NOTES: Rich Mercy. Great Love, Part 4
Rich Mercy. Great Love 4: I have seen the Lord
Date: Sunday April 6, 2023 (Resurrection Sunday)
Text: Ephesians 2:1–10 (ESV)
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Let’s Connect:
Whatever we take for granted will eventually lose meaning to us
Our perception of its value will decrease
May we never lose our sense of value in the resurrection of Jesus!
Today: Proof of God’s rich mercy and great love.
We can understand mercy as an active desire to remove the cause of distress for others.
Text Explained (Ephesians 2:1-10):
Paul reminds the church at Ephesus of their past, to help them embrace their true present and future with Christ. (Eph. 2:1-3)
Application: Prayerfully practice a glance back and a long gaze forward.
The first witness to the resurrection of Jesus (John 20:11-18):
Mary was no longer dead in her sins!
Paul offers three verbs to help the Church understand the proof of God’s rich mercy because of His great love through the work of Christ (Eph. 2:4-6):
Made us alive (John 14:19)
Raised us up (Col. 3:1-4)
Seated us with Him (1 John 4:4)
Application: Boldly practice the resurrected life and authority of Christ alongside the family of God- high above fear, chaos and demons.
Jesus includes Mary within a permanent family in the eternal kingdom, with her eternal Father and resurrected Savior.
17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.
Mary gives proof of the resurrection with her life and her words: I have seen the Lord!
Let’s Relate:
Because of His rich mercy we give witness to the resurrection, as the living artistry of God. (Eph. 2:10)
Our Challenge:
Let us keep seeing the Lord and sharing our reality: “I have seen the (resurrected) Lord!”