28/04/11

He is pre-eminence of all things

Colossians 1:17,18 - And he is before all things, and by him all things consist [sustain in place]. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn [first bought forth] from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.


In Paul's letter to the Colossians 1:13-22 he gave a pretty good picture of Who Christ is.

In today's message the Lord wants us to know some aspects of Christ from there.

It is written He existed before all things. When it says 'all things' it means all things, it does not means only this creation but also the Heavens and the Angelic creation. It also says all things are consist or sustained in its place by Him. This means both that it is by His power that all things are put in its place and also means that due to Him all things are put in its place. He is the cause, the purpose and the power by which all things exist.

In today's message there is a deeper revelation of Him given which is that He is the head of the Body, the Church. People normally read this in one meaning but really Paul disclosed two aspects of Him the Heavenly and the Earthly as he did in his previous sentence v17.

In the Heavenly aspect He is the head of the Body. The body which Paul is talking of is the Angels of Heaven. Like the Father is the Head of the Godhead the Body which consist of the Spirit and the Son so also the Son has a Heavenly body of which the Cherubim and Angels are a part of. It is for this reason in scriptures there are confusions at time an Angel appeared and the same situation is also written as the Lord appeared. This Body is the Heavenly Body or the Temple of the Lord which got damaged when a third of the Angels fell. Like on the third day He resurrected in the same way on the third day (Heavenly day / period) will His Body be made full again when we become part of His Heavenly Body and will be bought to glory.

He is also the head of the Church. The word used here translated as 'Church' is the Greek word 'ekklesia', people simply translate it as 'congregation' or 'assembly'. This word is a compound word made from two words 'ek' which means 'out' and a derivative of 'kaleo' which means 'call'.

The word Church does not means just a gathering but specifies that it is a gathering of people who are called out. Like the Levi were called out to be separated and were selected as Priest so also we as Christians are called out from this world to be holy and each and every one of us is a Priest.

Christ was the first to have set an example of how to separate oneself from the world while living on earth. He was also the first to have gone to Hell due to the curse of sin and rose again by being set free from the prison Hell. We who believe in Him have now also been set free from this curse of sin.

Through His coming in our midst He Who was the first of all things in Heaven also became the first of all things on earth.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, You being God and creator became one of your creation so as to save us and set an example as the first. You are first of all things and all things are for and by You. We praise and glorify You for You are our God, our Saviour, our King and Lord...

This we proclaim in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scripturesr ]
Colossians 1:13-22
13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell,
20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled
22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight

Revelation 12:3-4
3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

Zechariah 13:8-9
8 And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.
9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.

Revelation 21:21-22
21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

Luke 13:31-32 (Italic words removed)
31 The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee.
32 And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third I shall be perfected.

John 17:5,21-24
5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

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