OceanSide church of Christ
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THE PREEMINENCE OF CHRIST
Victor M.
Eskew
INTRODUCTION
A.
The apostle Paul
declares that Jesus occupies the place of preeminence in Colossians
1:18.
And he is
the head of the body, the church:
who is the beginning, the first born from the dead; that in all things he
might have the preeminence.
B.
Preeminence
(4409):
1.
This is the only time
this Greek word is found in the New Testament.
2.
Definition:
a.
Strong: to be first (in rank
or influence)
b.
Thayer: to be first, to hold
first place
3.
Other versions:
a.
NASV: …so that he Himself
might come to have first place in everything.
b.
TEV: …in order that he alone
might have first place in all things.
c.
NKJV: …so that he should be
supreme in every way.
C.
There are many reasons
why Jesus Christ can be considered preeminent. These will be the focus of this lesson,
entitled: “The Preeminence of
Christ.”
I.
BECAUSE HE IS TRULY THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF
GOD
A.
God has many sons and
daughters, but He has only one “begotten Son.”
1.
Christians become such
through faith in Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:26-27).
2.
Jesus, on the other
hand, became the Son of God by means of a virgin birth (Luke 1:31-32,
35).
And,
behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call
his name Jesus. He shall be great,
and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the
throne of his father David…And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy
Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow
thee: therefore also that holy
thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of
God.
B.
Five times in the KJV
Jesus is described by the title, “only begotten” (John 1:14, 18; 3:16, 18, and I
John 4:9).
C.
There has never been,
nor will there ever be another being, who will possess this title. It exalts Jesus over every other
being.
II.
BECAUSE HE IS THE FIRST TO BE RESURRECTED NEVER TO DIE
AGAIN
A.
Prior to our Lord’s
resurrection, others had been raised from the dead (e.g., Lazarus, John
11:43-44).
B.
Jesus, however, came
forth from the grave never to die again.
Thus, He is styled as “the firstborn from the dead” (Col.
1:18).
1.
Forty days after His
resurrection, He ascended back into the heavens (Acts
1:9).
2.
The Hebrew penman
teaches that He “continues ever” and “ever lives” function-ing as our High
Priest in the holy of holies (Heb. 7:23-25).
And they
truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of
death: but this man, because he
continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them
to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make
intercession for them.
III.
BECAUSE ALL POWER HAS BEEN GIVEN TO HIM IN HEAVEN AND
EARTH
A.
Jesus Himself affirmed
this while giving the Great Commission to His apostles (Matt.
28:18).
And Jesus
came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in
earth.
B.
Power is
authority.
1.
Webster defines
authority as the power to influence or command thought, opinion, or
behavior.
2.
Jesus, and Jesus
alone, has the right to rule and govern our lives.
3.
His right to govern
was established clearly on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt.
17:1-9).
a.
Matthew 17:3
And,
behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with
him.
b.
Matthew 17:5
While he
yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud,
which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye
him.
c.
Matthew 17:8
And when
they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus
only.
C.
If Jesus possesses all
power in heaven and earth, He is definitely preeminent.
IV.
BECAUSE HE HAS A NAME THAT IS ABOVE EVERY NAME
A.
Philippians
2:9-11
Wherefore
God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every
name: that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things
under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
B.
Names in the Bible
were more than identification tags.
Names symbolized a person’s character and his work.
1.
Jesus “name” is above
all names.
2.
His person, character,
and work are above all others. The
names of all others pale in significance to the name of Jesus
Christ.
D.
Things in heaven;
things in earth; and things under the earth will do two things before Jesus
name:
1.
There will be submission:
…that at the name of Jesus every knee should
bow.
2.
There will be confession:
And that every tongue should confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord.
V.
BECAUSE HE HAS BEEN GIVEN AN INDESTRUCTIBLE
KINGDOM
A.
Daniel’s prophecy
(Dan. 7:13-14)
I saw in
the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of
heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before
him. And there was given to him
dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages,
should serve him: his dominion is
an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which
shall not be destroyed.
1.
The words “come with
clouds” and “came to the Ancient of days” refer to the ascension of Jesus (Acts
1:9).
