STEPPING INTO GOD'S FUTURE

 NOVEMBER 25, 2022

Ephesians 1:20-21

He raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand... far above all rule and authority, power and dominion.” 


The words “king”, “kingdoms” and “throne” are ones we associate with storybooks from childhood, or perhaps epic fictional dramas made into long movies or TV series. The Advent invitation to wait for Jesus as “the coming King” can therefore feel as if it has little to do with reality.

Let’s instead try some other words from today’s verses: Rule. Authority. Power. Dominion. These are words that can be found in today’s newspaper, on the political blog you read, in the tweets of heads of countries. We are aware of the authorities around us: the leaders we’ve elected, as well as, the influence of big-business, tech companies and celebrity culture.

In light of these what does it mean to wait for Jesus, our coming King?

The believers in Ephesus knew about powers and authorities. Theirs was a city where Roman emperors were establishing and enforcing their rule, but it was also a Centre of religious power. The  deities they exalted were plentiful, and the power of magic was sought out and worshipped. To the Christians in this place, Paul writes that the battle is not against flesh and blood, but “against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph 6:12).

Paul prays for this young church that their eyes would be opened to the “incomparably great power” (v 19) that they possess, through Christ. Do you think of yourself as having incomparably great power? If you don’t, you might want to look at what else Paul prays for them in verse 18: that they would become aware of their “hope and inheritance”.

Hope and inheritance have to do with waiting. Yes, Jesus is the resurrected King, with every other power and authority below him. And yes, we share in this power. And yet, our hope is in a future when this is completely fulfilled, when we finally receive our full inheritance.

Paul’s prayer is for the church to begin living out of the reality of these promises now. This is a reality “in the present age but also in the one to come” (v 21).

The invitation is to step today into God’s future for us, to “practice resurrection” in the here and now.



TAKE AWAY

Think abut the situations around you or in your community where you feel powerless to bring change. What would it look like for you to “practice resurrection” today?

With eyes opened to your hope, your inheritance in Christ and your shared power with him, pray for change in the situations around you.

LET US PRAY

Pray verses 18-23 below, as your personal prayer today.

18 I pray that the eyes of my heart may be enlightened in order that I may know the hope to which he has called me, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.