Concerning the New Testament leadership, the Bible firstly speaks of the headship of Christ. The unique Head of the entire universe is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Christ was made Lord and Christ by God (Acts 2:36). As God, the Lord was the Lord all the time (Luke 1:43; John 11:21; 20:28). However, in His incarnation He became a man; the Creator became a creature. As man, He was made the Lord in His ascension after He brought His humanity into God in His resurrection. Moreover, as God’s sent and anointed One, He was Christ from the time He was born (Luke 2:11; Matt. 1:16; John 1:41; Matt. 16:16), but as such a One, He was officially made the very Christ of God in His ascension.
God made the man Jesus the Lord to head up and own all things. None of the founders of any religion, such as Mohammed or Buddha, were called the Lord. Only Christ Jesus is the Lord. As Christians, we have the deep realization that Jesus is our Lord. Especially during times of trouble or even at times when something good happens to us, the first thing we often say is, “O Lord!” How good it is to have Jesus as Lord! Jesus was made the Lord, as the Lord of all (Acts 10:36), to possess all. If one does not have Jesus, he does not have an owner. Jesus was also made the Christ in His resurrection and ascension to carry out God’s commission, His plan and eternal economy. The Lord is the owner, and Christ is the doer. He is the One who owns all things, and He is the One who fulfills God’s commission.
Christ was exalted as the Leader over all the rulers (Acts 5:31). Acts 5:31 says, “This One God has exalted to His right hand as a Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.” The way He saves us is by being the Leader. Because He controls all things, He has the power, authority, ability, and capacity to save us. Under His leadership we have been saved. He has the authority and power, if He should so desire, to remove a king in order to save even one of His people. The account of Pharaoh and the people of Israel in Exodus is a demonstration of the Lord’s authority and power to save. In Egypt, Pharaoh kept all the children of Israel in slavery, and God sent Moses to tell Pharaoh to let His people go (Exo. 5:1). When Pharaoh refused, the Lord brought the plagues upon him, and he asked Moses to entreat the Lord for him (Exo. 8:8, 28; 9:27-28; 10:16-17). Eventually, Pharaoh was subdued, and he released the people of Israel (Exo. 11:1; 12:31). The Savior saved His people through His power and authority.
The Lord’s authority and power as the Leader over all the rulers can be seen in His control over the world situation. My intention since the early 1940s was to evangelize the northwest portions of China and Mongolia. I never thought that I would eventually come to America. However, due to the Lord’s sovereignty in the world situation, I am here today. The One who brought me to this country was the Leader over all the rulers.
Christ has been made the Ruler of the kings of the earth (Rev. 1:5). On the earth there have been many kings, queens, and presidents, but the Ruler of all these is Christ. God made Christ the Ruler and exalted Him as the Leader.
Moreover, God has appointed Christ to be the Head over all things to the church (Eph. 1:22). Whatever Christ is, is to the church. Christ is the Head of the church (Col. 1:18). Whatever the Head is, is transmitted to the church by the circulation of life in the Body.