Exalting the Supremacy of Christ
Jesus Christ is supreme. The word 'supreme' means to be highest in rank or authority; paramount; sovereign; chief; ultimate; or greatest. This is a statement of fact for us as Christians. It is a mistake to say that we want to make Jesus Christ supreme. He is supreme whether we acknowledge and honor him as such or not.
The Bible explicitly lays out the doctrine of Christ’s supremacy. First of all God’s Word teaches us to love God above all things and with all of our being.
Deuteronomy 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
When we love God will all that we are, we are saying that he is worthy of our supreme worship and therefore he is supreme. To allow anything or anyone to have a place above God in our devotion is to commit idolatry.
Next, we see that Christ is the Creator and therefore, he is God.
John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
The Word was with God, and the Word was God. Jesus Christ is the Word and therefore, he is God. As such, he is the sovereign, chief, paramount God and we must worship him supremely. Not only do we as humans worship him, but God’s angels worship him supremely.
Hebrews 1:6 And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.
It is God’s will that we all worship Jesus Christ supremely. The angels in heaven do this. When we pray we should be praying that we on earth worship Christ as the angels do in heaven.
Matthew 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Why is Jesus Christ to be exalted as supreme? First, he is the Creator.
Revelation 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
Second, he is the Redeemer.
Revelation 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
No one else can we say these two things of and be true. Jesus Christ is our Creator and our Redeemer. We exist because of him. We have eternal life because of his sacrifice on the cross. He is the only man that it could ever be said that he is ‘worthy’. We as humans are not worthy of worship. Jesus is because he is sinless!
These two reasons are drawn out for us in the book of Colossians in regard to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Colossians 1:14-18 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he 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.
We have redemption through his blood. We have forgiveness because Jesus Christ has redeemed us. Apart from his redemption, there is no forgiveness. We also learn that he is the image of the invisible God. We cannot see God, but Jesus Christ is the perfect image of God. When we worship Christ as supreme, we are worshipping God truly. He is also the first-cause. Jesus created everything that is in existence both in the unseen and in the visible world.
As the Creator, he is before all things. This brings out the fact that he is preeminent in rank and authority. Not only is he highest in rank and authority, but he is the sustainer and maintainer of all of creation. He holds it all together.
It stands to reason that if he is our Creator and Redeemer that he would also hold the head place in his body, the church. Not only does he deserve first place, but he went first.
Hebrews 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
He tasted death for every man and then he rose from the dead on the third day. He is the first-born from the dead in that he is the first to have a resurrected body that will never die again. He conquered death and he now will never die again.
Christ is worthy of all worship because of who he is and what he has done. As a church we must exalt his supremacy and acknowledge that he must have the preeminence in all things. How do we exalt him as supreme? We trust him, love him and obey him. When we call Jesus, Lord, we are saying he is the Master and we are his servants. When we trust him, we are acknowledging that his word is true. If we call him Lord, we must do what he says.
Luke 6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
It does not make sense to say that Jesus is supreme and we love him and then live lives of disobedience. When we exalt Jesus as supreme, we will obey him.
1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
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