Why it is Important to Preach the Supremacy of Christ
We live in an age when nobody seemingly wants to feel inferior. As a result, there is an never-ending onslaught in the media about the need to be tolerant of differences for the sake of harmony and goodwill. A poll by George Barna showed that 67% of Americans do not think there is any such thing as absolute truth. A full 53% of people who claim to be Bible believing conservative Christians said there is no such thing as absolute truth. (What Americans Believe, pp. 171, 184, 1991)
Consequently many people adopt pluralism as their philosophy and theology as it is much easier to go along so as to get along with the majority. Tolerance because many peoples’ criteria for acceptability instead of truth. Pluralism fits well with new age thinking as it makes room for all types of political, ethnic and cultural differences both in society and in the church. Perhaps many believers do not understand how subtly they no longer hold to the fact that truth is disclosed through the scripture, but it is discovered by human experience. This ecletism leads many to believe that one can learn as much about truth from Hinduism, Buddhism, or traditional religions as they unveil new dimensions of truth.
Only when we come to grips with the fact that Jesus Christ is the name above all names who reign supreme over everything can we properly respond to the prevailing pluralistic attitudes of our day. Paul taught the Colossians:
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or power 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 through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. ” (Col. 1:15-17)
We need to preach the supremacy of Christ for some of the following reasons:
1. Jesus is the only one to make the supreme absolute assertion that He was the way, the truth and the life. (John 14:6) Anyone else ultimately knows that to make such a claim they will found to be a liar or a lunatic. The Lord Jesus came to earth as the embodiment of the truth as 100% God and 100% man. He not only taught truth He was truth in human flesh. Everything about Him evidenced the fact He was truth incarnate. Revelation is more than just an accumulation of human experiences, it is found in the person, work, the life and the teaching of Jesus Christ.
I would propose that the subject of the ministry of this house, as long as this platform shall stand, and as long as this house shall be frequented by worshipers, shall be the person of Jesus Christ. I am never ashamed to avow myself a Calvinist; I do not hesitate to take the name of Baptist; but if I am asked what is my creed, I reply, "It is Jesus Christ." My venerated predecessor, Dr. Gill, has left a [theological heritage] admirable and excellent in its way. But the [legacy] to which I would pin and bind myself forever, God helping me,...is Jesus Christ, who is the arm and substance of the gospel, who is in Himself all theology, the incarnation of every precious truth.
C.H. Spurgeon, first words in the pulpit of the Metropolitan Tabernacle, London.
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2. Jesus is Supreme because He alone taught that He was God in human flesh. Only Jesus stated that He was equal with God when He said, “If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” (John 14:7) Jesus taught that He was 100% God in the flesh with any equivocation. When we know Jesus we know God, something far beyond what human experience can teach us.
3. Jesus was supreme in offering the free gift of eternal salvation for all who would believe in Him as the substitutionary payment for the forgiveness of sins. We all can come to know truth by having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ through faith. Jesus said, “But as many as received Him to them He gave the power to become the children of God, even to those who believe on His name. Children born not of natural descent, nor or human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. (John 1:12,13)
Unless we come to Him with the faith of a little child, Jesus warned us that we could not enter the kingdom of heaven. Many people are too intellectually proud, stubborn or “rational” to place their trust in Christ as their Savior and Lord and so consequently never come to know Truth, but only shadows of it. Their whole perspective of life is seen from outside of the kingdom of truth. No wonder so many non-Christians become irritated when they are confronted with the fact that their understanding of truth is limited.
