2020-12
2020-12
Sunday Dec 20, 2020
"The Grace of Christmas" (John 1:14-18)
Sunday Dec 20, 2020
Sunday Dec 20, 2020
"The Grace of Christmas" (John 1:14-18)Pastor Cameron JungelsEastside Baptist ChurchSunday AM, December 20, 2020
John 1:1-18, NIV
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
1. God was gracious to us when he humbled himself and came to earth as a man to live among us.
John 1:14 NIV14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
2. God was gracious to us when he revealed his glory to us through the Incarnation of the Son.
John 1:14 NIV14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:18 NIV18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
3. God was gracious to us when he gave us the truth of the gospel of Christ and the gift of salvation through him.
John 1:14 NIV14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:16–17 NIV16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Main Idea: The greatest expression of the Grace of God is the Incarnation of the Son of God for our Salvation.
Wednesday Dec 16, 2020
“Saints” (Ch. 32); “Shining Faces” (Ch. 33)
Wednesday Dec 16, 2020
Wednesday Dec 16, 2020
Created to Draw Near: Our Life as God’s Royal Priest
by Edward Welch
“Saints” (Chapter 32)
Priests in the NT
The NT only calls believers “priests” in a few instances:
“A holy priesthood” (1 Pet. 2:5)
“A royal priesthood” (1 Pet. 2:9)
“Priests to our God” (Rev. 1:6; 5:10; 20:6)
Romans 15:16 NIV16to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
The label “priest” had fallen in disrepute in the early NT era. It was associated with pride and power more than with holiness and service.
The NT more often refers to Christians by another priestly name: “Saints.”
Saints
“Saint” means “holy one.”
Our priestly identity resides in the word “holy.”
Exodus 28:36 NIV36“Make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal: holy to the Lord.
Priests were always set apart as holy to the Lord.
Christians are “saints,” “holy ones.” The term is used over 60 times in the NT and is always used for all of God’s people, not just a special class of Christians.
Holy Mission
The mission of the Holy God to bring people close to himself and to enter his holiness.
“You belong to God, and everything that belongs to him carries the imprint of his holiness.” - Edward Welch
The mission of God that we grow into that holiness and become holy.
“Scripture sometimes emphasizes that God is the one who makes us holy. Other times it assumes that because he has set us apart, we become increasingly more like him.” - Edward Welch
Deuteronomy 7:6 NIV6For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.
Psalm 15:1–2 NIV1Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? 2The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart;
“Saints” and So Much More
Members of God’s household (Eph. 2:19)
Chosen (1 Pet. 2:4)
Precious (1 Pet. 2:4)
His own possession (1 Pet. 2:9)
Rich (Dan. 7:18)
Servant of God (Titus 1:1; Rev. 1:6)
Friend of God (John 15:15)
“Shining Faces” (Chapter 33)
Moses and the Glory of God
Exodus 34:29 NIV29When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord.
Moses relayed the Word of the Lord while his face shined.
Moses veiled his face as the brightness of his face faded.
Moses was a priest robed in light, reflecting the glory of the Lord. He was transformed by his nearness to God.
Moses reflecting the glory of God illustrates how we are changed by his nearness:
Moses reflected light because God is light.
Lamps in the Holy Place (in the Tabernacle) symbolized God’s presence and always faced the bread, which symbolized the people.
The Lord has made his light to shine upon us (Ps. 118:27).
Jesus himself is the light that shines in darkness (Matt. 4:16).
Jesus revealed his true glory as he shined in brilliant light on the Mount of Transfiguration.
Jesus will be our sun when we are with him face-to-face (Rev. 22:5).
We pray, “Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord” (Ps. 4:6), and he does.
Our Shining Faces
The apostle Paul revealed to us that we too have shining faces due to our faith in Christ through the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Paul’s “point is that the reflected glory of Christ in his people is better than Moses. Jesus brought us into a new era in which the Spirit opens our eyes to the glory of Jesus. The Spirit also assures us that the glory reflected in us will never fade.” - Edward Welch
2 Corinthians 3:12–13 NIV12Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. 13We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away.
