Colossians 1:18 – “And He (Christ) 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.”
When Leonardo da Vinci was 43 years old, Duke Ludovico of Milan asked him to paint the dramatic scene of Jesus’ last supper with his disciples. Working slowly and giving meticulous care to details, Leonardo spent three years on the assignment. He grouped the disciples into threes, two groups on either side of the central figure of Christ. Christ’s arms are outstretched. In his right hand, He holds a cup, painted beautifully with marvelous realism.
Upon completion of the masterpiece the artist said to a friend, “Observe it and give me your opinion!” “It’s wonderful!” exclaimed the friend. “The cup is so real I cannot divert my eyes from it!” Immediately da Vinci took a brush and drew it across the sparkling cup! He exclaimed as he did so: “Nothing at all shall detract from the figure of Christ!”
The English word “preeminence” is derived from a combination of the two Latin terms: prae meaning “from,” and eminere meaning “to stand out.” So, the literal meaning for “preeminence” is “to stand out from.” Listen to the Apostle Paul convey Christ’s defining act that distinguishes HIM as standing out from all the rest: “He (Christ) has delivered us (believers) from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:13-14). Christ is preeminent because He released us from slavery to sin with the price of His own blood. Christ is preeminent because He planned and fashioned creation. Christ is preeminent because He sustains creation. Christ is preeminent because He is the head of the Church. Christ is preeminent because He is the firstborn of all creation.
Dr. S.D. Gordon tells of an old Christian woman whose age began to tell on her memory. She had once known much of the Bible by heart. Eventually only one precious bit stayed with her. “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I committed unto Him against that day.” By and by part of that slipped its hold, and she would quietly repeat, “That which I have committed unto Him.” At last, as she hovered on the borderline between this world and heaven, her loved ones noticed her lips moving. They bent down to see if she needed anything. She was repeating over and over again to herself the one word of the text, “Him, Him, Him.” She had lost the whole Bible, but one word. But she had the whole Bible in that one word.
This Christmas season is a time for believers to reaffirm the preeminence of Christ! May our lives echo the lyrics of the hymn-writer:
O come, let us adore Him;
O come, let us adore Him;
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord!
Dr. Brent Barker is pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church.
