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Sermon preached on Ephesians 1:20-23 by Rev. W. Reid Hankins during the Morning Worship Service at Trinity Presbyterian Church (OPC) on 11/16/2025 in Petaluma, CA.
Sermon Manuscript
Rev. W. Reid Hankins, M.Div.
Today we will study verses 20-23 and take in this grand picture of Christ’s glorious exaltation, and our share in it. These verses culminate Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians that we began last week in verses 15-19. Paul prayed for the Ephesians to grow in their knowledge of God and their salvation. Paul’s prayer included that they would know themselves the same divine power which God worked in Jesus. That’s where we pick up today. Verse 20 speaks of God’s power that he “worked” in Christ. This transition sparks Paul to wonderfully describe how greatly God has exalted Jesus, both now, and in the age to come. God has set Jesus over all things, and especially as head of the church. Paul concludes the prayer by declaring that this gloriously exalted Jesus fills all in all. We’ll reflect on these related truths today. Our first point will be to consider how Christ was exalted out of a state of humiliation. Our second point will consider how he is exalted both in this age and the age to come. Our third point will consider how Jesus is exalted over all things, especially as head of the church. Let us consider this exalted Jesus!
We begin by considering how Jesus was exalted out of a state of humiliation. His state of humiliation is only briefly referenced in verse 20 but it is significant. It references, there, the death of Jesus. Jesus died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sin. This is the climax of Christ’s humiliation for us and for our salvation. Understand that Jesus’ humiliation actually begins even before that. Jesus existed from all eternity as the eternal Son of God. Paul reminded us of that fact at the start in verse 3, when he referred to God as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. From all eternity, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit existed in Trinity, one God, in three persons, same in substance, equal in power and glory. Yet, God the Son, according to the Father’s good purpose, came down to us in the incarnation, being conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit. When he came to us, this glorious divine person of the Son took on a human nature, forever to become the God-man Jesus Christ. Just to take on human flesh and be born into this fallen world was a great humiliation for the Son of God. He then, the eternal Lawgiver, submit himself to the law, keeping it perfectly, and earning righteousness for us. He bore all our pains and sorrows, being tempted in every way that we are, yet without sin. He then freely offered himself as that sacrifice for sin. And even after his death, he continued under the power of death until the third day. All this and more describes the humiliation he endured to be our savior, to give his life as a ransom for the elect.
Yet, at that low estate where his mortal body died and his lifeless body lie there in the grave, that is when our verse takes over to describe the power of God. God’s powerful working by the Spirit rose Jesus from the dead! Up from the grave arose, verse 20! So, that is the first act of Christ’s exaltation mentioned in this passage. His lifeless body was resurrected to a glorious living body, never to taste death again.
Verse 20 continues to speak of his exaltation by describing how Christ then ascended up into the heavenly places and was seated at the right hand of God. We recall from the accounts that Jesus first appeared alive over a forty day period to many people, not only to his twelve apostles, but to hundreds of his disciples. Only then, did Jesus ascend up into heaven, taken up in clouds out of sight, but ultimately to be seated at God’s right hand. Please understand that to be seated at God’s right hand is to be in the highest place of authority, just under God. This is not saying that the eternal Son of God took that seat. It is saying that Jesus took that seat. In other words, Jesus our Messiah, the one who is simultaneously Son of God and Son of David, the God-Man, he has been seated at that highest place. Jesus’ divine nature had known sovereignty from all eternity. But now we humans have our Messiah, one in our own nature, seated in the highest place of authority as God’s right hand. Let us appreciate the glory of Jesus being in such a position.
The passage then goes on to emphatically explain what it means for Jesus to be seated at such an exalted position. Look at verse 21. It says Jesus is far above all these other things. He’s above all authority, power, and dominion. It is clear from this letter, that these refer to spiritual powers in the heavenly places. That would include both angels and demons. Let us remember how powerful these spirits are. Jude warns that you are ignorant if you go around blaspheming these powerful spirits. But Jesus is now above them all, because to be seated at the right hand of God is not only above all these heavenly powers, it is far above. Likewise, verse 20 goes on to say that Jesus is exalted above every name. This is superfluous to say at this point, but by saying it, it is being emphatic. Any name, any title, falls short of the title and name Jesus now bears, as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Indeed, Mary is not co-redemptrix. Indeed, the Pope is not the head of the church. Caesar is not Lord. Nor Trump or Putin. No magic or black art can defy Jesus. Satan is a defeated foe and he knows his days are numbered. The name of Jesus is the highest name, and at his name, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that he is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
So then, what we have here is what the gospels told us of Jesus. Luke 24 describes how it was necessary for the Christ first to suffer then enter into his subsequent glory. Likewise, in Matthew 28, at the Great Commission, Jesus declared that now, in the aftermath of his death and resurrection, all authority in heaven and on earth had been given to him. How wondrously Scripture declares how Christ was exalted out of an estate of humiliation.
