Saturday, June 8, 2024 – Ephesians 1:22-23 – We Are the Church
Scripture: Ephesians 1:22-23
“22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” – Ephesians 1:22-23 (New International Version)
Jesus does not walk the earth as He once did. You cannot see, hear, or touch Him. Sometimes I think about what it must have been like to be one of His earliest followers who could walk, talk, eat, and laugh with Jesus. What would it have been like to share a meal with Jesus? What would it have been like to stare deeply into His eyes as He explained the purpose of His coming to this earth and the depth of His love for us? What would it have been like to hug Jesus?
I want us to think about these questions and sense the wonder in them. The truth is that Jesus is no longer walking this earth in bodily form the way He once was; however, He is walking it in a new way. Jesus walks – and works in – this earth through His church. The church is not the building that is currently closed due to the Covid-19 epidemic. The church is the Body of Christ. The church is us. 1 Corinthians 12:27 states, “All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.” We are the church. We are Jesus’ body in this world, and, therefore, “the fullness of him who fulfills everything in every way.” Just as a head needs a full body in order to function, Jesus – being the head – needs us – His body – to continue the furthering of His kingdom and fulfilling of His mission.
So, even though we are having to practice social distancing right now, it would behoove us to keep in mind that none of us should attempt to work, serve, or worship merely on our own. We need the entire body – we need each other.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for creating us to be your body and for giving us a part to play in the spreading of your gospel. This is the same gospel that changes us from the inside out, so we ask that you would use us to help others to learn about and come into relationship with you so that they can be changed from the inside out as well.
In Jesus’ powerful, life-changing name I pray, amen.
