April 20

And God put everything under His feet and made Him head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. — Eph 1:22-23 BSB

In God's mind, and as chosen in Christ, the Church is a perfect body. It is, therefore, the fullness of Christ. Just as the head and the body together form one complete, harmonious whole, so it is with Christ and His Church. Without the body, the head is incomplete; and without the head, the body is incomplete. Together they make one complete being.

When the Son of God became incarnate, He needed a body to be the head of. Without it, He would be like a bridegroom without a bride, a shepherd without sheep, a foundation without a building, a vine without branches. He did not need the Church as the Son of God, but as the Son of Man, He did. In her, His love is fulfilled, His work is complete, His grace is fully displayed, and His glory is made manifest. And when the Church is brought to glory to be forever with Him, then all God's purposes, His eternal counsels of wisdom and grace, will be complete. This is why the Church is called “the fullness of him who fills all in all.” It is a profound thought that the One who fills all things with His presence should yet find a relative fullness in His body, the Church!