2.
When He came to the
Father, He was given a kingdom.
a.
It is an everlasting dominion.
b.
It shall not pass away.
c.
It shall not be destroyed.
3.
All people, all nations, and all languages should serve Him. “All” indicates that none are left
out. All are subservient to
Him.
B.
This kingdom, the
church, came on the day of Pentecost.
We read of its establishment in Acts 2 (See Mark 9:1; Acts 1:8; Acts
2:1-4; Col. 1:13).
C.
Hebrews 12:28
Wherefore
we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may
serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.
D. In I
Corinthians 15:24, we learn that this kingdom will last beyond all the kingdoms
of this world. When all of them are
gone, when death is destroyed, Christ will give His kingdom to the Father in
heaven.
Then
cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the
Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and
power.
VI.
BECAUSE HE IS SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD
A.
The right hand of a
high official was a place of power and preeminence.
B.
The apostles, James and John, desired such a position in
the
C.
Jesus is the one who
sits at the right hand of the throne of the living God.
1.
Acts
2:34-35
For David
is not ascended into the heavens:
but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right
hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool.
2.
Hebrews
1:3
Who being
the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding
all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat
down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.
D.
All other prominent
religious leaders are dead and in the grave. Jesus has been raised from the dead and
presently sits at the right hand of God as King of kings and Lord of lords (I
Tim. 6:15).
VII. BECAUSE HE
WILL JUDGE ALL MEN OF ALL NATIONS
A.
In the last day, Jesus
will occupy the position of Judge (Acts 17:31).
Because he
hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by
that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in
that he hath raised him from the dead.
B.
Not one person will
fail to appear before Him.
1.
And before
him shall be gathered all nations (Matt.
25:32).
2.
For we
must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ (II Cor.
5:10).
CONCLUSION
A.
Christ is
preeminent. He is first and
foremost above all things.
B.
Whether man
acknowledges this, or not, does not change the fact.
C.
However, when one does
acknowledge that Jesus is preeminent, he can never be the same. He will submit to Christ as the one who
is over all.
D.
Those who refuse
Christ’s preeminence will acknowledge it later. However, it will be too late. He will then be their Judge. His wrath will be meted out against them
(Matt. 25:41).
Then shall
he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into
everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.
THE PREEMINENCE OF
CHRIST
Victor M.
Eskew
INTRODUCTION
A.
The apostle Paul declares that Jesus occupies the place of preeminence in
Colossians 1:18.
B.
Preeminence (4409):
1.
This is the only time this Greek word is found in the New
Testament.
2.
Definition: Stong: to be first (in rank or influence) Thayer: to be first, to hold first
place
3.
Other versions:
a.
NASV: …so that he Himself
might come to have first place in everything.
b.
TEV: …in order that he alone
might have first place in all things.
c.
NKJV: …so that he should be
supreme in every way.
C.
There are many reasons why Jesus Christ can be considered
preeminent. These will be the focus
of this lesson, entitled: “The
Preeminence of Christ.”
I.
BECAUSE HE IS TRULY THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF
GOD
A.
God has many sons and daughters, but He has only one “begotten
Son.”
1.
Christians become such through faith in Jesus Christ (Gal.
3:26-27).
2.
Jesus, on the other hand, become the Son of God by means of a virgin
birth (Luke 1:31-32, 35).
B.
Five times in the KJV Jesus is described as the “only begotten” (John
1:14, 18; 3:16, 18, and I John 4:9).
C.
There has never been, nor will there ever be another being, who will
possess this title. It exalts Jesus
over every other being.
II.
BECAUSE HE IS THE FIRST TO BE RESURRECTED NEVER TO DIE
AGAIN
A.
Prior to our Lord’s resurrection, others had been raised from the dead
(e.g., Lazarus, John 11:43-44).
B.
Jesus came forth from the grave never to die again. He is styled as “the firstborn from the
dead” (Col. 1:18).
1.
Forty days after His resurrection, He ascended back into the heavens
(Acts 1:9).
2.
The Hebrew penman teaches that He “continues ever” and “ever lives”
functioning as our High Priest in the holy of holies (Heb.
7:23-25).
III.
