In Acts 3 Jesus is called by a technical word – archegos. “An archegos is one who leads the way so that others may follow. It can also be translated “trailblazer,” “scout,” or “pioneer,” and so it indicates one who leads into battle, blazes a trail, sets a pattern, one who initiates and guides”, writes John Ritenbaugh. Sometimes we read that Jesus is the author and perfector of our faith. Sometimes the word as translated as “prince”. In Acts 3 we see the word translated as “author”. However we want to look at it we have an image of a head. Luther like the idea that Jesus is the head of the body which is the church. It seems beyond the need for explanation that where the head goes the body normally follows unless there is some terrible accident or cataclysm. Luther talked about being born into everlasting life with an image of Jesus going ahead of us and we like the body of a baby following.
Christ came to seek and to save the lost and by his mercy to us allow us to be merciful. The church and the individual believer follow where the Head leads. The pioneer has led the way for mercy and mission and his body must follow.
