The Activities of the Christ as Sovereign
The Christ’ role is described in the book of Colossians:
“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 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.”
– Colossians 1:13-20
So, in our universe, the Christ was the first creation and he, in turn, created everything else in our universe, both the visible and the invisible. God appointed the Christ to this position. And while this position was powerful and made him the sovereign of his universe, he was only a vicegerent – an appointed sovereign. He did not reign in his own right – he had not earned his sovereignty. Though he had the legal right to exercise his sovereignty in all matters, we learn in the book of Jude that the Christ (also known by the title Michael) refused to exercise that authority as to matters of judgment:
“But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”
– Jude 1:9
Instead, he patiently and humbly waited until he had earned the right by completing the work the Father gave him to do. We understand that work to be living as one of his order of creatures in order to be qualified to rule over them. He appeared on earth in the person of Jesus of Nazareth:
“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
– Hebrews 4:14-16
And after he faithfully completed that mission, he was elevated to the position of a true sovereign in his own right – a name that is above every other name:
“In your relationships with one another, have the same mind-set as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
– Philippians 2:5-11