BECAUSE ALL POWER HAS BEEN GIVEN TO HIM IN HEAVEN AND
EARTH
A.
Jesus Himself affirmed this while giving the Great Commission to His
apostles (Matt. 28:18).
B.
Power is authority.
1.
Webster defines
authority as the power to influence or command thought, opinion, or
behavior.
2.
Jesus, and Jesus alone,
has the right to rule and govern our lives.
3.
His right to govern was
established clearly on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt.
17:1-9).
C.
If Jesus possesses all power in heaven and earth, He is definitely
preeminent.
IV.
BECAUSE HE HAS A NAME THAT IS ABOVE EVERY NAME
A.
Philippians 2:9-11
B.
Names in the Bible were more than identification tags. Names symbolized a person’s character
and work.
1.
Jesus “name” is above all names.
2.
His person, character, and work are above all others. The names pale in significance to
Jesus.
C.
Things in heaven; things in earth; and things under the earth will do two
things before Jesus name:
1.
There will be submission:
…that at the name of Jesus every knee should
bow.
2.
There will be confession:
And that every tongue should confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord.
V.
BECAUSE HE HAS BEEN GIVEN AN INDESTRUCTIBLE
KINGDOM
A.
Daniel’s prophecy (Dan. 7:13-14)
1.
The words “come with
clouds” and “came to the Ancient of days” refer to the ascension (Acts
1:9).
2.
When He came to the
Father, He was given a kingdom:
everlasting, shall not pass away, shall not be
destroyed
3.
All people, all nations, and all languages should serve Him. “All” indicates that none are left
out.
B.
This kingdom, the church, came on the day of Pentecost. We read of its establishment in Acts 2
(See Mark 9:1; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:1-4; Col. 1:13).
C.
Hebrews 12:28
D.
In I Corinthians 15:24, we learn that this kingdom will last beyond all
the kingdoms of this world. When
all of them are gone, when death is destroyed, Christ will give His kingdom to
the Father in heaven.
VI.
BECAUSE HE IS SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD
A.
The right hand of a high official was a place of power and
preeminence.
B.
The apostles, James and John, desired such a position in the
C.
Jesus is the one who sits at the right hand of the throne of the living
God (Acts 2:34-35; Heb. 1:3).
D.
other prominent religious leaders are dead and in the grave. Jesus has been raised from the dead and
presently sits at the right hand of God as King of kings and Lord of lords (I
Tim. 6:15).
VII.
BECAUSE HE WILL JUDGE ALL MEN OF ALL NATIONS
A.
In the last day, Jesus will occupy the position of Judge (Acts
17:31).
B.
Not one person will fail to appear before Him (Matt. 25:32; II Cor.
5:10).
CONCLUSION
A.
Christ is preeminent. He is
first and foremost above all things.
B.
Whether man acknowledges this, or not, does not change the
fact.
C.
However, when one does acknowledge that Jesus is preeminent, he can never
be the same. He will submit to
Christ as the one who is over all.
D.
Those who refuse Christ’s preeminence will acknowledge it later. However, it will be too late. He will then be their Judge. His wrath will be meted out against them
(Matt. 25:41).
THE PREEMINENCE OF
CHRIST
Victor M.
Eskew
INTRODUCTION
A.
The apostle Paul declares that Jesus occupies the place of
_______________ in Colossians 1:18.
B.
Preeminence (4409):
1.
This is the _________ time this Greek word is found in the New
Testament.
2.
Definition: Stong: to be __________ (in rank or
influence)
Thayer: to be first, to hold
first place
3.
Other versions:
a.
NASV: …so that he Himself
might come to have first place in everything.
b.
TEV: …in order that he alone
might have first place in all things.
c.
NKJV: …so that he should be
supreme in every way.
C.
There are many reasons why Jesus Christ can be considered
preeminent. These will be the focus
of this lesson, entitled: “The
Preeminence of Christ.”
I.
BECAUSE HE IS TRULY THE _________
_____________________ SON OF GOD
A.
God has many sons and daughters, but He has only __________ “begotten
Son.”
1.
Christians become such through faith in Jesus Christ (Gal.
3:26-27).
2.
