The Firstborn Over All Creation

In the United Kingdom, the order of succession to the throne does not follow the sequence you might expect. Unsurprisingly, the first in line is Prince William, the son of King Charles III. But, surprisingly, the second in line is not Prince Harry, the other son of King Charles III. It’s Prince George, followed by Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, the three children of Prince William. Only after them does Prince Harry find his place in the order of succession. He may be one of the King’s two sons, but he is the fifth in line to the King’s throne. It’s not what you expect, but there is a reason for it. It’s because Prince Harry is not the firstborn son of the King, and that matters. Prince William is the firstborn, and to be the firstborn is to be preeminent within the British royal family. The same is true with the firstborn in Holy Scripture. 

According to Colossians 1:15, Jesus is “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation” (NKJV). In the 4th Century, a man named Arius took this to mean that Jesus was the first to be born in all creation. He was not the God-Man, in other words, but the first man among God’s creatures. If this sounds familiar to you, it may be because Jehovah’s Witnesses believe (and promote) the same thing today. But it’s a misinterpretation of the Bible. While you could possibly make this argument from the second half of verse 15 alone, it falls to the ground in light of the first half where Paul says that Jesus is the image of the invisible God. As I explained in a previous post, to say that Jesus is the image of the invisible God is the same as saying that He is God. It’s because Jesus is one with the Father, and equal with Him in power and glory, that Jesus can reveal God to us in His person and works. Therefore, Jesus cannot be the image of God and the first creation of God because the two are mutually exclusive. This is why the Counsel of Nicea in 325 B.C. responded to Arius by clarifying in its Creed that Jesus is “the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made”. If Jesus is the image of God (because He is God), then He cannot be the first creation of God. This is not what Paul means when he says that Jesus is the firstborn of all creation. Jesus is both fully God and fully man in one person.

But Arius did not only fail to consider the context of Paul’s statement, he also failed to consider the biblical use of the word “firstborn”. While the word is certainly used to speak of the first to be born (such as, Esau, the firstborn son of Jacob), it is also used to speak of rank and privilege. For instance, Deuteronomy 21:17 says, “But he shall acknowledge the son of the unloved wife as the firstborn by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.” (NKJV) Since the firstborn is in a higher position than others, he has the right to receive more than others. Let me give you some further examples. 

• Psalm 89:27 says of David, “Also I will make him My firstborn, The highest of the kings of the earth.” (NKJV) David was not the firstborn son of his father, Jesse, but he is called the firstborn here because God would make him the preeminent king - the highest of all earthly kings.
• Exodus 4:22 says, “Then you shall say to Pharaoh, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Israel is My son, My firstborn.” (NKJV) Israel is the LORD’s firstborn because, out of all the world’s nations, Israel would hold first place in God’s mind and God’s heart. She would be the preeminent nation, over all the others with exceedingly greater blessings. 
• Finally, Hebrews 12:22-23 says, “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven…” (NKJV) Christians are the firstborn of all people, because of the privilege we have in receiving a heavenly inheritance, while unbelievers are condemned to eternity in hell. 

To be the firstborn is to be first in position and blessing, and it’s in this sense that the Apostle Paul says Jesus is "the firstborn over all creation”. He doesn’t mean Jesus is the first to be born in all creation, but that Jesus is the preeminent One who reigns over all creation. As a result (and this was Paul’s point), Jesus is not someone you can take or leave. He’s not supplementary, or to be substituted by another. No, Jesus is the King, the Lord over all creation - even over you and me. He, in all the world, is alone the Preeminent One. And that’s why Jesus should not be devalued or downgraded in any way, shape, or form. We need Jesus, because, as the firstborn over all creation, He is the only One who can save us from eternal death. If Jesus is the Lord, then He has what is needed to redeem and forgive us (see Colossians 1:14). 

Therefore, we must recognize His Lordship and repent. If Jesus is the Preeminent One, then we should acknowledge Him as such. If He is our King, then we should bow the knee before Him. And, friends, this begins with repentance - with abandoning your sinful rebellion and trusting in Christ as your Savior. Have you responded to His sovereignty by turning from your selfishness, pride, and lust to His free grace offered to you in the gospel? Repentance is the appropriate response to the One who is “the firstborn over all creation”. But repentance does not only entail the confession of sin and the seeking of pardon. It also includes a total rededication of your life, from self to the Savior. The other way we must acknowledge the Lordship of Jesus is by living in daily obedience to His commands, as well as by openly proclaiming His sovereignty to the world. Remember, believers are also said to be God’s firstborn in Christ (see Hebrews 12:22-23), which means we will not only inherit the new heavens and the new earth in eternity, but we also have the obligation to herald the kingdom and preach His gospel in the present. Since we are united to the King by faith, we have been given authority from Him to exhort others to repent and believe in Him (see Matthew 28:18-19). Are you fulfilling this duty? As you seek to recognize Christ’s Lordship in your own life, do you exhort others to do the same? This is your calling as a Christian. 

Respond to the firstborn of creation by showing those around you a life radically affected by the preeminence of Christ.