WHO IS JESUS? (PART 5)

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation.

For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

And He is the Head of the body, the church.

Colossians 1:15 NLT, 16-18a NIV

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

After a report from Epaphras, an emissary from the Colossian church who visited Paul during his Roman imprisonment, the Apostle felt compelled to write a letter to the church in Colossae, even though he had never been there. Hearing of how false teachings were trying to infiltrate the church and its believers, perverting the purity of the Gospel, Paul wrote to reinforce the supremacy of Jesus and how nothing should be allowed to trump His absolute authority over the church.

Paul’s words on the Savior of the world have served as the foundation for this series titled, “Who is Jesus?” and to date we have learned the following:

1. Jesus and the Father are one with Christ being the visible image of the invisible God.

2. In the beginning, there was Jesus. He was one with God and therefore present before anything else was created.

3. Since He existed before anything, Jesus reigns in total sovereignty over all creation. He has all authority over everything in Heaven or on earth.

4. And because Jesus and God are one with Jesus placed in complete charge of all, all things were created in Him and through Him and for Him, whether visible or invisible. Jesus holds all creation together and is Master over it.

This is who Jesus is and understanding what we know so far helps us as we add to our knowledge of Christ in today’s message. For here’s what we read in the first part of verse 18:

And He is the Head of the body, the church.

This should be a given since Jesus reigns and rules in full superiority over all creation so why would the scriptures single out the church like this?

Because our Lord, in His perfect and infinite wisdom, knew that the church would need reminded and indeed it has from the days of Paul to present.

You see, a church is made up of imperfect, sinful people from the congregants all the way up to the leader who will carry a title depending on the denomination (i.e. pastor, minister, priest, etc) and this is a recipe for disaster unless there is some form of consistent regulation on how the church should function.

Enter Jesus, the Head of the body, the church.

The only reason a church can label itself Christian is because of Christ and when a church associates itself with Jesus, it surrenders any and all inner authority to Him.

In other words, Jesus Christ is in charge of every Christian church, period. Not the church’s spiritual leader. Not the elders or deacons or trustees. Not anyone else in the church, regardless of their social status or wealth.

Jesus, and He alone, is the Head. He was the answer for the issues plaguing the church in Colossae, the target of Paul’s letter, and He’s the answer all issues the church is dealing with today, a church that is deeply divided and fragmented.

How can we let this be? How can a church with one Head in Jesus be so scattered and disjointed?

The answer goes back to my point earlier. Too many human church authorities are setting the standards for the Christian church, all sinners who have fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). And congregants have allowed themselves to fall under the control of men and not Jesus, the true Head, the One who is sits in unrivaled supremacy over all creation.

The time for change is now. It’s time for all churches to put their differences aside and submit to the rule of their King Jesus. If unity is to come, it will come through all bodies uniting with Christ, not in part but in whole, for this is the only way the church will truly be Christian, instead of using the name of Jesus as a façade while flawed, imperfect leaders set equally flawed, imperfect polity all while governing sinfully.

The church universal needs to fix this but if they fail, Jesus will when He returns to judge all creation, including the body of Christ. Let's not wait until then.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to Gods4all@aol.com