2 Corinthians 3:16 NIV16But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV18And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
“The Spirit brings you into the presence of God, and you shine as you reflect the light of Jesus. As with holiness, you have it, and you can grow in it. When you believe, you receive the Spirit, who shines the light of Christ in you. You can also grow 'from one degree of glory to another' as you continue to draw near to him.” - Edward Welch
Opportunities to Shine
Sharing Jesus with others with joy, after spending time in his light
Expressing gratitude instead of grumbling in difficulties
Philippians 2:14–15 NIV14Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky
“It turns out that there are shiny priests around us most every day who follow the course of faith and love in ways that make them appear spectacular and beautiful as they reflect the character of the Lord.” - Edward Welch
Sunday Dec 13, 2020
"Children of Christmas" (John 1:9-13)
Sunday Dec 13, 2020
Sunday Dec 13, 2020
"Children of Christmas" (John 1:9-13)
Pastor Cameron Jungels
Eastside Baptist Church
Sunday AM, December 13, 2020
John 1:1–13 NIV
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
1. We are not by nature children of God, and we are blind to the light.
John 1:9–11 NIV
9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.
2. We cannot by our own natural ability see the light to become children of God.
John 1:10–11 NIV
10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.
John 1:13 NIV
13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
3. It is only by the supernatural grace of God that we see the light and become children of God.
John 1:12–13 NIV
12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
1 John 3:1 NIV
1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
Main Idea: God graciously opens our blind eyes to see the light of Christ and believe, becoming children of God.
Wednesday Dec 09, 2020
“Priests in Plain Clothes” (Ch. 30); “Priests Descend & Ascend” (Ch. 31)
Wednesday Dec 09, 2020
Wednesday Dec 09, 2020
Created to Draw Near: Our Life as God’s Royal Priests
by Edward Welch
Part 3: Almost Truly Human
“Priests in Plain Clothes” (Chapter 30)
“Today’s priests wear ordinary clothes, work in ordinary jobs, and are hard to single out. They are subject to the same losses and hardships as the rest of the world.” - Edward Welch
Priests Are Needy.
Psalm 40:17 NIV17But as for me, I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; you are my God, do not delay.
NT believers were (and are) needy people.
Sick, sinful, outcasts of society, persecuted, and poor.
Our neediness and weakness draw us near to God.
Priests Believe.
We are consecrated to God by faith in Jesus.
Our eyes are opened to believe in a Messiah that was rejected by most of his people.
He came in weakness, not strength.
He came in humility, not wealth or nobility.
He came to serve, not to be served.
“Jesus might not be what we expected, but he is what we hoped for... His humility and gentleness attract children, misfits, the unwashed, and those with immoral pasts. ...abundant life follows in his path—sins are forgiven, sicknesses are healed. Death is pushed back.” - Edward Welch
Our eyes are opened to believe in a humble, poor, rejected Messiah when we see our own need and unworthiness and trust that only he can rescue us.
The Democratization of the Priesthood
The priesthood was entrusted to Israel, and only a select family within Israel.
Now, in Christ, the priesthood has been “democratized and redistributed to us all.”
Our daily lives as God’s priests might seem rather ordinary, but we are in union with Christ the Risen Lord and are indwelt by the eternal Holy Spirit. God has drawn near to us.
“Priests Descend & Ascend” (Chapter 31)
Jesus in Heaven, The Spirit in Us
How can we draw near to Jesus when he is in heaven, and we are on earth?
The answer is the indwelling Holy Spirit, whom Jesus gave to be with us and in us.
“Because of Jesus we have the Spirit, and because of the Spirit we have Jesus. To have one is to have the other.” - Edward Welch
Romans 5:5 NIV5And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
“The Spirit brings us into God in such a way that we participate in his plans. Everything we have is in Christ and through the Spirit who dwells in us.” - Edward Welch
Not a Stopgap Measure
Having the indwelling Spirit instead of the physical presence of Christ is not a stopgap measure or a downgrade.
Jesus’ whole ministry was accomplished in harmony with his anointing with the Holy Spirit.
“Jesus himself experienced unity with the Father by the Spirit. His miracles were by the Spirit. His resurrection was by the Spirit.” - Edward Welch
The Spirit’s presence will continue with us into heaven and eternity.
The Spirit is the one who brings us into the Father and the Son.
By the Spirit, Jesus binds himself to us, including in his death.
