Jesus: The Head of the Church | Practical Theology

We often use the label Christian to help people understand what the church is all about. The church is considered Christian because it has its origin in Jesus Christ. He is its founder (Matt. 16:18). The church promotes the teachings of Christ (Luke 6:47). And the church preaches the gospel of Christ, the message of forgiveness through Christ’s death and resurrection (2 Cor. 2:12).

But Christ’s relationship to the church is much deeper than that of its founder and teacher. In the book of Colossians Paul explains that Christ is the head of the church (Col. 1:18; 2:10, 19). We associate the term head with authority. The head is the boss or the person in charge. While this is certainly true of Christ, Paul also means more.

The apostle is emphasizing the vital connection between Christ and the church that is both ongoing and life-sustaining. Jesus is to the church what a physical head is to the body. Christ is not merely the church’s organizer and primary teacher. The church derives its life from Christ and acts as His agent in the world.

While the image of the body speaks of mutual dependence among those who are a part of the church (Rom. 12:5), the image of the head indicates the church’s complete and utter dependence upon Jesus Christ. Just as the body cannot function without the head, Jesus sustains the church with His own life. He alone is the source of its growth and provides direction.

Jesus is more than an important figure in the history of the church. He is supreme over the church. The church belongs to Christ (Matt. 16:18). It answers to Him (Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22). The church cannot exist apart from Christ (John 15:1–4).

No human authority can overrule Christ’s authority over the church. No earthly wisdom or human effort can provide what Christ supplies to the church. Commentator William Barclay observed that without Christ, “. . . the church cannot think the truth, cannot act correctly, cannot decide its direction.” To call the church Christian is far more than a label. It speaks of a unique relationship no other organization or community can claim. If you remove Christ from the church, you no longer have the church.

To learn more, read He Is Enough by Asheritah Ciuciu (Moody Publishers).

BY Dr. John Koessler

John Koessler is Professor Emeritus of Applied Theology and Church Ministries at Moody Bible Institute. John authors the “Practical Theology” column for Today in the Word of which he is also a contributing writer and theological editor. An award-winning author, John’s newest title is When God is Silent: Let the Bible Teach You to Pray (Kirkdale). Prior to joining the Moody faculty, he served as a pastor of Valley Chapel in Green Valley, Illinois, for nine years. He and his wife, Jane, now enjoy living in a lakeside town in Michigan.