Lesson 8 February 14-20
The Preeminence of Christ
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week's Study: Gen. 1:26-27; Col. 1:13-19; John 1:1-3; Eph. 1:22; 1 Cor. 12:12-27; 1 Cor. 4:9; Rom. 6:3-4
Memory Text: "He [Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 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. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist" (Colossians 1:15-17, NKJV).
With this week's lesson, we resume our consideration of Colossians (see Lessons 1 and 2). In Lesson 2, Thursday, we saw that in Colossians 1:9-12, Paul prays for believers in Colossae, asking that they may live in a way pleasing to God. In verses 12 and 13, he contrasts two realms: that of light and of darkness, "the kingdom of light" (Col. 1:12, NIV) and "the dominion of darkness" (Col. 1:13, NIV). God the Father has qualified us to share in the eternal inheritance of the realm of light, delivered us from the power of darkness, and "transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins" (Col. 1:13-14, ESV).
In other words, it is in Jesus, the person of Jesus, who is also God our Creator, that we have redemption. He worked out our redemption for us, and by faith in Him we have been moved from the realm of darkness into the kingdom of His beloved Son.
This week we will look at one of the most comprehensive and sublime statements about Jesus in the New Testament. What does it mean that Jesus is "the image of the invisible God," yet also "the firstborn over all creation" (Col. 1:15, NIV)?
* Study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, February 21.
Image of the Invisible God
When we look in the mirror or at a photograph, we see an image of ourselves, but it is a flat, two-dimensional portrayal. In some respects, a sculpture gives a clearer idea yet still falls far short of the living, breathing, animated reality. The biblical concept of image, while sometimes referring to these lesser representations, suggests something broader still.
Read Genesis 1:26-27; Genesis 5:3; 1 Corinthians 15:49; 2 Corinthians 3:18; and Hebrews 10:1. Summarize the various meanings of "image" in these passages. How might they differ from the description of Jesus as the image of God?
Human beings were created to be as much like God as possible--physically, spiritually, relationally, and functionally. Still, they reflect God's image in certain aspects only, and sin has damaged even that. But Jesus enables us to "see" the invisible God. "He who has seen Me," Jesus said, "has seen the Father" (John 14:9, NKJV). He is "the exact imprint" of God's nature (Heb. 1:3, ESV). He is God's thought made audible and God's character made visible.
Read Matthew 11:27 and John 1:1-2, 14, 18. Why is Jesus uniquely able to reveal the Father?
Note other ways in which Jesus described His relation to God the Father:
- "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working" (John 5:17, NKJV).
- "I and My Father are one" (John 10:30, NKJV).
- "No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6, NKJV).
Jesus also repeatedly described Himself in an absolute sense in terms of God's name: "I AM" (see Exod. 3:14); "I am the bread of life" (John 6:35); "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12); "I am the good shepherd" (John 10:11, 14); "I am the resurrection, and the life" (John 11:25); "I am in the Father, and the Father in me" (John 14:11); and "Before Abraham was, I am" (John 8:58).
If Jesus were anyone other than God Himself, what would it mean except that the Father sent some created being to die for us? Why is that so radically, and crucially, different from God Himself, in the Person of Christ dying for us?
Firstborn Over All Creation
In the New Testament, the terms "firstborn" and "first begotten" almost always refer to Jesus (see Luke 2:7, Rom. 8:29, Heb. 1:6, Rev. 1:5), including both occurrences in Colossians. But even when it refers to others, it does not necessarily mean the one born chronologically first. The biblical concept of the "firstborn" emphasizes the special relationship a son bears to his father, regardless of birth order. Also, there are instances of younger sons being more prominent: Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, to name a few.
David, though the youngest of eight sons, is anointed king (1 Sam. 16:10-13), and through the psalmist God said, "I will make him My firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth" (Ps. 89:27, NKJV). He also tells Moses, "Israel is my firstborn son" (Exod. 4:22, ESV). In this sense, then, the term connotes first in terms of preeminence.
Read Colossians 1:15-17. What reasons does Paul give for Jesus being called "the firstborn over all creation" (NKJV)?
Clearly, Paul does not mean to suggest that Jesus was the first being created. In fact, he categorically excludes that possibility. Twice, in two different ways, he says Jesus created all things. They were created by Him and for Him (Col. 1:16). In both cases, Jesus is indicated as the personal agent through whom God carried out the process of creation (see also Eph. 3:9, John 1:1-3, Rev. 4:11).