Galatians 2:20 NIV20I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
“In this death you have been freed from all claims that were rightly against you. The demands of justice in the heavenly court have been fully met, and sin, death, and Satan have lost their power.” - Edward Welch
New Life in the Spirit
Freedom from guilt and condemnation
Freedom from the power of sin and death
Victory over death through resurrection
1 Corinthians 15:55 NIV55“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”
Romans 6:5 NIV5For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.
Romans 6:4 NIV4We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
A new life of fellowship with Jesus by the Spirit
The Spirit has made us his dwelling while Jesus prepares a dwelling for us (John 14:2).
Descending with Jesus in the Spirit
Following Jesus’ lead, we descend in humility and service to others through the strength of the Spirit.
“This descent is hard, but when we know that it follows Jesus’s lead and is done with him, and that his Spirit is with us to give more life and power, then we can find comfort and even fuller life in it.” - Edward Welch
Weakness is the way to draw near to God.
Our weakness magnifies God’s strength.
Our weakness reveals our dependence.
Our weakness draws us near to God.
Like Christ, our weakness will one day give way to exaltation.
2 Corinthians 13:4 NIV4For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him in our dealing with you.
“Strength in weakness. Dependence on God in weakness. This...was life close to Jesus Christ.” - Edward Welch
Philippians 3:8 NIV8What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ
Philippians 3:10–11 NIV10I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
“The life of God’s priests on earth is full of reminders that we are expatriates who live at the bottom of the ladder but are citizens of heaven. So life is full of daily hardships and death’s leftovers, yet it is also marked by life and love—love from God, love for God, and love toward God’s people. And where there is love, expect joy.” - Edward Welch
Sunday Dec 06, 2020
"The Light of Christmas" (John 1:4-9)
Sunday Dec 06, 2020
Sunday Dec 06, 2020
"The Light of Christmas" (John 1:4-9)
Pastor Cameron Jungels
Eastside Baptist Church
Sunday AM, December 6, 2020
John 1:1–9 NIV
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.
Jesus, the Eternal Word, is Life.
The Eternal Word possesses independent life.
John 5:26 NIV
26For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.
The Eternal Word provides all creation with life.
John 1:3 NIV
3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
Colossians 1:16 NIV
16For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.
Hebrews 1:2 NIV
2but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.
The Eternal Word provides his people eternal life.
John 1:12 NIV
12Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—
John 5:24–26 NIV
24“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. 25Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.
Jesus, the Eternal Word, is Light.
John 1:4–5 NIV
4In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
The Eternal Word brought light into the darkness at Creation.
Genesis 1:3 NIV
3And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
The Eternal Word brought light into the darkness at his Incarnation.
John 1:5 NIV
5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
The Eternal Word brought the light that overpowered the darkness of sin and death.
John 1:5 NIV
5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
John 1:5 NKJV
5And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
John 12:35 NIV
35Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going.
John 12:36 NIV
36Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.
John 12:46 NIV
46I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.
John 1:6–9 NIV
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.
John 8:12 NIV
12When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Main Idea: Jesus Christ is the eternal, Divine Word who created all things and came into the world to give life and light to all who believe.
Wednesday Dec 02, 2020
Wednesday Dec 02, 2020
Created to Draw Near: Our Life as God’s Royal Priestsby Edward Welch
“Descending Further” (Ch. 27)
Jesus Descends
Philippians 2:6–7 NIV
6Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
Immanence
Compassion and Gentleness
“He passed by the smug and arrogant, and he stopped and spoke to the ones no one else saw.” - Edward Welch
Humble and Ordinary
Isaiah 53:2–3 NIV
2He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 3He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
“His glory was apparent to those whose daily life was full of shame. It was veiled from those who felt no need for rescue.” - Edward Welch
Luke 7:22 NIV
22 So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.
“With all these, Jesus not only came near, but he touched them. He touched lepers, the blind, the sick, and even the dead. He touched children who, though not necessarily unclean, were considered to be of little worth.” - Edward Welch
Identifying with the Lowly
A humble, sinful woman full of gratitude (Luke 7:36-50)
An outcast, sick woman full of faith (Luke 8:43-48)
“Jesus used the moment to reveal the deeper meaning of what happened. She had laid hands on God’s Lamb and transferred her uncleanness to him, and the Lamb had given his power and life to her while he went off into the wilderness bearing the weight of sin, shame, sickness, and everything connected to death.” - Edward Welch
Descending Further
Making Himself a Servant
John 13:4–5 NIV
4so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
John 13:8 NIV
8“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
“In turns out that a requirement for being close to him is that you let him serve you… Jesus was both host and servant. As host, he supplied for us the meal of his very body and blood. As servant, he washed the feet of weary travelers. He also washed the day’s debris of sin from those who believed.” - Edward Welch
Giving Himself to the Cross
Philippians 2:8 NIV
8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!
