Introduction
InJesus’ Glorious Position in the Universe, we explore who Jesus is and his true position in creation. The Bible reveals that he is the only begotten Son of God, exalted above all things and worthy of honor and praise. We examine how his divinity, authority, and role in creation distinguish him from angels and human beings. We also see how the Father gave him a superior name and made him heir of all things. Throughout this study, we delve into the Scriptures to understand the greatness of Christ and his eternal purpose.
The One God in Scripture
We have done studies that have shown us that the Father is the only God in the Scriptures (John 17:3), and consequently this subject ends up awakening another, which is in relation to Jesus. Having the Father as the Sovereign of the universe, who is Jesus, and what is his position in relation to this? If only His Father is God, does Jesus not deserve glory and praise? What is his position before the universe? He is merely a “son of God” like angels and human beings? Today’s study will cover a little about the position of your person.
Who is Jesus?
The first question we must ask is: Who is Jesus? The golden verse of the gospel tells us that: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son” (John 3:16). Jesus is the “Only begotten son” of God. He is “single” and different from all the others “children of God“. God created angels and human beings. We all belong to Him as His creatures, but among all the creatures that exist, none receive the same words used for Christ in relation to God. Only Jesus received the title of “Only begotten son“. In this sense, his filiation to God differs from ours. He is a son different from all others in the universe, including in heaven. He is special in the face of all existing creation. Let us analyze the text below to the Colossians:
Colossians 1:15-20 – “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: for by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and in him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all the fullness dwell; and by him to reconcile all things unto himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him; I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.“
He who is the Image of the Invisible God
Who is Jesus? Paul states that Jesus is the “image of the invisible God“. Who is the invisible God? Certainly, Jesus has the Father as his God, whom fallen humanity has never seen. Jesus is the “image” of this God. This means that Jesus is the one who can perfectly represent the Father in His full character. God created human beings in His “image and likeness” (Genesis 1:26), but Christ is the “image of God“. In another letter we find greater emphasis on this point. The author of Hebrews states that Christ is the “express image” of the person of God (Hebrews 1:3). In this sense, Jesus himself came to affirm:
John 14:9 – “Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you so long, and yet you still do not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; and how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?’“
Many people misinterpret these words. They understand that Christ was saying that he was the Father himself incarnate. No, not at all! The apostle John declares in his gospel: “God has never been seen by anyone“. “The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him” (John 1:18), Christ came to this fallen world to reveal the Father! Humanity has lost sight of the true character of God. One of the purposes of Christ coming to this world was to reveal his Father. He was the only one who could do so, for he was the “expresses the image of your person” (Hebrews 1:3). Therefore Christ said to Philip: “Whoever sees me sees the Father” (John 14:9). By seeing Him, the disciples could be fully assured of what the Father is like, for the Son is the “image of the invisible God“, The one no one has ever seen.
In Him Everything Was Created
The text of Colossians continues by stating: “in him all things were created… All things were created through him and for him“. Jesus was the one who created all things that exist in this universe. Our world, animals, human beings, plants, stars, the sun, planets, everything! But the text is not limited to what exists in material form.
It also mentions that he was the agent of the creation of the invisible world, that is, he was the one who created everything that exists in heaven, the angels, the seraphim and cherubim, everything! The Father created all things through his Son. The Son was the agent of creation. The Father granted to the Son all created things, for everything came into existence.”for him“. See the Glorious Position of Jesus before the Universe! When Jesus came to give His life as a ransom for fallen humanity, He came to redeem that which was His. He came to recover that which the devil once took for himself through deception and sin.
The text continues saying that its existence is prior to all things, because “he is before all things“. Nothing existed before His existence. Notice what this text is saying! The Father did not create anything before the existence of Jesus! How profound this text and this message is! It means that in the entire universe, the Father brought into existence only His Son directly, for Christ is His “Only begotten son” (John 3:16).
The One Who Came Into Existence Directly From the Father
When the Father “He so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16), He was giving nothing less than ALL that He had, for Jesus was the only being who originated directly from the Father! The Father offered ALL that He had as a ransom for fallen humanity! What great love, and what a great sacrifice the Father made to save us!
The Son of God is the creator of all things, but not only the creator, but also the sustainer. The text states that “all things hold together by him“. That is, by his power, Jesus keeps all things functioning in his creation. The power of Jesus is immeasurable! We are alive and we live through him. The air we breathe, the thought we reproduce, the body we move, the stars that shine in the sky, the sun that warms our planet, all animate and inanimate things, everything occurs by the subsistence of his power!
