15.1 Key themes⤒🔗

• After Jesus ascended to heaven, he was seated at God's right hand.
• God’s right hand is the place of all power and authority.
• The Father seated Jesus at his right hand, so that Jesus can be…
  - head over everything,
  - ruling over everything for the good of his church.
• Even when things look out of control, we must remember that Jesus is ruling with a plan:
  - He is taking us, his church, to our inheritance.
  - He is preparing us for our inheritance.

15.2 Ephesians 1:18-23←⤒🔗

^18. … [I pray] that you can know what is the hope of [God the Father’s] calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

^19. and what is the incomparable greatness of his power toward us who believe, as displayed in the exercise of his immense strength?

^20. This power he exercised in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms

^21. far above every rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

^22. And God put all things under Christ’s feet, and gave him to the church as head over all things

^23. Now the church is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

© NET Bible

15.3 – 1 Peter 1:3-5 (NIV)←⤒🔗

^3. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

^4. and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,

^5. who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

15.4 Jesus sits at the right hand of God←⤒🔗

The disciples could see Jesus, as he went up to heaven (Luke 24:50-51). But what happened to him when they could not see him anymore? Where did he go?

Long ago, David had already prophesied, “The LORD says to my Lord: ‘Sit down at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool” (Psalm 110:1). That is what happened when Jesus ascended to heaven. He was seatedat “the right hand of God” (Acts 2:33).

What does it mean, when the Bible says that Jesus sits at “the right hand of God”? Our first passage (Ephesians 1:18-23) can help us to answer this question. In verse 20 Paul says that God seated Christ “at his right hand in the heavenly realms.” In verse 21 Paul explains what this means. He explains that Christ is "far above:

• every rule
• and authority
• and power
• and dominion,
• and every name that is named..."

God's right hand is the place of all power and authority. It is the highest position you can think of. It is a place that belongs to the King of kings (Revelation 19:16)! This is the place that God the Father has given to his Son.

15.5 Jesus rules for the good of the church←⤒🔗

Ephesians 1:22 tells us even more about the high position of Jesus. It says that “God put all things under Christ’s feet, and gave him to the church as head over all things.” Then Ephesians 1:23 reminds us, “Now the church is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.”

In the previous lesson, we saw that Jesus is the head of the church. But here we see that Jesus is also head over all things! This means that he is ruling over everything. He is ruling according to his Father's plan (John 5:19-20).

When you look at the world around you, you can easily begin to think:

• The world is out of control! (It looks as if Satan, not Jesus, is in control.)
• The church is not important. (In many places, the church is small and weak.)

But in Ephesians 1:22-23 God reveals the truth to us. The truth is that the church is the body of the One who is head over everything! The church is the most important group of people in the world. The church is loved by the King of kings!

Jesus is the King. And he has been given “to the church” (Ephesians 1:22). This means that he will always rule in a way that is good for the church.

15.6 Jesus is taking us to our inheritance←⤒🔗

Yes, in this world, the church does not look very important. Many Christians are even killed for their faith. This can make us wonder: What is Jesus’ plan? Where is he taking the church, his body?

Our second passage (from 1 Peter 1) can help us to answer these questions. Peter wrote this passage to Christians who were suffering very much. In this passage he encourages them. He tells them that they have a living hope (verse 3).

Christians have hope, because we have an inheritance (verse 4). This inheritance is the life that we will enjoy when Jesus comes again. On that day God will give us new bodies and a new world to live in. Our inheritance is too good for words. It “can never perish, spoil or fade” (verse 4).

The inheritance is kept in heaven for us (verse 4). Remember what Jesus promised his disciples: “In my Father's house are many rooms… I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2; Lesson 6).

Even when we suffer, we can be sure: Jesus is busy taking us to our inheritance. Even our suffering is part of his perfect plan! Even when we die, we know that “neither death, nor life…will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

If you belong to Jesus Christ, you do not need to fear anything. Jesus rules over everything¾and he is ruling for you. He will make sure that you reach your inheritance.

15.7 Jesus is preparing us for our inheritance←⤒🔗

Imagine you wanted to speak to the president of your country. Would you even know how to reach him? It is difficult to speak to people who are busy and important.

But with Jesus, the Great King, it is different. He promised that he is with us, always (Matthew 28:20). Yes, he is not on earth with his body anymore. But he is here through his Spirit (John 7:39).

Through his Spirit Jesus is preparing us for our inheritance. Let us look at a few things he is doing to prepare us:

• Through his Spirit he gives the spiritual gifts that we need to grow strong. For example, he gives pastors and teachers, to lead us (Ephesians 4:11).
• Through his Spirit he uses our suffering to make our faith stronger (Romans 5:3-5).
• Through his Spirit he helps us to tell other people about him (Acts 1:8).

Always think of Jesus, where he is seated at the right hand of God. Remember that he is taking you to your inheritance, and that he is preparing you for it. If you remember these things, you will be able to live with joy and hope!