“The story of God is a story of descent. We might have missed that during the tabernacle and temple periods, but looking back, we see that the tabernacle was, indeed, God descending. He pursued his people for forty years in a harsh wilderness, never leaving their side. The movement from heaven to earth was always natural to him.” - Edward Welch
“The Lamb Slain” (Ch. 28)
Relating to a Holy God
God used priestly representatives who experienced cleansing and closeness on behalf of all the people.
God worked through representatives or substitutes who experienced God’s wrath against rebellion and contempt.
Blood was shorthand for life, and the lifeblood of animals was poured out so that God’s people might live.
The blood of animals was not the final word. An animal could not ultimately stand in for a human being.
The Day of Atonement was always in view, pointing to the goal of humanity of being close to God.
The Prophet Isaiah saw that a coming Messiah would be the suffering servant representative of God’s people.
Isaiah 53:10 NIV
10Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
A New Adam
“All creation had been waiting for a new Adam—a new priest—to introduce a new creation.” - Edward Welch
Imperfect Forerunners:
Noah
Abraham
Moses
David
“Jesus was the true human being, our suitable representative, and the true God who alone could give us life and bring us with him into heaven. For this to happen, he joined himself to us, took everything of ours that was associated with death, gave everything of his that was associated with life, and brought our death to its rightful end.” - Edward Welch
John 19:5 NIV
5When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!”
“All we can do is agree—believe—that Jesus is, indeed, the man and God, and his death becomes our peace.” - Edward Welch
“Jesus Ascends, the Spirit Descends” (Ch. 29)
Descending in order to Ascend
Descending to Humility
Descending to Humanity
Descending to Servanthood
Descending to Death on a Roman Cross
Descending to the Grave
Ascending from the Grave
Ascending to the Heavens
Ascending as Lord over all Powers and Authorities
Ascending to the Right Hand of Deity
Ascending to Glory
John 3:13 NIV
13No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.
Mark 9:31 NIV
31because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.”
“The resurrection declared to the world that Jesus—and Jesus alone—is the eternal Son of God, and Jesus alone has all rights to the heavenly realms and can bring people to God.” - Edward Welch
Romans 1:4 NIV
4and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.
First of Many to Ascend
“When he ascended, he was by no means alone. God always intended to have his people near, and in Christ they would be brought to him.” - Edward Welch
John 14:1–3 NIV
1“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
John 20:17 NIV
17Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
Acts 1:3 NIV
3After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.
“After forty days he ascended to prepare a home for his people, not to return until his final coming. He ascended to the throne that was over all the demonic usurpers. Satan and his accomplices always had death as evidence of their power… This was the beginning of creation being brought back to its proper head so that nothing could separate us from God, and, instead of heaven and earth having a mere point of contact, heaven would fill the entire earth in Jesus.” - Edward Welch
Ephesians 1:20–22 NIV
20he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21far 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,
Jesus Ascends so that the Spirit May Descend
“The final act of his ascension and coronation was the Spirit, received from the Father, poured out on us.” - Edward Welch
Acts 2:2–3 NIV
2Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.
“Kings typically receive gifts when they ascend to the throne; Jesus gave himself as the gift, and the Spirit binds us to Jesus.” - Edward Welch
“This Pentecost revealed that the heavenly ladder remained a busy one. After Jesus ascended, the Spirit descended. In his descent he gives power to his people, groans on our behalf before the throne, and brings us into Jesus so that we abide in him. The Spirit has raised us with Jesus.” - Edward Welch
Romans 8:11 NIV
11And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.
“As a result, it is now official. We are no longer citizens of earth, nor do we have dual citizenship. Instead, we are strangers and aliens on earth, and we are full citizens of heaven as we wait with Christ for the day when he will bring heaven to earth (Phil. 3:20). - Edward Welch
Philippians 3:20 NIV
20But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,