the decision, asking the Lord to bless the decision. That’s giving Jesus a prominent place. But Jesus doesn’t desire prominence. Jesus desires preeminence. He desires to have FIRST place. Prominence is giving him a high place, but not necessarily first place. He doesn’t desire prominence. He demands preeminence. He desires and deserves first place, not an important place, in everything.

Instead of coming together and deciding what we want to do and asking God to bless it after the fact, we ought to come to God in prayer, seeking his face, laying out the plan and the options in advance, asking God what he wants us to do. And if none of our options are his, we have to ask him to help us throw all those aside and understand what he wants. We have to do that in our church life, our personal life, our home life, and in every aspect of our lives. Otherwise, we are not allowing the Lord to lead us.

Do you just decide what you want to do and go that way? Or do you sincerely pray about that decision? Do you ask God beforehand? "Lord, I’ve got an important decision to make. What would you have me to do? How would you have me handle that?" Or do you wait until you get in a jam and say, "God I didn’t consult you on this, but bail me out anyway?" He sometimes does, by his mercy. We have all been bailed out by his mercy and love. God has done it and that’s wonderful, but that’s not the way to live. The way to live is by seeking the leadership of the Lord and giving him first place.

Now, you have to do some thinking on this because it’s important. I’m not up here to give you a specific prescription for your life. I’m just saying that if you don’t pray and seek the will of God beforehand, you’re doing something wrong. You see, I believe that if we would just get on our knees regularly and put every day before God, he would give us his direction for our lives. He is the head of the Church to give direction to our lives.

Christ should be first in your life because he is the very manifestation of God. Indeed, we read in verse 19 that God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him. Jesus Christ is God the Son. He is Lord, and we should bow before him in surrender.

Christ should be first in your life because he is the Creator of the universe. He made all things. He made you. A creator owns his creation. You are the property of God.

Christ should be first in your life because he is the head of the Church. As a Christian, a part of his Church, you should in knowledge him as your leader. You should follow him.

Remember, Christ does not desire prominence. He desires preeminence. He does not desire an important place. He desires and deserves first place. Give him first place in your life.

Copyright © 2002 J. David Hoke. This data file is the sole property of the copyright holder and may be copied only in its entirety for circulation freely without charge. All copies of this data file must contain the above copyright notice.

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