No angel, no matter how powerful, could perform such an act! Only someone with power similar to the Father could perform such an act! This shows us that the Father granted the Son great power so that He could create and maintain all things in existence!
Who is Jesus? The Head of the Church
Jesus became “the head of the body, of the church“. For the church, not a physical congregation, but his spiritual body, those who accept his sacrifice, repent, and obey him, Christ has become the “head” of this body. This was due to his sacrifice made here on earth. He is the “beginning and the firstborn from the dead“. Another Glorious Position of Jesus! He also carries the title of “firstborn of all creation“. In both cases, the word “first-born” should be understood as “primacy“, for Christ occupies the most important position among all that was created and among all those who were resurrected!
He Is Above All Things
The text goes on to say “so that in everything he may have the preeminence“. Christ’s position is above all created things! Before the Father, Christ receives the “pre-eminence” of all things. According to the dictionary, ‘preeminent’ means something “far above what is around; superior, eminent, sublime” (Oxford Languages). This is the position the Father gave His Son to have! What a glorious position Jesus has before the universe! He is superior to everything and everyone! Superior to the angels ever created and to all mankind, and yet we treated Him like garbage and scum when He came to this earth (and many still continue to treat Him this way)! May God have mercy on us while there is still time!
The Fullness Dwells in Him
The text continues: “It was the Father’s good pleasure that all the fullness should dwell in Him“. What fullness? Fullness of what? Paul himself mentions it later in his letter. He says: “For in him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9). It pleased the Father that “all the fullness of divinity” dwell in him! Christ is without a shadow of a doubt totally divine as his Father is! Divinity dwells fully in Christ, the same divinity that the Father possesses, the Son also possesses! Jesus is the “Only begotten son” (John 3:16) of the Father. In addition to being the only being who came into existence directly from the Father, He was given the privilege of possessing the same divinity as the Sovereign of the universe! Jesus is without a doubt “the image of the invisible God“. His character and divinity perfectly represent the Father.
The text to the Hebrews brings similar information to the one in Colossians that we read, but it says a few more things. Let’s see:
Hebrews 1:1-4 – “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds: 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; being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance inherited a more excellent name than they.“
The Right Hand of God is Sat
I will not be redundant in what we have already analyzed. Let us just consider the additional information. The text mentions that Christ “sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high“. That is, He sat down at the right hand of the Sovereign of the universe, the One who occupies the highest position in the universe. He sat down at the right hand of God, His Father. Jesus said: “just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne“(Revelation 3:21). What creature could sit at the right hand of the Father’s throne? Certainly none! Only His divine Son could do so and share in that honor and glory! What a glorious position Jesus has once again received!
As we mentioned earlier, Christ is above all creation, including the angels. This is what the author confirms in the following words: “made so much more excellent than the angels“. Jesus is above all the angels! Furthermore, he is also “inherited a more excellent name than they“. You only inherit something that is not yours. The Son inherited the “most excellent name” that could exist. From whom did he inherit it? Certainly from the only being who is above him!
The Name He Inherited
Who is this being? It is your Father! Who is Jesus? The only begotten Son of God! Therefore, Jesus inherited his Father’s name! The unpronounceable name of the tetragrammaton “YHWH” is the name of the Father, but by filiation, Jesus was also able to receive it. By inheritance he received such a name! It is not his main name, but his inherited name, the “most excellent” among the names! Once again we see something that sets Christ apart from all that exists! He is the only one who can receive the sacred name of God, the same name that we were forbidden to speak in vain in the third commandment of His law (Exodus 20:7).
The texts of Colossians and Hebrews also said about Christ that “having made peace through the blood of his cross, through him to reconcile all things to himself“, and “made by himself the purification of our sins“. In view of his immense sacrifice, he can assume the position of mediator between God and humanity. In this way, the apostle Paul explains: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). Only Christ can be considered our mediator! There is no other! Only one! Only Jesus! For it was by his life and his blood that he made him our representative before the Father.
Conclusion: The Glorious Position of Jesus
For all that we have seen in this study, for his unique existence, his divinity, his position above all things, the name he inherited, the creation he carried out, and all other things, the Father grants Christ the right to receive glory and praise forever and ever:
Revelation 5:13 – “And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever.“
To God and His Son are granted “thanksgiving, and honor, and glory, and power” to “forever and ever“! Amen and Amen!
May God bless us!
