Jesus: Prominent or Preeminent?

prominent is standing out or projecting; jutting; while preeminent is exceeding others in quality or rank; of outstanding excellence, extremely notable or important.

I heard my dad say one time that many can be prominent but only one can be preeminent.

In the world of athletics we could say that Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, Roger Federer, or Nick Saban is preeminent. These different athletes have exceeded all others in rank in their respective sports.

Yet in terms of preeminence over all there is none that ranks or is of the same quality of Jesus. He alone stands above everyone and everything else.

No greater need exists among Christians today than returning to the simplicity of loving and adoring Christ for Who He is, so that He would be preeminent.

So My desire tonight is for us to recognize that Jesus isn’t just prominent but he is preeminent. For us to fall madly in love with Jesus!

So let us turn to our text for the sermon.

Colossians 1:15-20 “15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 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. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”

Situation in the Church of Colossae 

When Paul wrote to the Colossians, he was countering a clever company of false teachers who sought to replace the Colossians’ enthusiastic devotion to Christ with only a mild approval of him. They didn’t encourage anyone to forget Jesus altogether; they just said he wasn’t the only show in town. According to these false teachers, Jesus got equal billing with a vast number of emanating spirits flowing out of God. They said Jesus could be prominent, but he certainly wasn’t preeminent

Some of the issues that were being taught in Colossae

Angels

Law

Festivals

Philosophy

Jesus

So what Paul does to correct these false teachings was to point the church of Colossians to the grandeur and beauty of Jesus Christ.

Jesus was being promoted as prominent among many and he not preeminent. Though this was a first 1st-century issue it’s still a 21st-century problem!

Sports

Wealth

Education

Work

Ministry

Family

Politics

So we are going to do the same thing tonight! We are going to look at the preeminent Christ and come face to face with his rank and beauty.

Our text for tonight is believed to be an early church poem or hymn and is written with such beauty and simplicity. It has two-man truths that are each backed but three sub-points.

Jesus is preeminent over creation (v15)

Verse 15 makes two extremely declarations about the person of Jesus Christ. Firstly Paul tells us that Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God.

This is no mere Jesus kind of looks like God or resembles him but it is a bold declaration that Jesus is God.

Scripture tells us that Jesus is

Hebrews 1:3a “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature”

John 14:9b “The one who has seen me has seen the Father.”

Secondly, Paul states Jesus is the firstborn of all creation. At first, this may sound like a contradiction of Paul’s first statement but if you dig a little deeper we see it’s not.

The key is understanding what Paul means by the term firstborn. The term firstborn can use throughout scripture in two different ways. One speaking of the chronological order of birth and the second being of rank.

It is clear that Paul cannot be talking about the order of birth because Paul just stated that Jesus is God. So what is saying is that Jesus is ranked first overall of creation. In others, Jesus is preeminent over creation.

Paul then explains in Vs. 16-17 why Jesus is preeminent over creation with three supporting truths.

Jesus is preeminent because He is the Creator (vs. 16) Jesus is preeminent because He is the Priority of Creation (vs. 17a) Jesus is preeminent because He is the Sustainer of creation (vs. 17b)

Jesus is preeminent because He is the creator

Vs. 16 describes the first reason for Jesus’ rank above creation, the creative agency of the Son. He has supreme rank over creation because He is the author of creation.

Paul leaves nothing out he clearly states ALL ALL ALL things were created for Christ and this is the consistent theme of scripture

John 1:3 “All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.”

Romans 11:36 “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

Made in China Toy

There is nothing in the created order that Jesus did not create

Thus Jesus has supremacy over all things seen and unseen.

Jesus is preeminent because He is the Center of Creation

Paul makes it clear that not only is Jesus the creator over ALL of creation but that creation exists through him and for him.

Consider how strange this sounds to us. We tend to think that a beautiful sunrise is for us or that the stars were created for me to enjoy but scripture tells us that creation was through him and for him.

Everything we see and know exists through Jesus and for him and that includes you and me!

Why is creation for Jesus? because he existed eternally before creation.

Francis Chan Superhero Movie Story

Jesus is the one for whom creation is all about and he is meant to be at the center stage of it all! But we benefit

Jesus is preeminent because He is the Sustainer of creation

His sustaining work over creation: by Him all things hold together. Not only is the Son the agent of creation, He is the sustainer of creation

Jesus is the sustainer of the entire universe. It is because of him that all things are sustained and held together. His power to do so guarantees that the universe is under control and not chaos.

Hebrews 1:3 “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.

There is not breathe in this room tonight that is not supplied or sustained by Jesus! Think about that!

There is so much that science still doesn’t know or understand including

No one knows why Saturn's north pole has a swirling, hexagon-shaped storm.

Dark matter isn't like regular matter, and we don't understand much about it.

Scientists understand how cats purr, but they're still not sure why they do.

There is a mushroom that grows only in Texas and Japan, and scientists can't explain it.

I can tell you right now the reason for any of these things is for a glorious radiant creator who sustains everything in the cosmos!

Application

What should this produce in us my friends?

peace

comfort

trust

purpose

awe

Jesus is preeminent over the Church (v18)

In addition to His rank as preeminent over creation, Jesus also ranks as preeminent over the church.

Paul makes it clear that Jesus is the head of the body, the church.

In other words Paul declares that it is Christ that sustains and keeps the church alive

If any living creature out a head it is dead! FACT!

So Christ is the life source of the church and the one who leads the church.

Paul explains in Vs. 18-20 the preeminence of Jesus over the church with three supporting truths just as he did in Vs. 16-17 regarding the preeminence of Christ in creation

Jesus is preeminent because of His Resurrection (vs. 18b) Jesus is preeminent because of His Deity (vs. 19) Jesus is preeminent because of His Saving Work (vs. 20)

Jesus is preeminent because of His Resurrection (vs. 18b)

V. 18b states that He is “the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He might come to have first place in everything.” Simply put, Jesus is qualified to be head of the church because He rose from the dead.

The resurrection of Jesus is the dawn of new creation. The benefits of the Age to Come break into midst of this present evil age through the resurrection of Jesus.

Jesus was the first to be raised from the dead and never die again.

Jesus in his resurrection triumphed over death the undefeated opponent.

Before Christ’ resurrection death had always won and there was no victor till Christ overcame death and sin.

Jesus resurrection guarantees immortal bodies for us all where death has no sting or power.

1 Corinthians 15:50-55 “50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”

55  “O death, where is your victory?

O death, where is your sting?”

2. Jesus is preeminent because of His Deity (vs. 19)

Jesus has preeminence in the church because in him the fullness of the God dwells.

He is the full embodiment of God’s attributes and saving grace.

3. Jesus is preeminent because of His Saving Work (vs. 20)

The third reason for Jesus’ headship of the church is in vs. 20, “and through Him to reconcile everything to Himself…by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross.”

Jesus reconciles all things through His saving work on the cross.

Romans 5:10 “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.”

Because Jesus went to the cross and took upon himself the barrier between the Father and humanity..Sin! he is worthy of preeminence in the church.

Not only our personal sin but through the crucifixion on the cross with Jesus’ precious blood was God’s plans for the new heavens and the earth begun!

“All evil is to be destroyed through the cosmic outworking of the crucifixion: all creation is to be transformed in the cosmic results of the resurrection.” -N.T. Wright

Jesus: Prominent or Preeminent?

What does Jesus’ preeminence look like in your life?

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