That's Your Lord!

Do you know anyone famous? Maybe relatives or ancestors who did something incredible? Once I worked part time at a luxury condo in Minneapolis as a security guard letting residents in and out of the complex. One late night a man entered whom I didn’t recognize. As he began walking past me at the door, I spoke up “Excuse me, sir…” and was about to ask who he was. He turned to me and a big smile on his face he says, “I’m Dave Winfield” and shook my hand. I felt like I turned 10 shades of red with embarrassment at not recognizing the all-star major league baseball player. Sure enough, he owned one of the condos but was so rarely there, I hadn’t met him.

Do you know the most famous man of all time? Jesus? Or have you only heard of him and his reputation? Paul in our text this morning is pryaing for the believers in Ephesus (1:17) “that you may know him better. This morning as we look at this passage, we discover some key areas which reveal Jesus as Lord. Why? God wants US to know who this Jesus really is. Don’t get caught red-faced at the end of your life when you face the judgment day. He wants us to worship Him for his glory. He wants us to submit to his headship as Lord. He wants his will to be done through us. So who is this Jesus? Who is this Lord? How well do you really know him?

First, He is the one RAISED. “when he raised him from the dead”

There are those who are cryogenically frozen immediately after death or at the point of death. They are hopeful that someday a cure for what they die from will be discovered and they will be resurrected and new life will come.

Others say they will live forever in the memories of those who live on. But memories are not a replacement for the living soul.

We look in the Bible and find Jesus raised Lazarus, a little girl, and others from the dead. The apostles and even the prophet Elisha did the same. But every one of these died again. They got old or got sick and passed away and their resurrected bodies are in the grave.

But when Jesus rose, he rose in glory with a body that is eternal. He said in John 11:25-26 "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" Jesus himself is the resurrection and life and if you trust in him, you too will have a resurrection day!

Jesus is secondly introduced as the one SEATED at the right hand. “Seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,”

Thursday was ascension day of the Lord – 40 days after his resurrection he ascended into heaven from the Mount of Olives and disappeared into the clouds. He could have simply disappeared right in front of them but instead he chose to make a dramatic exit in order to communicate that he would no longer be among them and among us in visible form.

And at his ascension, the Gospel of Mark (16:19) make makes this statement: “So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.” Hebrews 1:3-4 says “After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.”

What is that seat at the right hand? Is there an actual chair? A real throne? Is Jesus limited to that place? It’s not merely a place that limits his movement. Jesus is omnipresent just like the Father and the Holy Spirit. He is present for example in Holy Communion. It’s also not just a seat of honor or a seat of rest.

Sitting at the right hand is a figure of speech. Since man commonly uses his right hand for most of the things he does, so the place where God does his work is called his right hand like the phrase, “you’re my right hand man.”

Jesus therefore has the full power of the Father at his disposal. Psalm 89:13 “Your arm is endued with power; your hand is strong, your right hand exalted.” If you are the right hand man of a king, you have been given all his power and authority to make decisions in his name.

Therefore, if you want any help from God, it can only come from Jesus – he ALONE is given the position of the right hand. You can only come to the Father through Him. Not any other name!