God’s Power on Display in His Exaltation of Jesus for Us”
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TEXT: Ephesians 1: 20-23
State title and text: We’re continuing in Ephesians 1, where James left off last week. We’re in a section of Scripture where Paul is praying for believers in Ephesus, who in chapter 1 verse 3, had been blessed by God in such a way that Paul could not help but praise for His saving work in them. And he includes himself in that number.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,
The election of God the father in His choosing us and predestinating us for adoption as His sons. The redemption of the Son which encompasses His dying upon the Cross and shedding His blood for us, that we might be forgiven by God for having sinned against Him, in so many different ways. And we believe on Him. We put our faith in Him. We call it our faith. But it’s not really ours, it comes to us from God through His Word, by His Spirit and being irresistibly drawn to Christ we believe in Him as this gospel of our salvation is made effectual in us. And when that happens, we are sealed with the HS, and our salvation is secured until the very end, so that not one person the father has chosen, the son has redeemed or the Spirit has sealed is every lost. Praise be to God.
Brings us to verse… I’d like to read verses 15-23
For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
As I mentioned earlier, in the section of scripture that we have before us, which James preached from and taught from last week, Paul prays for the believers in Ephesus that God would reveal His truth to their hearts which they could never understand by themselves
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,
Again as its pointed out, its almost as though Paul is at a loss for words to describe the immeasurable greatness of God’s power… a power that he says… is towards us who believe, that is who have believed on Jesus. God wants every true believer in Jesus, to have our hearts enlightened, that we might know “the greatness of God’s power towards us”, towards us in the sense that it is working on our behalf in our salvation from beginning to end… And more than that, it is working on our behalf in our sanctification, and how we live out the Christian life.
If were’ honest with ourselves, there are times when we get discouraged, angry, depressed, have wrong thoughts, give in to a temptation, struggle with insecurities, and having the approval of others, we get overwhelmed and may even feel like giving up…we’re not alone in this, we’re really no different than these believers Paul is writing to in this letter, they struggled in the same ways that we do…and the way he helps them, is to 1) pray for them and then he shows them (verses 20-23) that the power of God towards them and at work in them, is the same power that was a work in the exaltation of Jesus Christ which followed his death upon the cross.
God would have us to see his power displayed in Christ; a power so great that it raised Him from the dead; A power so great that it caused Him to ascend from the earth to the highest heaven where is now seated at the right hand of God; a power so great that all things, not most things but all things without any exception have been put under his feet and brought into subjection to Him; a power so great that God gave Him as head over all things to the church, or for the church.
These are the ways in which we see God’s power on display in the exaltation of Jesus. To follow James’ lead, I’ll give them to you in the form of 4 truths.
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[SLIDE ] TRUTH # 1 God raised Jesus from the dead, never to die again.
that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,
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In John 2:19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, (referring to the temple of His body) and in three days I will raise it up.” Our text says that God raised Jesus from the dead.
Which is it? Did God the Father Raise Jesus from the dead. Or did Jesus raise himself from the dead? They’re both true. We could add to this, Romans 8:11 where is says that the Spirit of God raised Jesus from the dead.
All three members of the trinity were involved in the resurrection of Jesus, which was the first resurrection of its kind. Now, there were others who were raised before Him.
Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, but then he died again…poor fellow had to die twice. But Jesus died only once and was then raised by the power of God… His body, which had become cold and lifeless…his heart was still…he lungs did not fill with air…there was no brain activity at all. He was dead. There was no power on earth that could have raised Jesus from the dead. But the power of God at work in Him did what no power on earth could do… it raised Him from the dead, fulfilling a prophecy made in Psalm 16: 10 where is said his body would never see corruption or decay.
Peter quotes from Psalm 16 Acts 2 verses 22-36… and he did it by the power of His great might.
Acts 2:22–32(ESV)
“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. For David says concerning him, “ ‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’ “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, (by His power and for His Glory) and of that we all are witnesses.
But there is something more, something higher that planned for Jesus than a resurrection.
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TRUTH # 2 – God seated Jesus at His right hand where He reigns forever.
that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,
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The resurrection of Jesus from the dead proclaims, “That He lives, and He lives forever.” His exaltation to the right hand of God, proclaims that He reigns and He reigns forever…at the right hand of God.
Now this very thing was predicted in Psalm 110 verses 1-2 where the Lord speaking through David by the Spirit said…
The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” The Lord sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies!
This prophecy was given a thousand years before Jesus was born, predicting that the Lord God Almighty would one day say to His Son “Sit at my right hand”. “Rule over your enemies”.
That day has come. For Jesus has ascended to the highest heavens. He is right now seated at God’s right hand as a co-equal with Him, and with all the power and authority that belong to Him.
And so, we have the ascension of Jesus to the highest heaven, a place beyond anything that God has created. He has been exalted to the heavenly realms where he is right now, this very moment, seated at the right hand of God where he rules forever.
that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,
Notice that it says that God seated him, or caused him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places. Now, this seating of Jesus at God's right hand, theologians refer to this as the session of Christ, or the seating of Christ at the right hand of God.
