May 8 – LD 19, Day 2: Christ is the Exalted Head of the Church

Colossians 1:18, “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 pre-eminence.”

The Heidelberg Catechism expresses our understanding of Christ, sitting at the right hand of God, this way, “Christ is ascended into heaven for this end, that He might appear as the Head of His Church, by whom the Father governs all things.”

We want to say something about Christ’s relationship to His church; He is the HEAD of the body and that too, as He sits at God’s right hand.

The Bible uses this figure of speech in describing the church’s relationship to Christ. The text quoted above does this, “And he is the head of the body, the church.” This text joins two ideas together, Christ is the head of the body, He is also the head of the church, the body IS the church. Eph 1:22 speaks the same language, “…and gave him (the exalted Christ) to be the head over all things to the church,”

Do you appreciate what this means to you as a believer?

The head and the body are joined together by God, He did this in His eternal predestination of love. God gave to Christ a people, His body, and made Him to be the head, Eph 1:3-6. The head controls the body, so Christ earned the right to control His church. He loved us unto death and redeemed us from our sins. Now, God, in response to such faithfulness, rewarded Christ, our head, by setting Him at His own right hand. That is honorable and glorious for Christ.

It is blessed for us, for it is also true; the body receives its direction and life from the head. This we do as the church from Christ our Head. Our Head is not weak, wanting to do something He cannot do. He isn’t the kind of Head who wants to save everyone but can’t accomplish that. No, He is at the right hand of God, He has received the pre-eminence, the power and glory, so that the Father governs all things through Him.

His will is to save His entire church, His body.

By faith, we are part of that body. Christ is our Head. In such a position of glory, our relationship to Christ is sure and steadfast.