Ephesians Series Week #23 Where did Jesus Go? Ephesians 4:7-11 4/28/2013

Transcription

1 Ephesians Series Week #23 Where did Jesus Go? Ephesians 4:7-11 4/28/2013 I. Introduction and review A. We talked last time about walking in a manner worthy of our position in Christ B. We also considered the unity of the body 1. We saw that unity was not uniformity 2. But that unity was the pulling together of the believers over what they had in common 3. The same Spirit in all, the same faith and the same baptism to name a few C. Then comes verse seven and it starts with a word of contrast or is there as an adversative the word but 1. So what is adversative or being contrasted 2. The individual versus the body or the church 3. But before we can really see what Paul is talking about we have to look at a parenthetical statement 4. This is the second time he has made a complex parenthetical statement [see 1:4-13] D. I want to ask you a rather strange question for a Bible teacher to ask 1. Can you remember back to the first time that you ever cussed [no verbal answers] 2. What did you say Page 1 of 7

2 3. How old were you 4. My first cuss word was go to hell 5. It is a common phrase or at least was at the time 6. How is it that we think there is anything that we can do to send someone to such a place for their eternity? 7. Is there anyone who can send someone to hell right now? II. What is hell? A. Biblical hell is described in Rev. 20: The Bible describes hell as the lake of fire 2. Who are the first inhabitants of that place 3. The third is the devil a. Accompanying the Devil will be those angels which rebelled against God [Matt. 25:41] b. It is clear that the lake of fire was not prepared for humans, but instead for angelic beings c. But humans have now chosen to go to hell d. In effect the one who sends a man or woman to hell is themself B. So if no one is in hell right now, when a person dies where do they go? 1. We are going to use what Paul tells us in Ephesians to answer that question 2. The question then we ask first is this: when Jesus died, where did He go? a. That is an intriguing question b. A complex question Page 2 of 7

3 c. An important question, if we can understand the significance of the answer 3. There is a second part to that question: once He got there, what did He do? III. Consider the passage Eph. 4:7-10 A. This passage is about spiritual gifts B. But it contains these key statements made by Paul concerning Jesus and His activities during the time of His death 1. Taken in chronological order: a. Jesus descends into the lower parts of the earth b. He then ascends above the heavens c. He takes with Him a host of captives C. The descension of Jesus Christ 1. On the day that Jesus died, where did He go? 2. Consider Luke 23:43 3. So on the day of Jesus death, He went to Paradise 4. But where is Paradise? a. There are two alternatives b. In heaven, the abode of God c. In Hades, the place of the departed dead 5. Consider Luke 16: Two compartments or sides, separated by a great gulf a. See diagram b. Unfortunately the name on the side of torments is hell Page 3 of 7

4 c. Is it hell no d. But KJV bad translations die hard e. We know now that hell is the Lake of Fire and that no one occupies hell as of yet 7. So what happens when some one dies a. Prior to Jesus death and resurrection, they went to one side of Hades or the other b. Jesus went to the Paradise side and removed everyone from that side and took them with Him (1) That would be the captives that He took with Him (2) Could those in the side of torments see this going on? 8. After Jesus death and resurrection, what happens a. If a nonbeliever dies he goes to Hades, to the side of torments b. There he will be held until the final judgment c. But what about a believer? d. They now go directly to heaven and join the Old Testament saints (1) see II Cor. 5: So Jesus descent is into Hades, described in Ephesians as the lower parts of the earth a. Described by Jesus as the heart of the earth [Matt. 12:40] D. He takes with Him a host of captives 1. Literally He led captivity captive a. Captives could be captured enemies who will become slaves Page 4 of 7

5 b. They could be captured slaves who will remain slaves c. Or they could be those held captive who you are intending to free d. The idea here is not one of taking captive e. But leading captives to freedom (1) e.g. freeing those held in a P.O.W. camp E. He then ascends above the heavens 1. When did this occur 2. Was it when Jesus ascended to heaven in Acts 1: No it was as a part of His resurrection a. See John 20:17 4. Why did Jesus have to ascend to the Father? a. If we know the answer to that question, it makes it easy to see which ascension is being spoke of here b. Jesus was taken up into heaven, in Acts one, in a cloud, I believe the Shekinah glory c. We must remember that Jesus was opposed at every level by Satan and his angels d. In the Acts one ascension the Shekinah glory took Him home e. In his first ascension, He had to pass through the heavens on His own f. When He did He carried something very important with Him His blood g. That blood had to be placed on the mercy seat of the Ark of the Page 5 of 7

6 covenant, in the heavenly tabernacle h. Jesus was acting as our great high priest i. As the high priest had to travel with the blood from the altar, through the outer court, and then the holy place and finally into the holy of holies, on the Day of Atonement j. Jesus had to leave the location at which He was sacrificed (this earth) and then pass through the first heaven (our atmosphere), and then the second heaven (interstellar space) and then enter into the third heaven (the abode of God) to sprinkle His blood on the mercy seat. k. Is Jesus really our high priest? (1) consider Heb. 3:1 l. But did He ascend into heaven, passing through the heavens as our great high priest? (1) see Heb. 4:14 m. But did He do that to sprinkle His blood on the mercy seat in heaven (1) look at Heb. 6:19-20 (2) and Heb. 9:2-14 IV. Understanding what God wants us to learn or to perceive A. Why would the Spirit interrupt Paul s flow of thought and his important description of spiritual gifts, to include this information B. To demonstrate to us His absolute control of life and death Page 6 of 7

7 1. He owns the keys to death and Hades [Rev. 1:18] 2. He provides for when we will enter heaven to be with Him 3. And no one can change or interfere with His plans C. To demonstrate that He is our high priest and Savior D. In order to let us know, that it is time for us to go, He has a plan in place and we will be in His presence before we know we re gone Page 7 of 7