The theme of the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Colossian Church is “the pre-eminence of the Lord Jesus Christ.” The word pre-eminence means “surpassing all others” That is, superiority. Paul identifies seven characteristics of Christ to substantiate His pre-eminence, which he identifies and lists in Colossians 1:15-20. Also, let’s keep in mind that Christ is the Head of the Body—The Church, where all believers are members. Paul states: “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one Body . . . For the body does not consist of one member, but many” (1 Corinthians 12:13,14). This speaks for the Church worldwide.
1) Christ is “the image of the invisible God.” Jesus has always been with the Father. He declared of Himself: “I and my Father are one” (John 10:30). Then, in comforting His apostles and telling them He is coming for them, Jesus said, “If you had known me you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him. Philip seemed doubtful and says to Him, show us the Father and it is enough for us.Jesus responds to Philip by name, “Have I been with you so long and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you, I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me and does His works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me” (John 14:7-10). Jesus made it absolutely clear to Philip, His apostles, and the rest of us that “Jesus is indeed God.”
2) Christ is “the firstborn over all creation.” The term “firstborn of all creation” is not referring to the birth of Christ. But instead it is referring to “priority of position” that He is indeed the eternal Son of the Eternal God. This is fully supported in Psalm 89:27 where we read, “And I will make Him my firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth,” meaning that Christ holds the position of priority of all creation, and in the context that He was before all things.
3) Christ “created all things.”This textspeaks conclusively to us that “Jesus Christ is Creator” and definitely not a ‘created being’ as some would have us to believe. Please take note again of what is written. “For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him” (Colossians 1:16). This means that the entire universe of every thing “were created through Him and for Him.” How complete and consistent is the word of Lord!
4) Christ is “the Head of the Body, the Church.” Everyone who has ever trusted Jesus Christ as their Savior is “formed into His Body,” which is the Church and of which also He is the “Head.” Being the Head, gives Him the power and authority to keep, lead, guide, and direct the life and affairs of the Church. Bear in mind that this is a position of pre-eminence that also echos the divine intimacy between Christ and the Church, which He “loved and gave Himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25).
5) Christ is “the beginning, the firstborn from the dead.” Jesus Christ is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. As Jesus is “the firstborn from the dead,” He is first in time and likewise first in pre-eminence. Being firstborn from the dead gives the christian a wonderful, great and glorious hope because “He lives to die no more.” He was also raised for our justification. So we see that Jesus is not only “the firstborn of all creation,” He is also “the firstborn from the dead.” “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:20,21). It is also noteworthy that in Paul’s defense before King Agrippa, he said “that Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, He would proclaim light both to our people and the Gentiles” (Acts 26:23) This indeed is the good news of the gospel, which Paul so often preached in his day. And we need to enthusiastically proclaim this same gospel in the Church Age that we are living today.
6) In Christ “all the fullness of God dwells.” The complete verse says, “For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell” (Col. 1:20), which was always so. Note the words “in Him,” which means God the Father was in Christ the Son. This is stated In Christ’s priestly intercessory prayer to God: “that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me that they may be one even as we are one. I in them and you in me that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you love me” (John 17:21-23). Christ is actually the fullness of God, which means completeness and entirety of the Godhead. People “outside” of Christ really don’t have a clue of what they are missing until they come to saving knowledge of the truth and trust Jesus as their Savior and Lord of their lives.
7) Christ “reconciled all things to Himself.” The complete context is “For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace through the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:19,20). The word “reconcile” means to change thoroughly. God loved the world even while it was in rebellion against Him. Through the death of Christ on the Cross, God demonstrated mercy and grace where judgment was well deserved. Rebellious man can now be reconciled to God. This was an act by God alone. Man contributed absolutely nothing. Paul writes, “In Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:19). It is of great importance that it is man who must be reconciled to God and not God reconciled to man. God is the righteous. Man is the sinner. Paul writes, “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot” (Romans 8:7). Man’s hostility started in the Garden of Eden when Adam disobeyed God. Disobedience is rebellion against God. Therefore, man’s greatest need was to be reconciled to God.
Brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ, let us consider the following exhortation: “So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through His own blood. Therefore, let us go to Him outside the camp and bear the reproach He endured. Here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come” (Hebrews13:12-14).