Our Lord and Savior was as low as you can get. He was despised, rejected, hated and killed as a criminal, dead in the tomb.
But God raised Him and highly exalted him to his right hand,
far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
far above…exceedingly above…all rule, and authority, and power and dominion…he’s above them all, he’s in a class all by himself…he’s infinitely above any and every form of rule, authority, dominion and power, which would certainly include earthly rulers, as they exercise whatever authority they have, or think they have upon the earth.
Jesus stood before Pilate… John 19:10
Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” 11 Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above.
And that is still true today…there is no power that exists or ever will exist upon the earth that is higher or stronger than that of Jesus, but that is true not only of all earthly powers, the wording of the text here and similar wording in other places, would tell us that the words rule, authority, power and dominion refers to the spiritual world around us, especially that which is ruled by our adversary the devil and all the host of hell, the demonic forces that are with him.
Similar terminology in…
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
This spiritual warfare that we are to wage in Ephesians 6… would not be possible were it not for the fact that Christ is above them, far above. He rules and reigns over them, by virtue of His power and great might.
They are no match for Jesus .
They are stronger, much stronger than we are; but they are no match for him.
Michael the archangel and the devil were contending, wrestling over the body of Moses. And what did that mighty Archangel say to him…he said, “The Lord rebuke thee”.rather than presuming on his own strength.
far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Ponder for a moment that the one who is seated in this most ultimate high place, at the right hand of God Almighty, is Jesus our Savior, and more than that…because of our union with Him we are seated with him where he is.
TEXT Ephesians 2: 5-6
even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.
Conquers, Christian, the one who endures suffering and perseveres to the end. Are you ready for that?
TRUTH #3 - God has put all things in subjection to Jesus.
And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church,
The ancient practice of a conquering ruler, putting his foot on the head of the one he had conquered,,
And when they brought those kings out to Joshua, Joshua summoned all the men of Israel and said to the chiefs of the men of war who had gone with him, “Come near; put your feet on the necks of these kings.” Then they came near and put their feet on their necks.
After the city of Baghdad had fallen and Saddam Hussein had been dethroned, a large statue of him was toppled over and dragged through the city as Iraqis put their feet upon his neck, symbolizes his subjugation.
Our text says that God has put all things under the feet of Jesus, not just his enemies but all things.... after this resurrection and ascension into heaven…a sense in which Jesus as the 2nd person of the Trinity always had everything under his feet. But there is another sense as the God-Man after making purification for our sins, sitting down at the right hand of God, when as the God Man, in his experience on the other side as the God-Man all things were put under his feet.
Note the adjective all (pas) which means all without exception. The Father has given Christ universal dominion, not just over men and angels but all creation! Everything in the universe is subject to Christ. Though it does not always appear that way.
For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. It has been testified somewhere, “What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, putting everything in subjection under his feet.” Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him.
That was true in their day and its true today. We do not see, at least outwardly, everything in subjection to Jesus. The devil is still on the loose; sinful men still rebel against him, and deny him. And yet, even in their rebellion, not realizing it or even wanting it to happen, they are subject in the sense that they are accomplishing his will.. He is working all things after the counsel of his will…and for those of us who are saved and love him… he is working all things together for our good...by the immeasurable greatness of his power and love for us.
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TRUTH #4 - God gave Jesus as head over all things to the church.
And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
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Previously said all things have been put under his feet, now it says that God gave him as head, God has given him as head, implying authority over all things. I ruling over all history, all human beings, all demonic powers, disease, disability, all nature—weather, hurricanes, lightning bolts, tornadoes, volcanoes, earthquakes, floods, global warming—all businesses and industry, healthcare, sports, inventions, media, Internet, iPad mania, military might, governments, presidents, kings, chiefs, religions, universities, solar systems, stars, galaxies, molecules, atoms, subatomic particles, and ten thousand things no man has ever yet discovered. Jesus is now head over them all.
Text says...to the church… some translations have for the church…or for the benefit of the church, which is his body, whose body we are, individually and collectively. We are in Him and He is in us. As the body of Christ.
Doesn’t say bodies.
Jesus is the head of church… we are his body. He gives life, he give vitality and strength to the body… Paul seems to be saying that all that we have as the body of Christ, comes from Jesus.
His fullness is in the Church. Colossians the fulness of the God dwells in HIm
For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.
His fullness is in the Church. When we get Jesus we get all of him, we get his fulness. not a part of him, all of him in all of his power and in all of his glory, in all that He is… you get the most powerful being you could every imagine…and you are in that being and he is in you. In your tirals in your problems in your struggle in your battle with the evil one. I
I have Jesus and I have him in all of his fulness… there is nothing that can separate us from him.
Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Paul is saying…don’t you realize the source of your power…
His fulness is in the church…it is also possible, that Paul is actually saying something else that
The church is His fulness…be careful the son of God has no need of us in one , he is not lacking in any way and yet… even as a head cannot live without a body certainly a body cannot live without a head…Jesus has such a live, takes such delight in his Church, he is so vitally connected to the church as his body, that where one goes the other goes, sense .