Jesus, on the other hand, become the Son of God by means of a virgin
birth (Luke 1:31-32, 35).
B.
______ times in the KJV Jesus is described as the “only begotten” (John
1:14, 18; 3:16, 18, and I John 4:9).
C.
There has never been, nor will there ever be another being, who will
possess this title. It exalts Jesus
over every other being.
II.
BECAUSE HE IS THE FIRST TO BE __________________ NEVER TO DIE
AGAIN
A.
Prior to our Lord’s resurrection, others had been raised from the dead
(e.g., Lazarus, John 11:43-44).
B.
Jesus came forth from the grave never to die again. He is “the ______________ from the dead”
(Col. 1:18).
1.
Forty days after His resurrection, He ascended back into the heavens
(Acts 1:9).
2.
The Hebrew penman teaches that He “continues __________” and “_________
lives” functioning as our High Priest in the holy of holies (Heb.
7:23-25).
III.
BECAUSE ALL _______________ HAS BEEN GIVEN TO HIM IN HEAVEN AND
EARTH
A.
Jesus Himself affirmed this while giving the Great Commission to His
apostles (Matt. 28:18).
B.
Power is ____________________.
1.
Webster defines authority as the power to influence or command thought,
opinion, or behavior.
2.
Jesus, and Jesus alone, has the right to __________ and _______________
our lives.
3.
His right to govern was established clearly on the Mount of
___________________ (Matt. 17:1-9).
C.
If Jesus possesses all power in heaven and earth, He is definitely
preeminent.
IV.
BECAUSE HE HAS A ________________ THAT IS ABOVE EVERY
NAME
A.
Philippians 2:9-11
B.
Names in the Bible were more than identification tags. Names symbolized a person’s _________
and work.
1.
Jesus “name” is above all names.
2.
His person, character, and work are above all others. Their names pale in significance to
Jesus.
C.
Things in heaven; things in earth; and things under the earth will do two
things before Jesus name:
1.
There will be _______________:
…that at the name of Jesus every knee should
bow.
2.
There will be _______________:
And that every tongue should confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord.
V.
BECAUSE HE HAS BEEN GIVEN AN INDESTRUCTIBLE
______________________
A.
Daniel’s prophecy (Dan. 7:13-14)
1.
The words “come with clouds” and “came to the Ancient of days” refer to
the _________ (Acts 1:9).
2.
When He came to the Father, He was given a kingdom: everlasting, shall not pass away, shall
not be destroyed
3.
All people, all nations, and all languages should _______ Him. “All” indicates that none are left
out.
B.
This kingdom, the church, came on the day of ______________. We read of its establishment in Acts 2
(See Mark 9:1; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:1-4; Col. 1:13).
C.
Hebrews 12:28
D.
In I Corinthians 15:24, we learn that this kingdom will last beyond all
the kingdoms of this world. When
all of them are gone, when death is destroyed, Christ will give His kingdom to
the Father in heaven.
VI.
BECAUSE HE IS SEATED AT THE ____________ _____________ OF
GOD
A.
The right hand of a high official was a place of power and
preeminence.
B.
The apostles, _________ and _________, desired such a position in the
C.
Jesus is the one who
sits at the right hand of the throne of the living God (Acts 2:34-35; Heb.
1:3).
D.
All other prominent
religious leaders are dead and in the grave. Jesus has been raised from the dead and
presently sits at the right hand of God as King of kings and Lord of lords (I
Tim. 6:15).
VII.
BECAUSE HE WILL ______________ ALL MEN OF ALL
NATIONS
A.
In the last day, Jesus will occupy the position of Judge (Acts
17:31).
B.
Not one person will fail to appear before Him (Matt. 25:32; II Cor.
5:10).
CONCLUSION
A.
Christ is preeminent. He is
first and foremost above all things.
B.
Whether man acknowledges this, or not, does not change the
fact.
C.
However, when one does
acknowledge that Jesus is preeminent, he can never be the same. He will _____________ to Christ as the
one who is over all.
D. Those who refuse Christ’s preeminence will acknowledge it later. However, it will be too late. He will then be their Judge. His _____________ will be meted out against them (Matt. 25:41).