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Blog
Christ is Our Head
Written by Kara Benson, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Little Rock, AR
“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.” (Col. 1:15-18)
Wow! If you skimmed or skipped the first paragraph, I encourage you to go back and reread it. These are meditation-worthy verses proclaiming the power and preeminence of Christ! From time to time, I need to be reminded that Christ is our head.
Christ is our head, not people. Often, we are guilty of putting people on a pedestal. They are inspiring teachers, great examples, and we naturally look up to them. However, esteeming someone too highly can be destructive to our faith if they fall. What happens when your beloved preacher, wonderful worship leader, or esteemed elder falls away? Would you feel lost without him and begin to question your own convictions? Or would your faith in Christ remain vibrant?
Jesus is our high priest; no one else can stand between us and God (Heb. 4:14-15). First Timothy 2:5 says, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” We should not let the opinions and decisions of others affect our relationship with God. If we trust in mankind, then we will be repeatedly disappointed. But “blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him” (Jer. 17:7). People will inevitably let us down, but God will remain a strong tower for the righteous.
Christ is our head, not culture. Let me be the first to say that culture is beautiful. Learning about the customs, foods, holidays, music, and languages of the world is fascinating to me. I fell in love with the Spanish language and studied it in school for nine years. Revelation 7 describes my favorite scene in the Bible: people from every nation, tribe, and language standing before the throne, robed in white, and worshipping our God. I am so excited to see that day!
We can certainly celebrate our culture and be proud of our heritage. But every culture is flawed because it is cultivated by flawed, broken people. There are parts of every culture that are sinful and need to be redeemed. In Romans 10:2-3, Paul writes that the people sought to establish their own righteousness instead of having their righteousness based on God. Cultures will vary and shift throughout the years, changing with each new generation. However, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8). Paul was willing to lay aside his cultural background when necessary for a higher calling, specifically winning the lost (1 Cor. 9:19-23). Following Jesus and His Word takes precedence over everything. Our allegiance is to Christ and the kingdom of God before any earthly kingdom, nation, or culture.
Christ is our head, not my emotions. Anxiety, anger, bitterness, loneliness, romantic passions, pride... if I am not careful, my emotions can run the show and run away with me. They may cause me to reinterpret scripture to fit what I want or justify poor choices. I may strongly feel a certain way, but the heart is deceptive above all else (Jer. 17:9). Emotions cloud our vision, which is why we must take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ (2 Cor. 10:5).
The body only moves where it is directed by the head. When a part of our body does not obey our mind, often there is pain and dysfunction. Likewise, when we follow people, culture, or emotions, there will be disunity and conflict in the body of Christ. Let us remember that Christ is our head. As Christians, we take our direction and priorities from Him and His Word.
His love and mercy, His sacrifice and self-denial, His obedience and desire to please the Father are our example. Christ has lordship over the church and over our lives. And His authority is good and glorious because He is our Savior who bought us back with His precious blood! Joyfully, we submit to Him!
“[God] has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.” (Heb. 1:2b-4)
Christ, the head, loves the church
Ephesians 5:21-33 has often been a controversial text among women. Discussions about women’s role and reactions to the word “submission” overshadow one of the most beautiful facets of the text, which we will spend a moment highlighting.
What we are talking about is Christ and the church.
Please read the text below paying special attention to the references to Christ and the church (bolded for emphasis).
21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as
Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ,
so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
25 Husbands, love your wives, as
Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.
28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body.
31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”
32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.
33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Now, go back and read only the bolded sections.
Christ loves the church! He demonstrated this love by giving himself up for her. That kind of sacrificial love inspires respect and trust.
When we are hesitant to submit to the head, to Christ—to His teaching and to His Word—it is often because we have lost sight of the depth of love He has for us. He wants us to “be holy, without blemish.” He truly wants what’s best for us.
Do you trust that Christ wants what is best for you personally and for His church?
He “nourishes and cherishes” us. We are members of His body and He would never want to do things that cause us, and thereby Himself, harm, but rather what ultimately builds us up. Christ loves us, protects us, and saves us, even from ourselves.
Submitting to the head, that is Christ, who loves, protects, honors, and cares for us, becomes easier when we remember the depth of love demonstrated by Who He is and what He has done. It feels less like a chore of submission, but rather like the wisdom of allowing the head to make the decision instead of the foot trying to decide what the hand should do.
Christ is the head of the church and of each of us individually. As members of His body, may we remember to always seek Him as the head and submit to His will, rather than striving to enforce our own.
