There’s that wonderful moment at the end of a major football competition where the tournament winners go up to the podium to receive their trophy. The team captain lifts the cup of shield as the players around him jump for joy, the press take photos and the crowd goes wild. Now, usually, by the time the winners collect their medals and the trophy is lifted aloft, the losing fans have made their way home, that part of the stadium is deserted. However, there is an image of victory and a trophy being displayed in Ephesians where the losing opponents get to look on. In Ephesians 3:10, Paul writes:
“0 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,
The religious worldview into which Paul wrote was one in which there were spiritual rulers and authorities, demigods if you liked that held a level of influence and fear over the lives of individuals and even over whole societies. So, Paul emphasises that Christ is now exalted above them, he is in the heavenly places. He says:
“he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far 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[1]
This is a statement of Christ’s authority but Paul goes on to tell us that:
“God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus
Now, when we first think about what it means for us to be raised up and seated with Christ, then we might primarily think about the benefit to us. It tells us something about our security. We are with Christ and he is exalted and has dominion above all. No evil power can touch or harm us.
However, whilst I believe that comfort is a reasonable application, it’s not actually where Paul takes us in terms of God’s purpose. Rather, God’s purpose is to display or show off the “riches of his grace.” The benefit is that others will see the wonder and power of the Gospel so that God’s glorified. We are like that trophy on display, announcing Christ’s victory.
Who is meant to witness this? Well, Ephesians 3:10 tells us:
“10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,
In other words, it’s those spiritual powers that get to see the evidence of Christ’s victory and God’s glory. I’m reminded here of the statement in Psalm 23
“You prepare a table before me, in the presence of my enemies.”
God’s enemies get to look on. They see that Jesus is victorious and they are humbled and silenced. Again, there is benefit to us here because the victory trophy silences their accusations against us. We are justified. However the primary point is that God does this for his own glory.
[1] Ephesians 1:20-21.
Faithroots 