WEEK THREE
Day Two
DAILY SCRIPTURE
Ephesians 4:7-8
LEADER GUIDE QUESTIONS
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Know: Read Ephesians 4: 7-10
Note: Read slowly, carefully marking keywords- continue to mark the words from previous lessons—Mark keywords with a different color or with a symbol to differentiate them.
Grace
Gifts
Ascend
Descend
Observation: Study notes below for context. Journal your thoughts or questions.
What: How does knowing the Jesus defeated Satan make you confident in the power of His name? Does the enemy have any power over you?
“7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says,
“When He ascended on high,
He led captive a host of captives,
And He gave gifts to men.”
9 (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.)” Ephesians 4:7-10
Paul quotes a very familiar Psalm to help the church understand the significance of Jesus’ death and resurrection and what that means for them.
“You have ascended on high, You have led captive Your captives;
You have received gifts among men,
Even among the rebellious also, that the Lord God may dwell there.” Psalm 68:18
The Israelites had rejected a covenant that would have made them priests and kings on the earth.
Their spokesperson, Moses, was led up to the top of Mt. Sinai to be given tablets of stone with the contract to the covenant of law written on them. On the day the law was enacted, the people had already rebelled, asking Aaron to form a calf made of gold for them to worship. When Moses descended from the mountain, the covenant of law required punishment for breaking the very first commandment in the law, “You shall have no other gods before me.”
Three thousand people died that day.
When Jesus died, a New and Better Covenant was enacted that nailed the covenant of law to the cross (Colossians 2:14). This New Covenant was a covenant of forgiveness. He became obedient to death, becoming sin for us, dying, and then resurrecting to life. In the time that Jesus was dead, His work was still continuing.
While dead, Jesus descended to Hades(*see note). While there, He “disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.” (Colossians 2:15) Jesus told John, “ I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.” He had conquered Satan. He stripped him of his authority (keys represent authority) and the power to accuse.
Jesus conquered satan, not for himself, but for us. It was as if you and I personally met Satan and stripped him of authority and stood as master over him.
This is why Jesus gave us the power of attorney to use His name, “These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name, they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (Mark 16:17-18)
You have a legal right to the authority and power invested in Jesus’ name; you can use it.
Second, After his death on the cross, Jesus went to the depths to preach the good news to the dead (those who had died before the cross), “in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison” (1 Peter 3:19). “For the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead” (1 Peter 4:6).
He led These " captives” out and took them to heaven with Him. King David prophecied what the cry of the Angels in Heaven sounded like when Jesus came to deliver the captives and do one last thing:
“Lift up your heads, O gates,
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!
Who is the King of glory?The Lord strong and mighty,
The Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O gates,
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!
Who is this King of glory?The Lord of hosts,
He is the King of glory. Selah.” Psalm 24:7-10
The final thing Jesus did was to take His blood and sprinkle it on the Mercy Seat of the Ark in Heaven.
The ark had three items: the golden pot of manna, Aaron’s rod, and two stone tablets on which God had written the Ten Commandments. (Hebrews 9:4) These items are symbols of man’s rebellion. The golden pot of manna represents man’s rejection of God’s provision. The rod of Aaron represents man’s rejection of God’s leadership, and the two stone tablets of God’s commandments represent man’s rejection of His standard of holiness.
But because God delights in mercy, He had these items put away in the ark and covered with the mercy seat, which had two cherubim. (Hebrews 9:5) And once a year, the high priest would enter the holy of holies where the ark was and sprinkle the blood of the animal sacrifice on the mercy seat. This means that God’s eyes, represented by the eyes of the cherubim, did not see the symbols of man’s rebellion. As long as the blood was on the mercy seat, He saw only the blood.
Today, Jesus is our High Priest, and He has sprinkled His blood on heaven's true mercy seat—the throne of grace. (Hebrews 9:23–26) Interestingly, the number of times the Old Testament high priest had to sprinkle the blood on the mercy seat—seven—speaks of Jesus’ perfect sacrifice. And because His sacrifice is perfect and He is perfect, we who are in Christ have perfect standing forever before God!
God does not see your sins. (Hebrews 8:12, 10:17) He sees His Son’s blood on the mercy seat. You have perfect standing before Him forever!
When Jesus was resurrected, everyone had righteousness set to their account. Righteousness does not become theirs until they personally receive Jesus as their Savior. Every Israelite had a legal right to the covenant they were under, but it did not become theirs until they were circumcised. Eternal life is ours when we take Jesus as ours. Eternal life is to know God- He knows you whether you choose Him or not, but you will never know what it means to receive all the benefits of knowing God and your sonship unless you receive Him.
On the day of Pentecost, fifty days after the Passover when our Lamb of God was slain, one hundred disciples were in the Upper Room waiting for the promise of the Spirit. Suddenly, a mighty rushing wind blew through, tongues of fire landed on each of them and the Holy Spirit filled them.
Peter, the cowardly disciple, empowered with the Spirit, boldly preached to the townspeople, and three thousand were saved that day.
When the law was given, 3,000 died. (Exodus 32:28)
When the Spirit was given, 3,000 were saved. (Acts 2:41)
Thus, “The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (2 Corinthians 3:6)
*(Hades is not to be confused with Hell. Hell is where Satan will be cast when he receives His final judgment. Hades or Sheol is the abode of the dead.)