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EPHESIANS - Be Filled With The Spirit
Meditations, Reflections, Prayer and Questions over the Epistel to the Ephesians
Part 1 - The Prayers of the Apostle at the Beginning of his Letter for the Churches in and around Ephesus (Ephesians 1:3-23)
B - Thanksgiving and Intercession of the Apostle Paul for the Saints in Ephesus (Ephesians 1:15-23)

The might of God manifested itself in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and in His enthronement (Ephesians 1:19-22a)


Ephesians 1:20
1:20 “when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet” (Eph. 1:20-22a).

Paul had gained the courage to testify, through an inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that the power of God, which had come to a complete unfolding in the Lord Jesus Christ, was also mightily at work in him and in His churches. This declaration resembles the testimony of “child-faith”, which fully puts its trust in the promise of its Lord, even when the promise goes far beyond human ability to understand. In another manner, the effective working of the power of God in Jesus, His Son, should spur us on and encourage us to believe that the Father not only realizes His will and the strength of His might in Christ, but in us as well – here and now! We need to quickly repent when we have tolerated and accepted as inevitable the desolate condition of many churches. We should pray again that His kingdom come and His will be done with us on earth, just as it is done in heaven.

In Western Europe and the USA the celebration of the birth of Christ is more highly valued than is the holy day recollecting His resurrection from the dead. Yet Orthodox Christians in the Middle East, as did Jewish Christians of the early church, above all celebrate the victory of the power of God over death and the life-power of Christ, which is greater than all depressing futility. Joy over the resurrection of Jesus can revive faith in us, knowing that in His resurrection we, too, have been resurrected with Him. Whoever believes in Him lives in His life, just as Jesus and His apostles often testify (John 3:16; 5:24-29; 10:27-28; 11:25-26; 1 John 5:4, 5, 11, 12). Therefore ask yourself: Are you already living in Christ, or are you still dead in your sin?

The promise of God in Psalm 110, in regards to the Messiah, has brought about more faith and songs of victory among His followers in the Orient than it has in the West: The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool…Rule in the midst of Your enemies!” (Ps. 110, 2b)

Here the LORD (Yahweh) speaks to the Lord (Adonai), which causes a storm of indignation with some Jews and with many Muslims – as if two independent Gods would be able to exist alongside one another! Yet there are Christians who rub there hands in joy over this passage, for it is no Christian Scripture, but a promise to David testifying to the Holy Trinity. The indissoluble unity of the Three arouses the rage and hatred of Satan and his companions. The love and humility of each of the Three also brings about the contempt and rage of world rulers, who think they alone are great, strong and irreplaceable.

The LORD did not invite the victorious Messiah to sit at His left side, on his wide and glorious throne. Rather, He invited Him, as His honoured guest, to sit at His right side, so that they together, from the site of absolute preeminence, could rule and reign over the universe. The Lord Jesus was fully entitled to accept this sign of honor and unlimited bestowment of power, since He, with His humble and painful death of atonement, had reconciled rebellious mankind with the Holy God. Only He was capable of doing this, for only He, the One born from the Holy Spirit of God, could live without sin. Only He was undeniably entitled to assume the power, authority and rule over all men.

The place of honor, at the right hand of God, His omnipotent Father, revealed the internal prerequisite for this unending jurisdiction to rule over all the worlds. His Father had no concern that sometime His Son might incite a palace revolution against Him, to become the sole Ruler, for the One who was ready to offer His life for the justification of godless subjects had such a servant attitude that a rebellion out of pride or the hunger for power was unthinkable for Him.

Paul so clearly expounded his faith in the dominion of Christ over the powers of presidents, kings, Caesars and princes that, according to his knowledge of all earthly rulers, not one remained that would not have to submit himself unto the King of kings and Lord of lords. The list of Paul also included spiritual powers of the unseen world, arch angels, and even Mary, the earthly mother of our Lord. The coming antichrist and his false prophet, who have yet to appear, have already been condemned, because they worship not the Lamb of God and refuse to submit themselves to Him. To this category of the enemies of God and His Lamb belong also Allah in Islam and Mohammed, his cunning spirit, not to speak of the countless spirits and gods of India.

For Paul his confession to the absolute power and rule of Christ was no speculation, for he himself had encountered the risen and crucified One, in all of His radiant glory, on the road to Damascus. Suddenly all other world views known to him from the time of his training as a youth became non-entities. The holy power and authority of Christ transcended every other form of greatness and fame in this world. Jesus is Lord! None other can shine beside Him (Phil. 2:5-11).

As a preview of the coming dominion of the Messiah, the Old Testament promise went still further, prophesying the Almighty God would place all of the enemies of the humble Christ under His footstool. This would happen even without the Messiah getting involved in battle with these hate-filled rebels.

Added to this, if one considers the vision of Christ that John received on the Island of Patmos, the end-time judgment becomes even more visible. In the revelation that John had, the glorious Christ had feet like gold-ore, refined in a furnace. The German theologian, Johann Albrecht Bengel, is reported to have said: “Wherever these feet tread there remains nothing but ashes!” Our Lord will squash all ungodly and anti-Christian powers!

Whoever imagines Paul, in the process of dictating his letters to his amanuensis, Tychicus, under the watchful eyes and ears of Roman soldiers, will find almost no words to describe this nearly grotesque situation. The apostle, imprisoned under house arrest, confessed to the undisputed government and dominion of His Lord and Savior, who under Roman rule had been unjustly crucified. Now the messenger of this Almighty Lord was sitting for years, without help and no chance of ransom, in depressing imprisonment!

Perhaps Paul, like John the Baptist had done, sometimes asked himself: “Is this Jesus really the Messiah, the Lord of all lords, or do we wait for another? (Matt. 11:3). Yet in the letters of Paul, we find not a tinge of doubt regarding the dominion of Christ. Even while he was being beheaded, he probably gave testimony to what he had previously written to the church in Rome: “For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord´s. For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living” (Rom. 14:7-9).

The kingdom of Christ is not of this world! Here battle is not waged with money or weapons, but with the Spirit of truth. Whoever is of the truth will hear and understand the voice of his Lord, who preferred to be crucified rather than to deny His dominion (Matt. 26:64; John 18:36-37).

Prayer: Father in heaven, we worship You because of the rule of Your Messiah. You have given Him all authority in heaven and on earth. We thank you for His humility and for the faith of Paul in prison, and ask for such a firm faith for our hearts, as well. We ask for Your power and courage for all those who are being persecuted for Jesus´ sake, that they might, under the leading of Your Holy Spirit, be enabled to wisely testify to the truth. Amen.

Questions:

  1. When was the power of God especially visible in Jesus? What does this fact teach us?
  2. To what extent is Christ the Lord of all lords, even when His messengers are being tortured and killed?
  3. What does the promise of Psalm 110:1 signify?

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