Let us turn now to our second point to consider how Jesus’ exaltation spans both this present age and the age to come. That is what verse 21 says. This is an important concept for Paul, his two-age framework that he uses throughout his letters. Other Bible authors also utilizes concept, sometimes with different langugage. Let me give you a little primer on this two-age framework. Paul speaks of two very different ages, this present age, and the age to come. Paul sees these two ages in stark contrast to each other. Paul presents this present age as one characterized by sin and rebellion against God (c.f. 2:2ff) where Satan and his demons rage and lead people astray. This dynamic goes all the way back to the opening chapters of Genesis and the fall of mankind in Adam. This present age is thus under God’s condemnation and the whole creation is subjected to the vanity of the curse God placed on it in Genesis 3 (c.f. Romans 8). That is why there is death as well as pain, suffering, and sorrow. In contrast, Paul speaks of the age to come as what will be ushered in at Christ’s return, at what he calls the day of redemption (4:30). At that point, he will remove all the wicked in judgment. At that point he will make all things new, and thus it is also called the new creation. This age to come will therefore be characterized by righteousness, eternal life, blessedness, and peace. There, all will be in perfect submission to God and there will be the God-intended harmony he ordained, forever.
With that basic primer on Paul’s two-age framework, let’s appreciate his point here. He is saying that Christ’s exaltation and dominion is not just something true in that future age to come. He says it is also true right now, in this present age. Obviously, there is some distinction in the nature of his reign in this age versus the age to come.
How is Jesus already reigning in this age? Psalm 110 gives us the answer, which is amazing because that is a prophecy long beforehand but it clearly explains the current situation. Psalm 110 records God telling the Messiah to sit at his right hand until God makes the Messiah’s enemies his footstool. The psalm goes on to describe how the Messiah, for a time, would rule in the midst of his enemies. You see, that is exactly what is going on. Jesus has ascended up into heaven and is seated at God’s right hand. Right now, in this present age, Jesus is reigning on high over all creation. But he rules in the midst of his enemies. Next chapter, Paul will talk about how Satan is the prince of the power of the air and is presently at work in the sons of disobedience (2:2). Elsewhere, Paul talks other ways demons are behind the evil going on right now. For example, in 1 Corinthians 10:20, Paul says that when people worship false gods, they are really worshipping demons. Or in 1 Timothy 4:1, Paul warns about how demons will even lure away some Christians into false teachings. In other words, Paul acknowledges that Jesus currently is reigning far above all things even in this present age, yet Satan, and his demons, and many wicked people, are living in open rebellion against Jesus. Yet, this rebellion doesn’t negate that Jesus is indeed currently enthroned on high, far above all this opposition. Rather, this is what Psalm 110 predicted, that currently Jesus reigns in the midst of his enemies.
Yet Psalm 110 goes on to predict that one day Jesus will come in wrath and he will vanquish all these remaining enemies. Then Christ will usher in the age to come. 1 Corinthians 15 gives more detail on this. It speaks (15:24-25) of how Christ’s present reign is working to put all his enemies under his feet. It explains that these enemies include every rule, authority, and power, again reminding us of the evil spiritual forces. It says that the final enemy to be destroyed is death. At Christ’s return, he will finish off all the enemies and defeat death and then usher us into the new creation. So, while Christ already reigns on high in this present age, his rule will take on an even greater dimension in the age to come. Then, there will be no more enemies. All will be in active submission to Christ. It’s as it described back in verse 10, that finally all things in heaven and earth will be united under the authority of the Messiah, King Jesus.
So then, in this second point, we’ve learned the concept of what is officially called “semi-realized eschatology”. Remember that “eschatology” is about the study of the end. It’s about all the wonderful promises God has given to his people about the resurrection and the kingdom and the new creation that will be received in the age to come. So, to speak of semi-realized eschatology is to say that there has been a partial realization of that final glory already. It’s like Jesus said when he started his ministry, that the kingdom of God is at hand. In Jesus’ death and resurrection and ascension, Jesus has inaugurated the kingdom. But when he returns to usher in the age to come, then he will consummate the kingdom. So, this semi-realized eschatology is just the fancy description of the already and not yet dynamic that we often talk about. It’s taught right here. Christ already reigns, but not yet in the fullness of the consummation.
Let us turn now to our third point to consider how Jesus is exalted over all things, including as head over all things to the church. I am dealing with here what we find in verses 22-23. It uses the word “all things” twice in verse 22 to talk about these two expressions of Jesus’ dominion. Let me read verse 22 again. “And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church.” So, first he uses “all things” to describe Christ’s universal dominion over all creation. Then he uses “all things” to refer to how Christ especially exercises authority over his church. It’s not an either-or, it’s a both-and. Let’s think about both senses here.
