Exploring the Wonders of Christ’s Supremacy
Christ is to the souls of men what the sun is to the world. He is the center and source of all spiritual light, warmth, life, health, growth, beauty, and fertility. . . . Like the sun, He is free to all. All may look at Him, and drink health out of His light.
J.C.Ryle
The Supreme Jesus!
SO THIS IS JESUS!
We begin at the conclusion. And the conclusion is really just the beginning. As we begin our journey in exploring the wonders of the nature and names of Jesus, there is nothing more central to our quest than recognizing and pursuing the supremacy of Jesus Christ. He is first and foremost the Supreme Jesus. I suggest the beginning is the conclusion because in the end, one can say nothing more than that Christ is fully, categorically and emphatically supreme. He is supreme from the outset, He will be supreme through every aspect of our journey, and He will be supreme in the end. And of course, there really is no end! Eternity is forever, and Christ is eternally supreme!
The Centerpice of Everything.
Supreme simply means “most excellent; highest in rank, power and authority; utmost; ultimate; superior.” Synonyms for supreme abound, and each aptly applies to the Supreme Jesus. Some include: “paramount, matchless, unrivalled, unparalleled, unsurpassed, unequalled, unexcelled, dominant, indomitable, omnipresent, preeminent, unsurpassable, flawless, incomparable, exceptional, invaluable, and magnanimous.”
The writer to the Hebrew believers uniquely highlighted Christ’s supremacy in declaring:
So, my dear Christian friends . . . take a good hard look at Jesus. He’s the centerpiece of everything we believe, faithful in everything God gave him to do. Moses was also faithful, but Jesus gets far more honor. . . . Moses did a good job in God’s house, but it was all servant work, getting things ready for what was to come. Christ as [God’s] Son is in charge of the house.
Hebrews 3:1–6 MSG
To refer to Christ as the “centrepiece of everything” is to speak of His supremacy. In writing to the Ephesian believers, Paul admonishes:
“So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. . . . You are members of God’s family. Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself”
Ephesians 2:19–20 NLT.
“The riches of Christ are unsearchable. . . . Like the earth, they are too vast to explore, like the sea, too deep to fathom. They are untraceable, inexhaustible, illimitable, inscrutable and incalculable. What is certain about the wealth Christ has and gives is that we shall never come to an end of it.”1 But that won’t stop us from pursuing Him! Oh, dear friend, there is so much more!
John R.W. Stott
Supreme over All!
The supremacy of Christ cannot be overstated. It is, as I’ve suggested, the beginning and the conclusion, and everything in between. Perhaps Scripture’s most significant insights on the supremacy of Christ are found in this passage from the apostle Paul’s letter to the Colossian believers:
Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. . . . He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything.
Colossians 1:15–18 NLT
Especially make note of Paul’s use of the word everything. Everything means just that— every thing! Everything is defined as being “all that exists; all that relates to the subject; and all that is important.”5 As someone wisely said, “All means all and that’s all, all means!”
Charles Spurgeon was arguably one of the greatest pulpit orators who would take any text from the Bible and proceed immediately to the cross highlighting his convictions on the supremacy of Christ.
“I sometimes wonder that you do not get tired of my preaching, because I do nothing but hammer away on this one nail. With me it is, year after year, ‘None but Jesus!’”
So Jesus is everything! He is supreme! He is extraordinary. He is incomparable! When our journey is completed, may our heads spin in wonder, reverence and delight as one word comes to mind: Awesome!
A Prayer for Today
Jesus, my supreme Lord and God, I humbly bow before You today. I recognize Your ultimate supremacy over all things in heaven and all things on earth. God, I know that in Your fullness You chose to live as Christ. Through Him, You reconciled everything to Yourself—including me! Your Son, indeed, is the centerpiece of everything: everything we believe, everything we long for, everything we live for. Search my heart today, oh Lord. I want You to reign supreme in my life just as You reign over all creation. May every part of my life be wholly submitted to Your supremacy. In Your supreme name I pray, Amen.
ENCOUNTERING THE SUPREME JESUS:
A PRACTICAL APPLICATION
Remember—these four steps to help you apply this quality of Christ to your own life.
- EXPLORE: Take time to meditate on this quality of Christ. Use Scriptures in this chapter to get started.
- EXPERIENCE: Turn your meditation into prayer that this quality might impact your life today. Pray the above prayer to begin.
- EXPRESS: During your quiet time, take a moment to journal your thoughts, even if briefly.
- EXALT: Pray, praise or even spontaneously sing your way through today’s list of the names of Jesus. It only requires a few minutes.
Author: Dr Dick Eastman.
We are grateful to Dr Eastman and Dr Doug Clay of US AG who has provided these resources. This is an edited version for the international audience.