Sunday Scripture Commentary (November 3)

Sermon (November 3) – “A Glorious Inheritance”

Ephesians 1:11-23

The Apostle Paul wrote the letter of Ephesians while he was in prison for his faith. In our scripture reading for today, Paul refers to all of God's people as "saints" who share in a glorious inheritance made possible through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In biblical times, an inheritance was in the form of land and was handed down from generation to generation. For Israel as a nation, their inheritance was the land of Canaan that God promised to Abraham centuries earlier.

When Moses led the people of Israel to the promised land, this was “the obtaining of their inheritance.”

If this was the inheritance for the people of Israel, what is our inheritance as followers of Jesus Christ? Paul is making the point that our inheritance is more than a sliver of land in the Middle East. Our inheritance is the promise that God will one day renew all of creation when heaven and earth will be fully integrated! The pledge of this inheritance is the Holy Spirit (v. 14.) The pledge of the Holy Spirit is what helps us to hold on to the hope of this glorious inheritance.

The city of Ephesus was known as a place of great Roman power and wealth. Paul is contrasting the power of this city with a much greater power which is the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ (v. 20)

How do we live out the power of the resurrection in our daily lives? See v. 17. We need the gift of wisdom to see what real power really is, the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Verses 20-21 speak of Christ being above all authorities and rulers including the power of the Roman Empire!

Thoughts on All Saints’ Sunday

We are reminded that those who have gone on to glory are worshipping along with us here on earth! The church in heaven is known as the church triumphant.

It helps us to continue to celebrate those who have gone before us and it helps us to continue the grieving process.

At the heart of the good news of the Christian faith is the promise that one day all of God’s people will be reunited and we will feast at God’s heavenly banquet.