So then, consider how it is said that God put all things under his feet. At initial thought, this might sound like further repetition. I mean, he already gave quite a list of “all things” that are under Christ back in verse 21. He was already quite redundant there for the sake of emphasis. But upon further reflection, we realize that here in verse 22 he is actually quoting Psalm 8:6. That’s a psalm that is about man being created in God’s image, and that because of that he has been set in dominion over all things. Now let me pause and bring the book of Hebrews into this conversation. Hebrews 2 also references Psalm 8 to observe that, despite man being in God’s image, at this moment, not everything is properly in subjection to us the way it should be. But Hebrews points to Jesus’ humiliation and subsequent exaltation as the start to bring redeemed humanity in the place of dominion envisioned by Psalm 8. It basically says, mankind is not actually succeeding in having everything under its feet. Yet, Jesus, who made himself a little lower than the angels in the incarnation and then suffered unto death, afterwards was exalted far above all things, even angels, crowned with glory and honor. Hebrews goes on to say that in Jesus, his redeemed people share in this dominion. Psalm 8’s vision that all things would be under our feet, even angels, is realized as we are united to Christ.
This is brought out in the second “all things” reference here. Christ is said here in verse 22 to be the head of all things to the church. Verse 23 goes on to further this point by referring to the church as the body of Christ and also the fulness of Christ. Do you see the imagery or the analogy here? For Christ to be the head and the church to be the body is to imagine our union with Christ as a full and complete person. Paul will revisit this picture in chapter 5 when he talks about husbands and wives. Paul will say that the husband is the head of the wife and that the wife is the body of the husband. Paul will then speak of how the marital oneness of a husband and wife are a picture of Christ and the church. As a husband and wife become one, so too Christ and the church become one, full and complete together.
Are you beginning to see how this pictures the exaltation and dominion of Christ as it relates to us? Jesus is exalted far above all authorities. He is literally King of all Kings and Lord of all Lords. Nothing in all creation is higher than him. It would be accurate to describe his relationship to his church as King and Lord, and often that is how it is described. But, here, it emphasizes a different aspect of our relationship. Jesus is not simply our sovereign. He’s especially our “head” and we are his “body”, and that means if all things are under his “feet”, then that means all things are under us, the church. This will be confirmed next chapter when it says in 2:6 that already we are seated with Christ in the heavenly places. In other words, we are seated with Christ where he is seated in the highest place, far above all other rulers, and authorities, and powers. Now, do you understand the verse of 1 Cor 6:3 that says to Christians, “Do you not know that we are to judge angels?”
The passage concludes at the end of verse 23 in a way that further cements this point. Jesus fills all in all. In case it’s not clear from the pronouns, I believe the one here who is said to fill all in all is Jesus. Keep in mind that Colossians 1:19 says that the fulness of God dwells in Jesus. So, Jesus, as the God-man who is now in dominion over all creation, is said here to fill all in all. When you hear the “all in all” we remember that we just talked about the “all things”, referring on the one hand to his dominion over all created things, and on the other hand, especially to the church as Christ’s body. Jesus now is filling all in all. In terms of that broader sense, he is filling all things everywhere and in every place of the created order, with his sovereign rule and reign. Jesus is filling all the cosmos with the fullness of his kingdom, power, and glory.
But with regard to the church as his body, he is especially filling all the church with himself. Chapter 4:9-10 will further reference this when it says that Jesus descended to earth and then ascended up to heaven in order to fill all things. But then it will go on to explain this filling of all things in terms of his pouring into his church his gifts and graces. It will see that these gifts and graces will be maturing the body of Christ into the fullness of Christ. The result, it will say, is that we the body of Christ will grow up into maturity, that we will grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ. So then, this final section of today’s passage emphasizes how Jesus is working his fullness within us to grow us from spiritual babes into spiritual adulthood, conforming us to the full stature of his exalted state. The result will be that we will share in his exaltation, not only in this age, but also in the age to come.
Trinity Presbyterian Church, today we have seen how Christ has already been exalted. His kingdom has been inaugurated and one day will be consummated. We are united to him in his exaltation, already, and into eternity. Indeed, right now he is preparing us to live forever as his body in the glory that awaits us.
Let me close with some final application to round out our message. Remember that today’s glorious description of Christ’s exaltation was actually a part of Paul describing his prayer for Christians to grow. The prayer was that the same power that has so exalted Jesus, may be at work to grow us in knowing God in Christ. Life in this age can be difficult, but we pray that as we grow in Christ, we will find comfort in knowing that in Christ we overcome this world. Indeed, God will soon put all things under our feet as we find Christ filling us all in all.
Amen.
Copyright © 2025 Rev. W. Reid Hankins, M.Div.
All Rights Reserved.
