A Walk through Ephesians - Pt 15

 

But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) (Ephesians 4:7–10 ESV).

 

Our reading today is one of the most difficult passages to definitively interpret. We do know that it serves as a vital theological transition in the Apostle Paul's letter, moving from the overarching corporate unity of the Church to the individual diversity of spiritual gifts. However, theologians have debated the “descension” and “ascension” of Jesus. So, we will look briefly at these verses from a reformed perspective and draw a brief conclusion to encourage us as we look at the gifts God bestowed on His church.

 

Because of the brevity of this format, we will look at Christ’s ascension today. It benefits us in many ways. First, it marks His formal assumption of His kingly office. Because the Son humbled Himself, took on our flesh, and fulfilled His mission, the Father highly exalted Him (cf. Philippians 2:5–11). Having eternally enjoyed an authority equal to the Father’s with respect to His deity, Christ ascended to heaven to execute authority over all in His humanity as well. The God-man now reigns over all, putting all His and our enemies under His feet (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:25). This is no small thing, but there is more.

 

Christ’s ascension also furthers the good of His people. The Apostle tells us that Jesus ascended above all the heavens “that he might fill all things” (vv. 9–10). John Calvin comments on this filling, explaining that “while [Jesus] is removed from us in bodily presence, he fills all things by the power of his Spirit.” According to His human nature, Christ is in heaven, for that is where His human body and soul are present. But through the Holy Spirit, Christ is present with His people here on earth.

 

Calvin continues: “Did [Christ] not fill them before? In his divine nature, I own, he did; but the power of his Spirit was not so exerted, nor his presence so manifested, as after he had entered into the possession of his kingdom.” So, it is better for us that Jesus is not presently among us in the flesh. Jesus Himself said, “It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you” (John 16:7). For the Holy Spirit (the Helper) to fully exercise His ministry among God’s people, Jesus had to ascend to heaven. His ascension and His sending the Spirit mean we are in the last days before the renewal of creation (cf. Joel 2:28–32; Acts 2). Moreover, by His Spirit, we can now fellowship with the whole Christ, in His deity and in His humanity, for by the Spirit Christ bridges the distance between us and His physical body in heaven. Christ is omnipresent according to His divine nature, so He has always been at hand everywhere. But until Jesus ascended to heaven and sent His Spirit, only the people who came into direct contact with Him as He ministered in Galilee and in Judea encountered Him in His humanity. Since His ascension, we can fellowship with Christ in His humanity no matter where we live.

 

This is the great gift and strength we may possess for every circumstance and difficulty of life. Because He has ascended, victorious and Lord over all things, now we have One who is always with us to give us that same power and victory. Nothing we face can ever do more than hurl empty threats toward us. And, as we will see later, we have also been equipped with the necessary armor to ward off all of those attacks! What a GREAT God we have! Grace is not an empty word!