This evening’s Epistle Reading from Ephesians centers on a prayer based on what Paul has heard concerning the church established in Ephesus, a city on the western coast of modern-day Turkey. Paul spent three years with God’s people in the congregation. Now, as he sits in jail in the city of Rome, he’s very pleased to hear of their continued faith in Christ and the outpouring of the love in their hearts, worked by the Holy Spirit within them. Despite opposition from the devil, the world, and their own sinful natures, they haven’t given up the good fight. So, he is inspired to write of his prayer of thanksgiving and blessing for them as God’s children.

Paul prays that they receive the Spirit of wisdom and the Spirit of revelation in the knowledge of God, the Father of Christ Jesus. Paul’s opening request is naturally Trinitarian. The Father gives the Spirit of wisdom and the Spirit of revelation. This gift is not two separate spirits but THE Holy Spirit, who receives such titles throughout Scripture. Wisdom and revelation is focused in Jesus and the salvation He accomplishes for all who believe.

In Scripture, Christ is called “wisdom from God.” A little later Scripture says, “We impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit.” Scripture says God’s mystery (that which is unknown but will be revealed) is Christ “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Those who receive Christ and what He has done through the Spirit, also receive wisdom and revelation by which they possess a knowledge of the heavenly Father. Jesus declares of His apostles, “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives Him who sent me.” To receive the wisdom and revelation of Christ through the Spirit of wisdom and revelation is to receive the wisdom and revelation of the heavenly Father. For the Spirit testifies to the truth. Christ is the way and the truth. His Word is truth. Jesus calls the heavenly Father “true” and “the only true God.” Everything flows together. Paul prays that the Ephesian congregation (and all God’s children for all time really) receives the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that they (we) might know God the Father, who is the Father of our Savior and Redeemer, Christ Jesus.

Paul prays the Lord to grant this gift for the reason that, because of sin, we are conceived into this world ignorant of God, spiritually blind, and stumbling around in darkness. Scripture says of you and me and all people, “You were darkness… children of wrath… hostile to God… enemies.” All people enter this world not knowing wisdom, revelation, or even God. The Lord of light must shine His light so that wisdom and revelation and knowledge of God may be seen for all that it is—the Truth of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit as revealed in His Word of Truth.

Therefore, to obtain such wisdom and knowledge, Paul furthermore prays that the eyes of their heart are enlightened so that they may know certain things of God the Father. To us today, the heart refers to the center of our emotions. Not so in the ancient world. To Paul and his hearers, the heart means the center of a person’s inner life—a person’s desires, thoughts, will, and intentions. Scripture teaches that the human heart is darkened. Scripture teaches that the human heart is a heart of stone. Scripture teaches that the human heart is desperately sick.

Paul prays that the eyes of the hearts of the Ephesians (and ours) are healed of sickness, that the heart of stone is replaced with a heart of flesh, and that the darkened heart is enlightened to know God through the light of Christ. Paul desires that their hearts be enlightened so that a Christian’s trust in Christ always dwells on three things.

He wants the believer to know the hope of the heavenly Father’s calling. Paul believes in Jesus, because the Lord called him to believe in Jesus. The Ephesian Christians believe in Jesus, because the Lord called them to believe in Jesus. You believe in Jesus, because the Lord has called you through the Word of Truth to believe in Jesus—and so you know your heavenly Father. Despite the world’s circumstances and whatever happens in your own lives personally, the heavenly Father has called you to a hope (to a certain expectation) of forgiveness, life, and salvation that is given in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

Paul wants the believer to know the riches of the heavenly Father’s glorious inheritance. Because you belong to Christ, because you have been claimed by Christ, you are a child of God and an heir of all things. Every good and perfect gift comes from God above, flowing from the forgiveness of your sins that is in Christ Jesus. Apart from Jesus’ eternal redemption, nothing else matters. Because of Jesus’ redemption, everything matters and you have a glorious inheritance with Paul and the believers in Ephesus. 

Lastly but not exhaustively, Paul wants the believer to know the surpassing greatness of the heavenly Father’s power for those who believe. In this life, it often looks like we are in the midst of a losing battle. There’s a lot of evil, unbelief, and worldliness. People get caught up in these, and some shipwreck their own faith because of these kinds of things. Sometimes it looks like darkness is winning. Sometimes it appears that Jesus is defeated. But in knowing Jesus and the heavenly Father by the power of the Holy Spirit, speaking through the Word of God, the surpassing greatness of God’s power is revealed to you in accordance with the wisdom of God.

What kind of power in God’s wisdom are we talking about? Brute strength? Lofty words? Irrefutable logic? Scripture says that the Gospel (the Good News of Jesus’ death and resurrection) is the very power of God for salvation to all who believe. It’s the Gospel by which we know the hope of the heavenly Father’s calling. It’s the Gospel by which we know the riches of the Father’s inheritance. It’s the Gospel by which we know the greatness of God’s power.

All of these blessings of wisdom and knowledge come through the crucified, resurrected, and ascended Christ. The Lord, who was crucified for our sins, has been raised from the dead and is now “sitting” at God’s right hand. He has ascended to His throne and has been coronated King of kings and Lord of lords.

This means that as far as the world is concerned, the crucified, resurrected, and ascended Lord of all is far above all rule, authority, power, and dominion. There’s absolutely no authority power whatsoever who can successfully oppose Christ. This is important, because looking at things with our eyes it can sometimes look like Jesus is defeated. I mean for example, when a faithful Christian is killed for their faith in Christ, it looks like Jesus has lost. But the Lord has not lost. That believer is not lost, but he or she is in paradise with Jesus.

In fact, the Lord is in charge of absolutely everything that happens. It must be so, or there is an authority greater than the Lord. Nothing happens without Him allowing it. Now, that can be hard, because that means He does allow bad things to happen, but He’s also orchestrating all things to a final blessed eternity for those who believe. He’s working all things for the blessing of you who have been called to hope in Him, who have been promised a glorious inheritance, and who have experienced the power of His salvation working in your life through the Gospel.

Paul emphasizes that Jesus is head over all things—for the Church (and that includes you!)! When things look bad (even really bad) we simply remember and cling to the promise that our Lord who laid down His own precious life for us, rose again, and has ascended in majesty—He is working all things for the good of those who love Him. He is blessing His Church in ways that we often times can’t even see, but we know He has promised it in His goodness.

Christ fills all things. He is complete in Himself. Yet, as He is the head and the Church is His body, as He is the groom and the Church is His bride, the Church is the fullness of Christ. Just as a husband and wife are each one person, but are fulfilled in a one flesh union, so Christ is one person, and yet is fulfilled in His one flesh union with the Church, and He won’t end His mission until the Church is finally saved in eternity. The Lord seeks out His lost sheep and brings them home.

Simply living as God’s children live, the Ephesian Christians and you believers in Christ Jesus will receive these gifts and blessings in Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, by means of the Word of God. These are not simply things that God might give to you if He feels like it. These are gifts and blessings that the Lord absolutely desires to give you through His Word of promise by the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. The Lord loves you and desires your salvation. To accomplish salvation, Christ has ascended on high to rule the Church by Word and Sacrament to deliver to each of you personally His forgiveness and life.

CHRIST HAS RISEN AND ASCENDED FOR THE CHURCH—TO GIVE US THE BLESSINGS OF HIS FATHER