As you and your students consider the material in this lesson, think and study. Do not substitute emotions for a study that seeks an understanding of scripture. Dedication to spiritual maturity includes a willingness to increase one's understanding.
The resurrected Jesus is performing a God-given function right now. Jesus Christ is at work right now serving God's purpose for him. While the task God assigned the resurrected Jesus completely differs from his earthly ministry that ended in a physical death, it is as real as was his earthly ministry. He did the will of God in his human life. He did the will of God in his physical death. He does God's will at this moment as he is enthroned at God's right hand. God resurrected Jesus to reign from God's right hand. Jesus Christ's "now" task involves his reign. In his reign, Jesus has specific objectives as he pursues the restoration of God's sovereignty.
Many Christians have not considered Jesus Christ's mission after he ascended to heaven to be enthroned at the right hand of God. Many Christians assume Jesus' mission was complete when he died on the cross. This lesson challenges Christians to consider Jesus Christ's mission in his reign after resurrection. It challenges Christians to understand there is a bigger issue than the "us" issue in our salvation.
As Jesus Christ reigns, he functions on our behalf and in God's behalf. He functions on our behalf by serving as our intercessor or mediator before God (Hebrews 7:25; Romans 8:27, 34; 1 Timothy 2:5). The concept of an intercessor is the concept of "someone who looks after our interest." The concept of a mediator is the concept of "someone who makes it possible for alienated parties to have contact."
It is too easy for Christians to "make" salvation concerns more about people than about God. It is too easy to conclude that God's highest objective in the enthroning of the resurrected Jesus is the salvation of those people who allow faith in Jesus Christ to lead them to God. This lesson suggests that God's ultimate objective in Jesus Christ's reign is the restoration of His sovereignty. The salvation of people is just one aspect of the restoration of God's sovereignty. This aspect is centered in Jesus Christ serving as the intercessor and mediator of the forgiven.
Christians can exist in the holy God's presence only through perfect forgiveness. No one--including the Christian--is without evil in him or her. There is no evil in God (James 1:13). God has no association with evil. God is absolute holiness, perfect purity. How then can people [who are incapable of separating themselves from all evil] exist in the presence of absolute holiness and perfect purity? God produced that opportunity in two ways. First, God provides complete, perfect forgiveness to us in Jesus' blood (Ephesians 1:7). With Jesus' blood, God ransomed us from evil (Ephesians 1:14; Titus 2:11-14; Romans 3:21-24). Through the grace of God's complete forgiveness, we become suitable for God's presence.
The key issue [question] in salvation is this: how can people who cannot eliminate evil from their lives exist in the presence of the Holy God Who has zero association with evil? How can unholy people exist in the presence of a holy God? Only perfect forgiveness makes that possible. Only God's grace allows perfect forgiveness to exist.
Second, Christians are able to exist continually in God's holy presence only because the resurrected Jesus serves as our intercessor and mediator (Romans 8:34). Evil is a continuing problem in every Christian's life. Growing maturity in Christ results in Christians resisting evil within themselves. Yet, it is impossible for any people [including Christians] to eliminate all evil from their lives. Each Christian fails the holy God daily. No Christian grows to a level of holiness [either in knowledge or behavior] that reaches God's level of purity and holiness. Every sincere Christian, regardless of how knowledgeable he or she becomes, will commit more evil through ignorance of holiness and purity [God's purposes and concerns] than he or she will ever commit in knowledgeable rebellion against God's sovereignty.
God's grace is administered to those in Christ on a continuing [daily] basis. This can happen only if a perfect intercessor mediates continuing association between the forgiven and the Holy God. We Christians cannot represent ourselves before God. Daily we fail as evil lives within us and as we fall to temptation. Only the resurrected Jesus Christ understands the human condition and struggle perfectly. Only our sinless Lord is in position to plead for the mercy of God's patience to endure as our relationship with Him continues.
Jesus lived a physical existence (Philippians 2:5-8). He endured and understands the temptation experience (Hebrews 5:8,9). This one "who walked in our shoes" continually represents us before our God of mercy and grace. Because Jesus Christ represents us before God, because he understands our weakness and struggles, Christians confidently come to the throne of grace rightfully anticipating help with our need for mercy and forgiveness (Hebrews 4:14-16).
Scripture significantly stresses the fact that Jesus Christ is our complete intercessor and mediator (note previous references). He was a human, but a human without any form of evil within him.
Jesus functions in God's behalf by seeking a specific objective. This objective in his reign is to completely restore sovereignty to God. As he reigns now, he actively conquers God's enemies. What enemies? Enemies defying God's sovereignty! Paul told the Christians in Corinth that Jesus must reign until he stands on all his enemies (1 Corinthians 15:25, 26). This statement is that world's image of a standing conquer with his defeated enemies at his feet.
