It might seem a little odd to be talking about resurrection power on Palm Sunday (‘aren’t you being a bit previous here?!‘), but Eph 1:19-21 is so revolutionary that it is worth considering again. Paul describes this power thus: ‘That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. (Eph 1:19-21)
As Chris Tomlin puts it, we have ‘resurrection power living on the inside.’ (‘Resurrection Power’) The same power that raised Christ from the dead – power beyond any we have ever seen, greater than the greatest nuclear explosion – lives in us. The resurrection and ascension of Jesus are proof that God’s power is greater than anything the world can throw at us. The God who spoke creation into being, the God before whose presence the whole world trembles (Ps 114:7), this is the God who raised Christ from the dead and Paul wants us to realise that this fact is not simply historical; it’s not simply a school fact of interest. The fact that God raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms not only means He is far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, far greater than Satan, far greater than any other name. It also means that this same power is available to us, for us, to be there living within us.
When Paul urges the Ephesians to ‘be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power’ (Eph 6:10), we see that this has huge practical implications for how we live our daily lives. Let’s hold on to that power in difficult times and be strengthened by the same power which enables us to serve a risen Saviour. (‘Same Power,’ Jeremy Camp)
