“And [Christ] is before all things, and by Him all things consist. 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 preeminence.” – Colossians 1:17-18

Jesus once visited me in a glorious vision. When I saw Him, my whole body literally went numb; I couldn’t move even a finger.

He talked to me in a language I didn’t know but I understood every word He spoke.

I can therefore relate with John’s experience in the Book of Revelation when he fell down “like dead” when He saw Jesus (Revelation 1:17).

When John walked with the same Jesus in Galilee, the Bible says he used to be the closest to the Lord in terms of proximity.

But the next time Jesus revealed Himself to John in Revelation after He ascended to heaven, His face was like the sun at noon and His eyes were like a flame of fire.

Today, when many people hear about Jesus, they imagine a man with a sweaty brow and dust-covered feet trudging the rugged stony roads of Capernaum.

I believe that the reason the glory of Christ is increasingly becoming a rarity in the Church today is because it’s men who want to be seen, rather than the Lord Jesus.

However, what John saw in Revelation were “feet like fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace.”

Our meditation today is a celebration of the Lord Jesus, whom the apostle Paul also had an opportunity to see in a dramatic vision on the road to Damascus, on his way to torture Jesus’ followers.

“Christ is before all things, and by Him all things consist,” the converted Pharisee asserts.

To “have preeminence in all things” refers to having supreme rank, dignity, or importance; expressing His superiority over all creation – over material and non-material things.

In any country, the President is the ‘Fountain of Honour’ and takes precedence over everyone else in terms of protocol.

It’s a very serious offence, for instance, not to give way to the Presidential convoy.

However, while visiting another country such as the United Kingdom, the foreign president may not enjoy such an honour.

In contrast, Christ takes precedence in the whole universe; He is Number One on earth, in the cosmos and in the universe!

In the Old Testament, every ritual, every ceremony or religious custom, every act of worship, every word of prophecy revolved around the Messiah who was to come.

In the New Testament, every message, every miracle, every gifting, every sermon, every song, revolves around Jesus Christ.

Jesus is “at the centre of it all” as the popular song says.

In John 12:20-21, some wise Greeks came to one of the apostles and said; “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.”

In response, Jesus said; “The time has come, that the Son of man should be glorified” (verse 23).

That must be the disposition of every member of the Church of Christ, every ministry and every life.

Dear man of God; what people want to see is Jesus, not you!

I believe that the reason the glory of Christ is increasingly becoming a rarity in the Church today is because it’s men who want to be seen, rather than showing people the Lord Jesus.

It’s Christ who must always have the preeminence; He must always be Number One.

Dear Church leaders, may the people see Jesus and Him only!

Prayer:

Almighty God, help me to know Jesus deeply as the Number One, to serve and make Him known as I grow more and more into His likeness. For the glory of your Name, Amen!