Illustration: Dr. Stanley Jones writes about an unbelieving doctor who was just about to die. Just then a Christian physician visited him and persuaded him to have faith in Christ as his personal Savior and Lord. The dying man said, “All my life I have been bothered with what to believe, and now I see it is WHOM to trust.” Believing means we are entrusting ourselves to the Lord Jesus as our personal Savior and Lord. No wonder Jesus did most of His evangelism through invitation. “Follow me…”
4. The words of Jesus ring with Supreme authority. When Christ spoke people marveled as Matthew writes, “The crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as one of their teachers of the law.” (Matt 7:28,29) When we teach with the words of Jesus we are using all the authority of heaven and earth that the Holy Spirit uses to convict, persuade and transform lives. Too many times we may think we have to philosophically argue a person into a corner, but the words of Jesus are the power of God (the dynamite of God) for salvation for those who believe. (Rom. 1:16)
5. Only the Supreme God of the universe would dare to make such a claim to forgive sins, except God alone. Only Jesus is able to forgive our past, present and future sins. Jesus said, “Jesus said to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven… But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgiven sins… I tell you get up and take your mat and go home in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God saying, “We have never seen anything like this!” (Mark 2:9-12)
Only Jesus has the power to deliver us from the penalty, the power and the punishment of sin. He deserves to be praised for His supreme ability to deliver. Everyone eventually has to face the fact that only Jesus is capable of forgiving sin and giving them a bridge to heaven. Apart from Jesus Christ there is no salvation because there is no forgiveness.
6. Only a Supreme Jesus is deserving of our total allegiance. He said, “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” (Matt 10:37,38) Christ’s total supremacy means that He alone deserves the right to rule, reign and control all the aspects of our life. He cautioned us that there will always be plenty of competing forces for our loyalty, but He alone deserves our primary allegiance because He is supreme above everything, everyone and at all times.
7. Jesus is supreme over death because He conquered death with His resurrection from the grave. Jesus gives us hope, power and assurance a triumph over death so we do not have to despair, worry or feel the sorrow of those who do not have this Christ given eternal hope. Who else besides Jesus resurrected from the dead and walked on earth for forty days and was seen by 500 of his followers. Up from the grave He arose, with a mighty triumph o’er His foes. He arose victorious from a dark domain. So we may live together with the saints to reign. He arose, He arose. Hallelujah, Christ arose!”
Illustration: No wonder people like Fanny Crosby could write such inspiring hymns in the face of sorrow, blindness and loss in her family.
“Blessed assurance Jesus is mine. Oh what a foretaste of glory divine. Heir of salvation, purchase of God, born of His Spirit, washed in His blood. This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior, all eternity long.”
8. Jesus is supreme all over all rulers, authorities, dominions, kings and powers that might try to dethrone Him. We never need to fear since we claim the promise of I John 4:4, “Greater is He who is in us than He who is in the world.” Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. We can know that we will always experience the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ as His power is over all human and spirit powers. Simply put your trust and confidence in the power of the Lord Jesus Christ and command all other forces to be overcome in His name. IN the name of Jesus we have the victory. Paul wrote, “But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (I Cor. 15:57)
Application: Many believers do not experience victorious lives because they are not appropriating the power of the Christ over opposing forces in their lives.
9. Jesus is the supreme message that people need to hear. In Col. 2:3 Paul writes, "In Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. We are love Him with all our heart, soul, strength and mind. (Luke 10:27) Jesus is the one who deserves to be first in our affections, first in our commitments, first in the determination of our decisions, first in our direction of our resources and first in our relationships.
The world is full of affections, commitments, ideas and relationships that fail, but Jesus never fails. He is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think according to His Spirit’s power that works mightily within us. He heals every wounded heart and supplies us with all sufficient grace for whatever problem or adversity we may be going through. (2 Cor. 12:9,10)
Only the omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent Jesus is able to say, “The thief comes only to steal, slaughter, kill and destroy but I came that you might have life and have it in all abundance.” (John 10:10) All other aspects of life fall short of the fullness of life offered in Christ’s supremacy.
Illustration: Francis of Assisi (1182-1226) found out how Christ alone satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with what is good. He was the son of a wealthy cloth merchant. After Francis’ spiritual awakening in his twenties, his father was convinced that he was insane and denounced him. Francis took on a lifestyle of poverty. But he did not miss the riches he gave up. He said, “To him who tastes God, all the sweetness of the world will be but bitterness.” Only Jesus is able to be our bread so we will never hunger again. (John 6:35) He supremely satisfies.
