The Lord is also the firstborn according to the flesh. Luke 2:22-24 reads, “And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they [the parents of Jesus] brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, ‘Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord’) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”
According to the flesh, the Lord is the firstborn; that’s why Joseph and Mary brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to God.
Colossians 1:15-19 says, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 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. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 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. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.”
The Lord is the firstborn of all creation. He was not created, but He created all things. Being “the firstborn” speaks of His honor and position which are above all, because He created all things and He comes before all created things.
Verse 18 says, “the firstborn from the dead.” The Lord is the first one to rise from the dead. One day when He comes to receive us, those brothers and sisters who have fallen asleep will rise first, and our bodies will be transformed. The Lord is preeminent in everything. He is the first.
Let’s read Hebrews 1:1-6. Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”? Or again, “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son”? And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.”
Here it mentions again how the Lord is preeminent in all aspects. It’s so precious that we are deeply united with the Lord. He said that the glory that the Father has given him He has given to us. We are indeed like the Lord. The Lord is the priest; we are also His team of priests. The Lord is the king of kings; we reign together with Him. God has given Him the authority to judge all things; we will also judge angels and the world. He will inherit all things; we will co-heir with the Lord. Therefore, what we’ve received is more than a double portion of the inheritance!