2: The Similarities and Differences between Jesus and Christians
- 5 Questions
- Aug 6
- 10 min read
Updated: Oct 9
Only Jesus
1. Only Jesus is firstborn.
2. Only Jesus is preeminent.
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”
Colossians 1:15-20
Preeminent means “having supreme rank, dignity, or importance.” This fits with Jesus’ role as king of kings and lord of lords. However, just because someone is preeminent and has a different role than others – in this case, that of having the name king of kings, and lord of lords, does not mean he is not like, or even “equal to” in a sense, to the people he is serving as king.
Possible Parallel:
The president has the highest office “job” in the United States and in this sense “preeminent”. He is equal in value to every other person in the United States, but he has a different role and, in a sense, has a “name above every name”. The United States could not function without the roles of other citizens across the country (in some ways like the body of Christ needs every member to play their God-given role). The president is instituted by God (Romans 13). Jesus is appointed by God to be head of the Church/ lead the Church. Of course, this is a very imperfect parallel, but could be helpful.
1 Corinthians 15:24 does say, “Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.”
This does indicate that Christ’s role may change somewhat in eternity, given that he hands over the kingdom to God. It is unclear exactly what that means or what that would look like.
3. Only Jesus is king of kings and lord of lords.
“They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”
Revelation 17:13-15
“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.”
1 Corinthians 12:4-6
4. Only Christ is head of the Church.
“Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ…”
Yet 1 Corinthians 12 (quoted later) about the body of Christ shows that no part is better than the other; they all work together for a common good. How could the head function without the body? It would not be able to function. God chose this metaphor intentionally in His Word to describe Christ and the Church.
5. Only Jesus’ name is above every name.
“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name…”
Philippians 2:9
“…I will write on him… my own new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Revelation 3:12
But even Christians will receive Jesus’ name according to Revelation 3:12 as they overcome. Like he is exalted, we all will be exalted (glorified, Romans 8:17) and share his name.
6. Only Jesus will judge all believers.
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”
2 Corinthians 5:10
Perhaps he will be a more gracious judge than we think given that he was Adam and David and had past sin. Jesus was not inherently the judge, he was given the role of judge by God (Acts 17:31).
Jesus and Christians
1. Just as Jesus is the image of the invisible God, Christians are predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ, so they will be like him in character and likeness to God.
“The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.”
Colossians 1:15 Some maintain that this verse means Jesus is God. How can this be true, given that all believers will be conformed to the image of Christ and are not and never will be God?
“For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”
Romans 8:29
2. Jesus and Christians will reign together forever.
“Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.”
Revelation 20:6
5 “And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.”
Revelation 22:5
3. Jesus and Christians are children of God, sons and daughters.
4. Christians are also co-heirs with Christ and heirs of God who will be glorified with him, so they are like him in inheritance.
5. Christians will be glorified with Christ (if they suffer with him), so they will be like him in glory.
“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”
Romans 8:16-17
7 “The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
Romans 8:29-30
“For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”
6. Christians will obtain the glory of Jesus, so they will be like him in degree of glory.
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
2 Corinthians 3:17-18
“To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
2 Thessalonians 2:14
7. Christians are part of Christ’s body and one with him, so they are, by association, like him.
“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.”
1 Corinthians 12:12-27
If each member in the Body of Christ plays a unique and vital role in the Church, aren’t they like him? He is the head, but the head needs the rest of the body, just as the body needs the head, correct?
Paul describes the members of the body of Christ as equally valuable and needed. This shows likeness between Christ and Christians, and between Christians and other Christians, in God’s eyes. Paul does not say that these facts change in considering Christ, who is the head. Therefore, Christ also needs and sees as equally valuable every other member of his body.
8. Christians will all be resurrected, just like Christ, so we will be immortal like Christ.
“For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.”
1 Corinthians 15:22-23
“…knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence.”
2 Corinthians 4:14
9. Jesus and Christians have the same power to do works for the kingdom – Jesus says Christians will even do greater works than him.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.
John 14:12
10. Christians are also anointed with the Holy Spirit and are/will be filled with the Spirit completely, so Christians will be equally filled with God and like Christ in this sense.
The book of Acts also shows that Christ’s followers operated in the same power as him given they also received the gift of the Holy Spirit.
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”
John 14:26
“For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.”
Colossians 2:9-10
11. Christians also have a close and personal relationship with God given that they are now reconciled with Him through Christ, so they share close relationship with God.
“For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.”
Romans 5:10
12. Christians will all be fully mature in Christ and attain the stature of the fullness of Christ, so Christians will be like Christ in maturity and fullness in stature.
“…until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
Ephesians 4:13
13. Christians will also be filled with all the fullness of God, so they will be equally filled with God as Christ is.
“…and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
Ephesians 3:19
14. God is Christ’s source (Hebrews 2:10-11), and God is also every Christian’s source, so Christians share the same source as Christ (God). Both Christ and Christians can do nothing apart from God.
“For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source .That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers,”
Hebrews 2:10-11
15. Christians will be perfect like Jesus, so they will be like him in perfection.
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
James 1:2-4
16. Christians will be sinless, partakers of the divine nature (otherwise we would not be able to participate in the new heaven and new earth – Revelation 21:7-8), so they will be like him in sinlessness.
“…by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.”
2 Peter 1:4
17. Jesus and Christians share every spiritual blessing.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places…”
Ephesians 1:3
Christians will sit with Christ on his throne, as all of us will conquer. God began a good work in us, and He will bring to completion (Philippians 1:6).
“The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.”
19. Jesus and Christians will judge the world together.
“Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases?”
1 Corinthians 6:2-3
20. Christians are human, like Christ, so they are like him as humans who are not God and never will be. Christians, like Christ, also need God, depend on God, pray to God, and call God the only true God, so they are like him in need before God.
Jesus is also saved by grace. See post, "Jesus: Saved by Grace".
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