Paul's statement is as comprehensive as possible. All means all--spatially (heaven and earth), ontologically (visible and invisible), and functionally (thrones, dominions, principalities, powers). The latter terms normally refer to angelic beings (see Eph. 3:10, Eph. 6:12). As if to make sure he cannot be misunderstood, Paul also indicates that Jesus existed "before all things" (Col. 1:17). The Greek expression can mean precedence in rank as well as in time, but in every other instance in Paul's writings, it refers to time (see, for example, 1 Cor. 2:7, Gal. 1:17, Eph. 1:4).
Another reason Paul gives for Jesus' preeminence is that "all things are held together in him" (Col. 1:17, NET). The Greek word (synistēmi) literally means "bring together" or "unite." Jesus is the unifying factor of the universe, not only because of His role as Creator but also because He is the Redeemer.
God, the Creator, died for us. What could our works add to that? Why is the idea that our works could add to what Christ has done already for us blasphemous?
Head of the Body (the Church)
Read Ephesians 1:22 and Colossians 2:10. What does "head" mean in these passages? What does Paul mean when he calls Jesus the "head of the church" (Eph. 5:23)?
It is natural to speak of the head in a metaphorical sense in reference to a leadership position, as reflected in countless languages across the globe. We find similar use throughout the Old and New Testaments. Notice how "head" is used in the following verses:
- Exodus 18:25--Moses chose "able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens."
- Numbers 31:26--"the heads of the fathers' houses" (ESV).
- Deuteronomy 28:13--God will make Israel "the head, and not the tail" if they will obey Him.
- Isaiah 7:8--"For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin."
- Hosea 1:11--"The children of Judah and the children of Israel shall ... appoint for themselves one head" (NKJV).
- Micah 3:9--"You heads of the house of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel" (NKJV).
- 1 Corinthians 11:3--"The head of every man is Christ."
Thus, Christ as the head of the church provides leadership, guidance, and nourishment for the church's unity and growth (see Col. 2:19).
Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-27. Here also Paul describes the church as a "body." What other aspects of the church are conveyed by this metaphor?
Just as the body cannot live without the head, when a part of the body is lost or injured, life can be much more difficult. We often don't recognize how important something is until we lose it.
If you had to give up a limb or an eye, what would you choose? What does this tell you about how vital each person is as a member of the church?
The "Beginning" (and Initiator)
Read Colossians 1:18. What is the connection between the idea of Christ as the head and Him as the "beginning"?
In Hebrew the words for head (ro's) and beginning (rēʾšit) are related. The first instance of the latter word in Scripture is in Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning [rēʾšit] God created the heaven and the earth." Jesus is head of humanity and of the church, not only because of the Incarnation but also because He is the Creator.
In Greek, the word for beginning (archē) has a broad meaning. Here "beginning" refers to Jesus as the source or initiator of the church (Col. 1:18), and therefore its Head, just as He is the "beginning" or initiator of creation.
Jesus is not only the initiator in terms of creation and the church, He is also--through His resurrection from the dead (Rom. 6:3-4)--the initiator of the new creation. Because the wages of sin is death, His victory over death also shows His victory over sin and His power to re-create us in His image. All this demonstrates why He is "the firstborn from the dead" (on the meaning of "firstborn", see Monday's study). His is the preeminent resurrection, even though not the first (Moses was the first, which is why the dispute with the devil ensued over his body [Jude 9]). Without Christ's resurrection, no one else could be raised from the dead.
It's helpful at this point to review briefly all the reasons Paul has given for Jesus having preeminence:
- He is the perfect manifestation of the invisible God.
- He is the agent by whom all things were created.
- He existed before all things, and all things are brought together in Him.
- He is the head of the church, which is His body.
- He is the initiator of Creation and the re-creation.
- He has conquered sin and death and thus earned the right to resurrect all who put their trust in Him as Savior.
- Jesus has always existed, but now, by virtue of all this, He has come to have the preeminence as Head of humanity and Head of the church.
What must you change so that you can better experience Christ's preeminence in your own life?
To Reconcile All Things
Read Colossians 1:19-20. What is this reconciliation that comes through the cross, and how comprehensive is it?
Paul uses a very interesting expression in Greek to culminate his description of Jesus, obliquely pointing back to the Father, who was mentioned in Colossians 1:12. It is His fullness that the Father was pleased to have dwell in Jesus (compare Col. 2:9). What is this "fullness"? John refers to it as being the Father's glory, "full of grace and truth" (John 1:14).
But, based on this passage, that "fullness" encompasses a lot. It embraces God's eternity and self-existence and His power to create and re-create. Most important, it underscores His wisdom in conquering sin and death through the most unimaginable means--the Cross. And thus, He transformed that most inglorious object into a testimony of His eternal love for every created being. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
The only way sin could really be defeated forever, and all things be reconciled that could be reconciled, is summed up in that one glorious truth: God loved--He loved the universe, and He loved us so much that He risked everything to save us through Christ's death on the cross. The Greek word for "world" is kosmos, which can encompass the whole universe. Paul refers to this universal demonstration in the context of following Christ: "We have been made a spectacle to the world [kosmos, universe], both to angels and to men" (1 Cor. 4:9, NKJV).
