JESUS IS THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH

“And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner.” (Mark 12:10)

“This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.” (Acts 4:11)

“But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.” (1 Corinthians 11:3)

“And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church.” (Ephesians 1:22)

“But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.” (Ephesians 4:15)

“Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” .” (Ephesians 5:22-25)

“And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the Head of the body, the church. .” (Colossians 1:17-18a ESV)

“And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.” (Colossians 2:10)

“Such people are not a part of Christ. Christ is the Head. We Christians make up His body. We are joined together as a body is held together. Our strength to grow comes from Christ.” (Colossians 2:19 NLV)

“Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner.” (1 Peter 2:7)

“His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.” (Revelation 19:12)

First, Christ is the Head and Master of the Church. It is His Church, and He is its leader and guide. Many consider that the church has no earthly leader, but it does have a heavenly one. In Colossians 1, Christ is head because He holds all things together. In Ephesians 5, Christ is head because He is Savior.

Second, Christ is the source and origin of the Church. The Greek word for “head” has the connotation of both leader/master and source/origin. That Christ is the origin and source of the church indicates ownership and visionary leadership for the church.

Third, for Christ to be Head of the Church indicates the vital connection between Christ and the Church. We–the church–are the body of Christ. We depend on the head for life and leadership. The Head and the body is a beautiful picture of church life. We simply cannot do without the head and the body is vital to the work of Christ on earth.

Finally, when we consider Christ as the head, we understand that we must follow His teaching and do His will. One of the biggest threats to the Church is our thinking that we can “run” the church or determine its direction. Christ is the head of the church. We must follow His leading and seek His direction for how we live as the people of God. Church leaders are to surrender ultimate leadership to the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the One who leads and determines the teachings and practices of the church. Church members are to follow Christ first and earthly leaders second, as those leaders emulate Christ.

While every church will have its own local leaders, the ultimate leader of any church is the Lord Jesus. He said, “I will build my Church” (Matthew 16:18); it belongs to Him. He is the head of the body and the only One with the power to adequately lead and love the church.

“He is the Head of the body, the church. .” (Colossians 1:18a ESV)

Everything the church does—whether done by you, your local church, or the church universal—should be for Christ and about Christ. Too often, we have made church about personalities, programs, politics, and entertainment… and left Christ, the head of the church, out of the mix. We may mention his name, but we don’t want his influence and leadership to manifest themselves. We must recognize his leadership in everything we do, not just pay him lip service.

What Does it Mean that Christ Is the Head of the Church?

The word for “head” used in the Colossians 1:18 passage is kephalē. Here is what this word means:

  • Superior

  • One with preeminent status

  • Cornerstone (i.e., the important stone for building a proper foundation)

Christ, as the head, holds a position that no one else can occupy. He is the superior figure of the church. He is the essential piece in building and maintaining the church. Without him, we end up with a weak, dysfunctional church void of any power or influence. I know we like to blame the culture for this, but the church must also shoulder some of this blame. We have moved away from Christ as our sure foundation. We have made church about something else other than Jesus.

Four Reasons Why Christ Is the Head of the Church

  1. Christ is the head of the church because he purchased it.

    “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” (1 Peter 1:18-19). Without Christ and his sacrifice, there is no church. Since he purchased the church, he has rights of ownership over the church, which solidifies his position as head of the church.

  2. Christ is the head of the church because he is building it.

    “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” (Matthew 16:18). Jesus is the one building the church. He is building His Church and not someone else’s (this ties back to those rights of ownership). Jesus is the chief cornerstone of the church, and He is also the chief builder of the church. The whole thing falls apart without Him as the foundation and the builder. The Church is bought by Christ, built by Christ, and sustained by Christ.

  3. Christ is the Head of the Church because He is Lord.

    “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 2:9-11). It is sad, but we have exalted servants of Christ and made them greater than Christ. We have looked to men and forgotten Christ is the head of the church. He is the one who sits on the throne. The last time I checked, thrones only have one seat, and he is not planning to vacate that seat. The throne is his forever. Christ is the head of the church now and will be the head of the church for all eternity.

  4. Christ as the Head of the Church levels the ground beneath Him.

    “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:27). Because Christ is the Head of the Church, we must recognize that you and I are not. From our vantage point, the ground is level. There is no one in the body of Christ greater than the next person. We all have an important role to play. Sometimes we confuse responsibility with importance. A particular person may have more responsibility, but everyone holds equal importance in the body.