The Text (Ephesians 1:15–23)
For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 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, 18 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, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 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. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
An Insight
In this week’s passage, Paul prays that his readers will receive from God the Spirit of wisdom and knowledge, which is connected to enlightened hearts, eternal hope, and immeasurably great power. This language is all quite lofty, but I think we can sum it up as a prayer for equipping and empowering. Many moving ideas, words, or symbols can empower people, but Paul does not have in mind here some kind of generic empowerment. This power is connected to the power that raised Christ from the dead and enthroned him at God’s right hand, making him unquestioningly superior to everything else in the universe and also the head of the church. This is power beyond what we can imagine. As Paul puts it, it is a power of “immeasurable greatness.”
A Timeless Principle
Jesus’ resurrection is a display of God’s power, and Jesus’ ascension to God’s right hand fully empowers Jesus to be the king and head of God’s people. We can sometimes think of Jesus’ ascension like an afterthought or epilogue after his sacrificial death and glorious resurrection, but in Scripture his ascension is what makes it possible for us to receive the kind of immeasurably great power Paul prays for in our passage. The NT makes it clear that the very Spirit of wisdom Paul prays for here was given by Jesus himself upon his ascension to God’s right hand.[1] Jesus’ enthronement as king, with the whole universe at his feet, gives us access to power. It is not the domineering kind of power that coerces and controls, but a power rooted in wisdom, transformed hearts, and hope. This is the power found in the Spirit Paul prays for in this passage.
Living the Text
Life is draining. We all know it and we have all felt it. Sometimes we can be so drained that we can forget that God offers us power, wisdom, and peace in the Spirit whom his enthroned Son has sent to us. I’d like to encourage us to repeatedly bring to our minds today one simple phrase: “Jesus is on the throne.” This is not merely a symbolic truth or nice sentiment. Scripture tells us that Jesus truly ascended to the Father’s presence and was enthroned there. God’s power is available to us because of this wonderful truth. The world can be so chaotic, dark, and challenging that this truth gets obscured, and we can lose sight of the power God has given us. Let’s call ourselves back to this truth today. A Spirit of wisdom, knowledge, and hope is ours . . . because Jesus is on the throne!
Prayer
Heavenly Father,
You have sent your Son to live among us, die for us, and rise again. He now sits enthroned at your right hand, and from there he has graciously given us your Spirit. We pray you will lead us on to grow in the Spirit’s wisdom. Enlighten our hearts, renew and empower our spirits, and grant our souls to rest in the truth that your Son is on the throne.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
[1] Luke 24:49; Acts 2:32–33, 38
Excellent thoughts! Let this be our resounding victory cry! Jesus is on the throne!