"And He [Jesus Christ] is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence."
Colossians 1:18
“And He.”
It is vital to understand who “He,” is. In this verse, “He” refers to none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. In context, here is the description of the “Son of God.”
He is the King of His Kingdom (v. 13).
He is the Redeemer (v. 14).
He is the very image of the Father (v. 15).
He is the firstborn (v. 15).
He is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe (vv. 16-17).
He is the Head of the Church (v. 18).
“Is the head of the body, the church.”
Paul loved to use the imagery of Jesus Christ as the Head of the Church. And he saw the Church as His Body.[1] He loves the Church, and He paid for her with His precious blood. Every genuine believer is a part of His Body.
“Who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead.”
Paul compares Jesus’ resurrection to the Old Testament offering of the first fruits. At the beginning of the harvest, the devout farmer would make his wave offering of the first fruits of his crop. He was giving God the first of the vegetables and thanking Him for the harvest yet to come. It was an act of faith, for the best crops generally come first, and his gift was looking ahead to the harvest that was yet to come.
Jesus was the “firstborn (first fruit) from the dead.” He was raised first from the dead, with the explicit guarantee that we who are His children, will also come forth from the dead, in His time.
“That in all things he might have the preeminence.”
The word “preeminence” is not one that is used much in English today. The Greek word used here means “to be first, hold the first place”[2] (Thayer). But that doesn’t really do justice to the meaning in this verse. Vincent translates it here as “Lit., might become being first.”[3] Here’s the way a child might say this, “that in all things He might have the firstest place.”[4] It’s not that Jesus is just in first place barely-there above second place, but He is the first place, and that is so far ahead of second-place that it cannot even be seen. He’s above and beyond all things! He is preeminent!
Believer, does our beautiful Savior hold the “firstest” place in your life?
[1] For your further study of Christ being the Head, and the Church, the Body. Romans 12:5, 1 Corinthians 11:3; 12:12, 27, Colossians 1:24, 2:19. Ephesians 1:22; 4:2, 15; 5;30.
[2] J.H. Thayer, Thayer’s Greek Definitions, the electronic version in eSword.
[3] M.R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, the electronic version in eSword.
[4] My apologies to the English teachers everywhere. Good Greek translations don’t always make for the best English. 😎