There has been a lot of debate swirling around Covid-19. Where did it originate, in a cave or in a laboratory? How did it spread, accidentally or intentionally? Is it more or less deadly than the common flue? What should our reaction to the virus be, total isolation or social integration? To mask, or not to mask, that is the question. There are a lot of questions swirling around Covid-19, but one that has caused a great deal of anxiety and concern for many of us is whether or not there is going to be football this fall.
We take our football seriously here in the south. For our Yankee friends who are watching our service online this morning, an SEC fan is the college equivalent to a Packer fan, they are rabidly loyal to their teams. An SEC fan takes the performance of their team personally. We have a young lady in our congregation who has been known to shed tears when the Georgia Bulldogs suffer a defeat. We are personally invested in our teams. Think about what you say when your team wins a game. You say, … “we won”. I do it too. As an Alabama football fan, I say it a lot more than most, but I have heard y’all say the same thing when your team wins a game. We all say it, we say, “we won”.
“WE” won. Why do we say that? “WE” are not playing on the team. “WE” are not part of the coaching staff. With a few exceptions, “WE” are not even enrolled in the University. “WE”’ don’t have our names on the back of a game jersey. “WE” don’t get our names on the trophy. “WE” don’t get our fingers fitted for the championship ring. When you think about our contribution to our teams’ victory, “WE” don’t do anything. Instead, “WE” sit on the couch. “WE” stuff our faces with nachos and chicken wings. “WE” yell at the T.V. However, even though we have contributed absolutely nothing to the victory of the team, we still tell people, “WE” won.
In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul has been writing about a victory that is bigger than anything that has ever happened in the SEC (and that is saying something). Paul has been writing about the greatest victory of all time; the victory Jesus won on the cross and proclaimed from an empty tomb. Then, in the section of scripture that is before us this morning, Paul says something rather peculiar. Paul says, “WE” won.
Take a look at Ephesians 1:15-23 and see for yourselves. In verses 15-16 Paul writes, “15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.” Paul is so thankful that the Holy Spirit has made the victory of Jesus known to this group of people in the city Ephesus. These Ephesians have heard about Jesus’ perfect life. They have heard about Jesus’ innocent death. They have heard about Jesus’ amazing resurrection. They know about Jesus’ victory over sin, death, and the devil. We know these same things. We have spent the Sundays of Easter celebrating Jesus’ victory. If Paul were alive today, I am sure he would give thanks for you too.
Like you, these Ephesians know Who Jesus is and what Jesus has done; they know all about Jesus’ victory here on earth, but Paul wants them and all believers to know Jesus better. In verses 17-19 Paul writes, “17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe.” Paul writes of a revelation that shows them something previously concealed and a kind of knowing that comes from a personal experience. Paul writes about the eyes of their hearts being enlightened because this thing he wants them to know is not just a bunch of stats and statistic that they can rattle off to impress their friends, but rather, a deeply held conviction in the core of their being.
This thing that Paul wants the Ephesians and all believers to know better is what is happening on the other side of the cloud. In our first lesson for today we read about the cloud that hid Jesus from the sight of the disciples when He ascended into the sky. The disciples, who had witnessed Jesus’ victory here on earth, looked intently up into the sky because they wanted to see how Jesus was going to celebrate His victory, but they couldn’t see the celebration because of the cloud.
Sometimes we too have trouble seeing past the cloud. Our clouds consist not of water in its various forms of condensation but of hardship in its various forms of affliction. Typically, what happens is we experience something bad; it can be as devastating as the death of a loved one or as mundane as a speeding ticket, but something bad happens to us and all of the sudden we become incredibly short sighted. No longer are we able to see the grace our God has shown us. No longer are we able to see the path our God has placed before us. No longer are we able to see the place our God prepares for us. We see only the bad that has happened to us and before you know it, we start acting like a bunch of losers. Right?! We grumble and complain about how unfair the game is; how we have been cheated and robbed. We blame other people for our errors and even go so far as to say that God is to blame for the bad that has happened to us. It is kind of pathetic when you think about it, but it doesn’t take a very big cloud to make us act like losers.
In order to stop us from acting like losers, Paul invites us to look beyond the cloud. If we were going to continue our football analogy, we might imagine the ascension is kind of like, after winning the big game, Jesus heads into the locker room. Now, typically, people are not allowed into the locker room, but The Holy Spirit granted Paul a special press pass into the heavenly locker room. In verses 20-21 Paul describes the celebration that he saw. There Paul writes of Jesus “seated him at his [The Father’s] right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.” Paul describes Jesus seated, like someone who has just completed a task. And He isn’t just seated in any old seat either. The seat given to Jesus is the one at the right hand of The Father. This is the seat of glory and honor; the kind of seat that you might reserve for the MVP of the game. Paul tells us, the seat that is given to Jesus is “far above” all other seats. It is above the emperor’s throne and the politician’s platform. It is above the judge’s bench and preacher’s pulpit. It is above the CEO’s desk and youtuber’s microphone. The seat that Jesus has been given is above them all not only for a season but for all time. Jesus is The G.O.A.T.; He is the greatest of all time. His seat of glory and honor is now and forever will be in the Hall of Fame.
This is the first thing that Paul wants the Ephesians and all believers to know better. He wants us, with eyes of faith, to see beyond the cloud. He wants us to see our Savior Jesus seated at the right hand of the Father celebrating His great victory over sin, death, and the devil, but that is not all that Paul wants the Ephesians and all believers to see.
In verses 22-23 Paul writes, “22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” Paul wrote the word “and”. This little conjunction is a big deal. Paul has just described the celebration that Jesus is enjoying after His great victory over sin, death, and the devil. Then Paul connects us to that victory with the word “and”. Paul tells us the victory that Jesus celebrates is the church’s victory, that is, it is a victory that now belongs to all believers everywhere. Our God of grace has decided that He will not celebrate His victory alone, rather, in a marvelous act of mercy, He has decided to include us in His celebration. I call this a grace and a mercy, because remember, we have done nothing to earn this victory. Every time we stepped on the field, we ended up scoring points for the other team. So, the coach, out of love for us, benched us and we ended up watching our Savior suffer for our sins from the sidelines. Jesus single handedly won the game for us. Let us not forget, we are not connected to His victory by our deeds and actions, but rather, we are connected to His victory by a conjunction. There is a great deal of grace and mercy in that little conjunction, because if the word “and” we get to tell people, “WE won”.
I want you to remember that the next time the clouds start forming; the next time something bad happens in your life, I want you to look with eyes of faith and see your Savior seated at the right hand of the Father celebrating His great victory over sin, death, and the devil. I want you to see your God of grace and mercy inviting you to join His celebration. I want you to open up this section of scripture and see the little conjunction and remind yourself that “WE won”.
I am not sure that we have any right to claim any credit for the victories won by our favorite football teams, but I am absolutely sure we don’t have a right to claim any credit for the victory won by Jesus. However, because of His grace and His mercy you should feel free to tell everyone who asks about Easter that, “WE won”. Amen.