Getting to Know Jesus by Name #31: The Head of the Body, the Church

 Colossians 1:17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 He is also the head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. 

This is one of Paul's favorite pictures - and names - for Christ: He is the Head - "the place of leadership, honor or command."*  He is Head of the Church: "The Whole Body of Christians; the called out ones; all those who were called by and to Christ in the fellowship of His salvation of all times."  Not only has He created everything else and keeps it together, He has created the church, keeping it together throughout history into eternity.  We wonder at the marvels of His physical creation and how He holds it all together, but when we stop and think that He can bring together and keep together a people, with all of our quirks, struggles, and failures, all over the world through all of time - that is especially amazing. He is worthy to be honored, worshipped, and trusted at all times.  May we obey His every command today.

*(Diann Cotton: 100 Days with Jesus)