The Preeminent Savior
Pastor Jake
Good morning, Resurrection Church Bible readers! Today is Good Friday; the day in which we mark the sacrifice of Christ on our behalf. He bore the punishment that was owed to you and me, for sin has always demanded blood (Lev. 17:11). Thus, Christ shed his in our place on the cross. Isaiah reminds us with his potent prophecy,
But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. (Isa. 53:5 ESV)
We look at such a painful and difficult event in our salvation history and wonder, “How could we call this good?” The answer lies within our passage for today. As we kick off the book of Colossians this Good Friday, I want verses 19 and 20 to resonate in your heart. In this Christ hymn, Paul talks about the preeminence (a fancy way to say “the first above all else; the highest rank or dignity”) of Christ, who was preeminent because,
…in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. (Col. 1:19 -20 ESV)
Good Friday is good because it points to Easter Sunday. It is good because by his body broken and blood poured out on the cross, you are made whole and washed clean. He stood in your place so that, by his merit, you would be transferred from the domain of darkness into the kingdom of his beloved Son (vv. 13-14). We mourn as those with great hope. I pray that you have a reflective Good Friday as you sit in the wonder of Christ’s work on your behalf.
See you tonight at 5:00pm for our Good Friday service!