II. The Preeminence of Christ (Colossians 1:13-20)
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II. The Preeminence of Christ (1:13-20)
These verses include some of the most exalting statements about Christ contained in the New Testament. Paul emphasizes the preeminence of Christ, meaning he is superior in who he is and surpassing in all he does.
1:13-14 Jesus is preeminent in his purchase. God rescued believers from the domain of darkness and into the kingdom of his beloved Son (1:13). We were under the rule of the devil, but Jesus Christ provided redemption (1:14). A slave could be redeemed in the ancient world if a price was paid for his freedom. We were slaves to sin and Satan, but through his atoning death Christ purchased us off the slave block, granting us forgiveness of sins and transferring us into his glorious kingdom.
1:15-19 Jesus is preeminent in his person. He is the image of the invisible God (1:15). The word image means perfect replica. God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him (1:19). The one God exists in three persons—as a Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Second Person of the Trinity took on human flesh; he is fully God and fully man. Every attribute of God is manifested in the Son; Jesus is God in bodily form (see 2:9). That’s why we see in Scripture that one minute Jesus is thirsty because he’s a man, and the next minute he calms the sea because he’s the Son of God.
Jesus is preeminent in his position. First, he is the firstborn over all creation (1:15). This phrase has nothing to do with time but with rank. It’s like the term first lady. The president’s wife is not the first woman ever to live in the White House. She holds the rank of first lady because of her connection to the one in charge. By his divine connection to God the Father, Christ inherits creation and the right to rule: “God has appointed him heir of all things” (Heb 1:2). He is the rightful King of creation. Second, he is the firstborn from the dead (1:18)—the down payment on our resurrection. You can be raised from the dead because Jesus was raised from the dead. Third, he is also the head of the body, the church. The church isn’t ours; it’s his. He runs it. When it comes to the covenant people of God, then, Jesus is never to come in second place. He is to have first place in everything (1:18).
Jesus is preeminent in his power. Everything was created by him (1:16). Genesis 1:1 says, “God created the heavens and the earth.” Yet Jesus is the uncreated Creator of all things (see John 1:1-4), and there is only one uncreated, eternal being. Thus, Jesus is God. What, then, should we make of the claim in Isaiah 9:6 that “A child will be born for us, a son will be given”? Well, the child (that is, Jesus) had to be born because the incarnation was a new thing, but the Son was given because he already existed. By him all things hold together (1:17). The planets stay in their orbits because Jesus holds them there. If he can do that, you can be confident that he can hold you too. If things are falling apart in your life, it might just be because Jesus doesn’t hold the preeminent position in your heart.
1:20 Jesus is preeminent in his provision. Through him God reconciled everything to himself. Sin has separated us from God, and we need reconciliation to bring things back into proper harmony. Job spoke of needing someone to mediate between him and God—someone like him who understood his pain (see Job 9:32-33). Since Jesus is a man, he understands our problems; since he’s God, he can fix them. Jesus experienced rejection, temptation, hunger, abuse, and death. He knows how you feel. But he’s also an Advocate (see 1 John 2:1) who reconciles sinners to God through his blood, shed on the cross. Your bank statement of righteousness is reconciled by Jesus Christ; you have perfect righteousness because you received a credit from him.