Ephesians 1:22 And has put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Now in the Word of God the Church is compared to a variety of objects — to "a vine," to "a building," to "a temple," and in our text to "a human person," made up of two parts, the head and the body, the head representing Jesus, the body representing the collective members of the Church of Christ "And gave Him to be the Head over all things to the Church, which is His body." Our subject presents us with several important ideas or principles. I. The idea of IMPORTANCE. The head is everything to the body — it sees for the body, it hears for the body, it smells for the body, it tastes for the body, it masticates food for the body, it thinks for the body, it schemes, it purposes, in one word, it does everything for the body. So Jesus Christ is everything to the Church. II. The idea of INDISPENSABLENESS. Lop off this limb and then that — amputate one of your members and then another, the limbless trunk of your body will still be alive; but let that body be beheaded, and it dies in a moment. So it is with the Church of Christ. III. The idea of IDENTITY. The same fluid which courses through the body flows through the head, and the same food which is the nourishment of the body is the sustenance of the head. The component parts of the one are the component parts of the other. And just so it is between Christ and all believers. There is a sameness of nature. Christ and all Christians are alike in their desires, in their aims, in their pleasures, in their friendships, in their enmities, in their principles, in their motives, in their standard, in the one grand object ever before them — the glory of God. IV. The idea of SYMPATHY. If your foot be crushed the head will feel it; if any other member of the body, however distant from the head, be in pain, the head will feel it — and such is the sympathy between Christ and all His suffering people. Am I speaking to any who are heavy hearted and cast down? What is the cause of your sorrow? Is it the shading of your prospects? Is it the presence of disease in some beloved member of your family? Is it that you are going down the hill of adversity, and because your pride is being humbled at every step? Is it because you have just received some deep wounds from a quarter whence you least expected them? Or, is your grief some secret silent sorrow which your tongue re. fuses to divulge? It matters not what may be the sorrows, there is sympathy in the living head for the sorrows of all the suffering members of "the mystical body." And oh, fellow Christians, what a sympathy is the sympathy of Christ! It is a sympathy which knows all our griefs, and all the particulars and details of all our sorrows. It is a sympathy which supports us under all our griefs, nay, it is a sympathy which makes use of those sorrows as a means of fetching us back from our wanderings; nay, more, which will make all our sorrows to "work out for us a far more exceeding and as eternal weight of glory." V. The idea of GLORY. The glory of the head is always reflected upon the members of the body. Now just consider what the glory of Christ is (John 1:1). Oh, what an honour to belong to the body of such a Head! Then consider the works of Christ — "All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made." What an honour to be a member of the body of such a Creator! Then consider the possessions of Christ. With mortal lips and with human tongue He said it — "All things that the Father hath are Mine." Oh, the honour of being a member of the body of such a possessor! Then look at His immensity; our text speaks of it as "the fulness of Him who filleth all in all." Oh, the honour of being a member of that body! That man can well afford to part with dust and ashes who is in possession of gems, and precious stones, and priceless rubies; nay, who can call kingdoms; nay, who can call the world; nay, who can call Jesus his own! That man can afford to trample under his feet all the pleasures of his fellow creatures, who can say, "My beloved is mine, and I am His." VI. The idea of THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY. For where lies the head, there will lie the body; and where reigns the head, there will reign the body too. As our Head, even Jesus, once lay in the sepulchre, so shall we His followers lie there too; and as Jesus our Head is now reigning in glory, so shall we reign in glory too. (Alfred Pope.) Parallel Verses KJV: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, |
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