Office
The Firstborn
The chief heir, redeemed by a substitute
The shadow (Old Testament)
In Israel, the firstborn son received a double portion of the inheritance, headship of the family, and a kind of priestly status. And at Passover, the firstborn of every household in Egypt were spared only by the blood of the lamb painted on the doorposts (Exodus 13:1-15). The firstborn wasn't just first in line; the firstborn was the whole family's future.
- Exodus 13:1-2— Consecrate every firstborn
The substance (Christ)
Christ is "the firstborn of all creation" (Colossians 1:15) and "the firstborn from the dead" (Colossians 1:18; Revelation 1:5). Because we are in Him, believers are "the church of the firstborn ones enrolled in heaven" (Hebrews 12:23) — we inherit not on our own account, but on His.
- Colossians 1:15-18— Firstborn of all creation, firstborn from the dead
Apostolic commentary
Hebrews 1:6; 12:23 — Christ's firstborn status and ours through Him.
- Hebrews 12:22-23— The church of the firstborn ones
Take it in
In Christ, you are not a second-class child of God. You share the firstborn's inheritance.