Sabbath School Lesson for February 14-20, 2026
Introduction of Lesson 8, The Preeminence of Christ
Memory Text: “He [Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” Colossians 1:15-17 NKJV
Colossians 1:15, declaring Christ as “the image of the invisible God”, “the firstborn over all creation”, is one of the fullest and most beautiful statement about Jesus in the New Testament. Christ was both our Creator and Redeemer, conquering the powers of darkness (at creation, before sin) by allowing His kingdom of Light to shine in the darkest places imaginable (our world after sin).
Christ’s preeminence means simply that He has the first place position of authority over everything. Before anything was created, He was there with the Father making it happen. His miraculous resurrection, the only one of its kind, also gives Him the first place position when it comes to dying. He was the first to achieve full victory over both life and death.
The restorative and redemptive work Jesus has accomplished isn’t just for the benefit of humanity. His sovereignty includes the whole universe. The Greek word Paul uses for “world” is kosmos, a word that is understandably cosmic, extraterrestrial, in its scope and influence.
- Sunday: Image of the Invisible God
- Monday: Firstborn Over All Creation
- Tuesday: Head of the Body (the Church)
- Wednesday: The “Beginning” (and Initiator)
- Thursday: To Reconcile All Things
Sunday: Image of the Invisible God
We humans are made after God’s likeness, and in that sense, we are made in His image (Genesis 1:27). We were originally created as close to God’s nature and character as is possible for humans to be made. But of course, that image has now been largely marred by sin.
Jesus, though, was the very image of God. He once told Philip that seeing Him was the same as seeing the Father (John 14:9). Another time, He said He and the Father were one (John 10:30).
God’s name, as told to Moses, was “I AM”, indicating His eternal existence (Exodus 3:14). Not surprisingly, Jesus often described Himself, using God’s name. He used phrases like, “I AM the bread of life”, “I AM the light of the world”, “I AM the good shepherd”, and “I AM the resurrection, and the life”. Through His sinless, self-less words and actions we saw visible, tangible evidence of who God is. God’s divine nature shone brightly through the ministry and sacrificial death of Jesus.
Verses and questions:
Genesis 1:26, 27 and 2 Corinthians 3:18
- In what ways do we bear God’s image, and how can that image be restored in us?
Monday: Firstborn Over All Creation
All the offspring of parents bear their image. Just as Adam was made in God’s image, so the sons of Adam bore their father’s likeness (Genesis 5:3). The Old Testament is full of examples though that honor one of the younger sons, treating them as “firstborn”. We must conclude that used in the biblical context, “firstborn” indicates preeminence, rather than birth order.
Colossians 1:15-17 has proven difficult for many to understand. If Christ is the “firstborn”, then He must have been created–born, right? But note that the passage says “He is before all things”, once again denoting preeminence. That means He was before ALL created beings, which separates Him from those who were created. Instead, they exist because of Him. He worked side by side with the Father, making all creation possible.
The phrase, “in Him all things consist” (Colossians 1:17), indicates that Jesus not only created all things, but that He is the force that holds them together, uniting them with the Father. They continue to exist because of Him. In this way, Christ is not only our Creator, but our Redeemer–restoring relationships that have been broken by sin.
Verses and questions:
Colossians 1:15-17
- Why does Jesus deserve to be called “the firstborn over all creation”?
- How does the entire context here refute the argument that Jesus was a created being?
- Why is it important that God Himself save us from the penalty of sin, and not another created being?
Tuesday: Head of the Body (the Church)
Following this theme of preeminence, we find Jesus referred to as the head of all principalities and powers (Colossians 2:10). Paul illustrated this leadership position, using the example of a head in relationship to the body (Colossians 2:19).
Ephesians 1 22 gets closer to identifying that “body” as the church. It says, “And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church”. We find this idea of the church as a body when we read about the various spiritual gifts given to individual body parts in 1 Corinthians 12.
We commonly refer to the leaders of countries, businesses, and just about any group, as “the head”. It’s nice to know that someone is leading out. Groups of any kind function better when someone is in charge. How thankful we can be that God has made Christ the Head of His body of believers, providing us with guidance and nourishment to make us grow and reflect His light to the world.
Verses and questions:
Colossians 2:10, 19
- What do these verses tell us about Jesus’ position as head?
Ephesians 5:23
- In what ways does Christ function as Head of the church?
- What kind of things does He provide for the church body?
Wednesday: The “Beginning” (and Initiator)
Paul summed up his description of Jesus’ preeminence in Colossians 1:18. Christ is the head of the church, was at the beginning of all creation, and was the first to have total victory over death, as evidenced by His miraculous resurrection. Without this resurrection, no one would have hope of their own resurrection upon His return.
Christ was the initiator of it all–not only being at the start of things, but starting them Himself, being the initiator of all things past, present, and future. What a glorious hope this is for believers. Everyone has a chance to benefit from His miraculous works.
He created us in the past, transforms us in the present, and will someday renew all creation in a beautiful earth made new (our future). But this will only happen for us individually if we accept His preeminence and allow Him to restore our relationship with the Father.
Verses and questions:
Colossians 1:18
- What are the ways you see Christ being first or preeminent in our lives?
- What things in our life might we change in order to experience the blessings of His preeminence?
Thursday: To Reconcile All Things
The completeness of Christ’s work in the universe is proclaimed emphatically in Colossians 1:19, 20. His reconciliation efforts benefit both heaven and earth. All created beings are blessed by the efforts of the Son of God. His death on the cross undeniably demonstrated God’s love in such a way that no one can match.
John 3:16, one of the most quoted verse in the Bible, shouts to us of this tremendous love. It has the power to restore peace and joy for ALL creation and for ALL time.
Colossians 1:19 states that “all the fullness” of God dwells in His Son. And John 1:14 describes His glory as being “full of grace and truth”. Yes, God not only has our forgiveness in mind (the grace), but the truth about how we should live and who we should worship. When our relationship with God is restored through the cross, we experience the sense of complete fulfillment and eternal joy God originally intended for all His creation.
Verses and questions:
Colossians 1:19, 20
- What did God show us about Himself by sending His Son to die for our sins on the cross?
- How comprehensive is Christ’s reconciliation that was witnessed by His death on the cross?
Friday: Final Thoughts
Running through Paul’s writings is the theme that Christ makes possible our reconciliation with God. Without Him, we would not only have not been created, but we would not have the chance to be re-created either. And the beauty is that this is not only true for humanity, but for all the universe.
ALL created beings are blessed by Christ’s redemptive work for us. Angels view our world’s plight and rescue with immense curiosity, wondering if God is indeed the loving, just Creator that He claims to be.
The cruel death that Jesus, pure and sinless as He was, endured on the cross makes Him the preeminent, matchless centerpiece for God’s argument that our Father is a God of love, and not the monstrous tyrant Satan claims Him to be.
Next Week: Reconciliation and Hope
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