Church (5) We are a body
| He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Colossians1:15-20 |
In the next few days we're going to look at a number of images for the church: A body, a building, a field and a flock. As we look at each of these images we'll see that the person and work of Jesus is central in each of these images.
Our reading from Colossians is a tremendous statement of who Jesus is and what He does.
- He is God Incarnate
- He is the primary agent of creation
- He is the source and the life of all things
- He is the head of the church which is His body.
- He is also the primary agent of resurrection
- He is the fullness of God and the reconciler of all things
We could spend a couple of days looking at the bullet-points above. (And maybe we can do that after the Creed series is finished...) But here's the point: The church is always about its Head. The church is not the be-all and end-all. Jesus is.
Throughout history and in our lives the church, when it eclipses Jesus, becomes irrelevant, broken, decrepit and damaging. A body without its head cannot function. When we are not clear about who the Head of the church is, we are headed for trouble.
Take some time to read Paul's words again and be "lost in wonder, love and praise!"
(Tomorrow we'll look at practical aspects of the body image...)