"Heaven viewed with grief and amazement Christ hanging upon the cross... By a life of rebellion, Satan and all who unite with him place themselves so out of harmony with God that His very presence is to them a consuming fire. The glory of Him who is love will destroy them. At the beginning of the great controversy, the angels did not understand this. . . .
"But not so when the great controversy shall be ended. Then, the plan of redemption having been completed, the character of God is revealed to all created intelligences. . . .
"Well, then, might the angels rejoice as they looked upon the Saviour's cross. . . . Christ Himself fully comprehended the results of the sacrifice made upon Calvary. To all these He looked forward when upon the cross He cried out, 'It is finished.'"--Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, pp. 760, 764.
Further Thought: "A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic--on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg--or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."--C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York, Collier Books, 1952), p. 41.
"The Father is all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and is invisible to mortal sight.
"The Son is all the fullness of the Godhead manifested. The Word of God declares Him to be 'the express image of His person.'"--Ellen G. White, Evangelism, p. 614.
"Christ is the pre-existent, self-existent Son of God. . . . In speaking of his pre-existence, Christ carries the mind back through dateless ages. He assures us that there never was a time when He was not in close fellowship with the eternal God. . . .
"He was equal with God, infinite and omnipotent. . . . He is the eternal, self-existent Son."--Ellen G. White, Evangelism, p. 615.
Discussion Questions:
- Dwell more on the question of the eternal deity of Jesus. Think through the implications of the entire plan of salvation and the meaning of the sacrifice at the cross if Jesus had been anything other than the eternal God, One who had never been created but had always, from eternity past, existed. Why is that teaching so important? In class, talk about what it would mean if, in fact, Jesus were not eternal, but in some fashion had Himself been created. Again, what is lost in that kind of thinking?
- When we think about Jesus, the gospel, and the plan of salvation, why must we keep the concept of the entire universe's involvement and interest in what Jesus has done here as part of our thinking? What must have gone on in their minds when they saw their Creator, their eternal Creator, on the cross? It's one thing for us to be awed by it, but the unfallen universe knew Him in His eternal glory. What must have gone through their minds as they witnessed the One whom they had worshipped in heaven die on the cross?
- What would you say to someone who does not believe that the Father and the Son have always co-existed? Why is this such an important truth? How would you explain that there has never been a time when the Father was without the Son, except at the cross, when there was a temporary "sundering of the divine powers"? (See Ellen G. White Comments, The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 924.)
Rene Tucaldo
Rene Tucaldo
Losing Two Jobs Over Faith
Rodel won Rene to Christ by taking him fishing.
Ellen White says, "Christ's method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Savior mingled with people as one who desired their good. He showed sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He invited them, 'Follow Me'" (The Ministry of Healing, p. 73). Rodel practiced Christ's method: spending time with Rene, ministering to his needs, and winning his confidence. Then Rene followed Jesus.
After Rene returned to Christ, Rodel asked if he could stay at Rene's house. Rene's parents weren't thrilled about having the young Seventh-day Adventist living in their home in the Philippines, but they didn't say anything. Rodel also encouraged Rene to go back to school, and Rene did.
"I'm waiting for you to graduate, and then I'll take you to Manila to become a missionary in the 1000 Missionary Movement," Rodel said.
Rodel had served as a missionary with the 1000 Missionary Movement, an organization that is part of the Adventist Church's Southern Asia-Pacific Division, when he had first met Rene about a year and a half earlier.
While Rene studied, Rodel lived with him and helped pay for his studies by working together in the rice fields. Rene graduated when he was 23.
Rodel made good on his promise and brought Rene to the headquarters of the 1000 Missionary Movement in Silang, near the Philippine capital, Manila. But then he had another idea. He said Rene should further his education before becoming a missionary. The two young men enrolled in the Adventist University of the Philippines in Silang. Rene majored in accounting, and Rodel in theology. It took six years for Rene to graduate. He didn't receive any support from home. During that time, he married Love Jhoie.
After graduating, he worked as a company accountant for three months. Then he was fired for not working on a Friday night. He claimed the promise of Jeremiah 29:11, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future'" (NIV). He prayed, "God, I know that You have a plan for me."
Months passed, and a hospital hired him as an accountant. But then he learned that he could not become a regular employee unless he was baptized into the denomination that owned the hospital. He resigned.
Rene Tucaldo is chief financial officer of the 1000 Missionary Movement, whose headquarters in Silang, Philippines, were constructed with the help of a 1996 Thirteenth Sabbath Offering. Read more next week.
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