Jesus Christ serves us before God as our perfect intercessor who mediates between God and us. Serving in these roles is significant movement toward the ultimate objective of his reign as Lord. The ultimate objective of his reign is the restoration of God's sovereignty over all beings and things.
Paul declared several things about the resurrected Jesus to Christians at Philippi (Philippians 2:9-11). As the enthroned one, Jesus Christ has the supreme name that was (and is) superior to all human title--the Lord. Americans place little significance on titles. Our view of freedom and independence rejects the concept of royalty, the status of royalty, and the titles of royalty. Americans are more likely to criticize people of position (the President, the Senator, the Governor, or Christian leaders) than we are to feel a sense of awe. Not so in that world! Position was significant! Title was important! Powerful names from ruling positions inspired awe. Failure to feel and express that awe invited death! To be a lord in any context was to be held in awe by those under that lord. Jesus, the Lord, reigns. He is not a lord, but the Lord who is superior to all earthly lords! He is superior to any form of earthly authority (Ephesians 1:20-23). No earthly being holds any position, power, or title equal to or superior to his!
God positioned Jesus Christ in a situation that will result in an accomplished objective. God made Jesus Christ the Lord! The Lord will return total sovereignty to God! God's sovereignty was rejected when the humans God created rebelled. When humans rebelled, God's "very good" creation was perverted. Rebellion defied and rejected God's sovereignty. In the final judgment, God's total sovereignty will be returned to Him.
It is interesting, and consistent with the concept, that Jesus Christ is presented in Revelation 19 as the conqueror. Only evil dares defy God's sovereignty. Evil must be conquered in the restoration of God's sovereignty.
Jesus defeats those who defy God's sovereignty in two ways. Every knee will bow to him and every tongue shall confess he is Lord. First, some come to understand who Jesus Christ is. In their new understanding, they confess his lordship. They have faith in what God did through Jesus, and they repent. Their immersion is an act of surrender, an act of commitment to the Lord. Defeated by God's love, by God's expression of mercy and grace, they voluntarily choose to acknowledge Jesus as Lord.
Evil is defeated when people place faith in Jesus Christ and voluntarily redirect their lives to God. Voluntary surrender to God is the restoration of God's sovereignty in the life of the one who surrenders. Such people are conquered by God's love.
Second, some refuse to recognize Jesus Christ as Lord. [The writer concludes this is an understood rejection of Jesus Christ's position as Lord or understood rebellion against his position as Lord. These people choose some form of evil to be their lord.] These people defy God's position as sovereign. In spite of God's love and kindness verified in Jesus' life and death, they refuse to direct their lives toward God. Jesus Christ's work in his reign is to pursue their conquest. While God prefers the repentance of rebellious people (2 Peter 3:8, 9), the conquest of all in rebellion to God's sovereignty is assured (2 Peter 3:19-13). Even these who reject Jesus' lordship or rebel against God's sovereignty will bow their knees [the symbol of the enemy's surrender] and acknowledge Jesus' lordship. This will not occur as an act of redirection [repentance], but as the act of a conquered enemy.
Not everyone will direct their lives toward God. Some refuse to yield to God's sovereignty. Though they refuse, they will be conquered. Theirs will not be a voluntary conquest, but a conquest through God's power. Ultimately they, too, will bow and confess, but through involuntary conquest, not through voluntary surrender.
The resurrected Jesus reigns right now. The period of his reign began with his ascension into heaven (Acts 2:32-36; Hebrews 9:24; 1 Peter 3:21, 22). It will continue until he returns to be the judge of the living and the dead (consider Matthew 25:31-46; Acts 10:42; Romans 14:10-12; 2 Corinthians 5:10).
The period of Jesus Christ's reign began with his ascension and enthronement and will end at the conclusion of the final judgment. This will be extended in the next lesson.
This is the end result of Jesus' reign: the glorification of God the Father, the Sovereign God (Philippians 2:11). The Sovereign God will be glorified! Jesus Christ's reign assures God's glorification through restoration of God's unquestionable sovereignty!
The objective of Jesus Christ in his earthly ministry, death, and heavenly ministry is the same objective: the glorification of God.
For Thought and Sharing
This will be a sharing of individual thoughts by class members.
This will be a sharing of individual insights and understandings.
The core of this response [realize the responses may have many different forms] will include a surrender to God's will in daily life. That will include [but not be limited to] matters such as these:
Being a good representative for God and Christ in difficult situations
Dealing with temptation
Dealing with personal failure
Dealing with personal success
Developing and clinging to God's values
Developing and ordering personal life on God's priorities
Encouraging the continuing process of transformation
Being a disciple
Showing love for God in the way I treat all people
Constantly meditating on God's actions and teachings
Link to Student Guide
Lesson 8