United Under One Head - Christ

With all wisdom and understanding,  he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. (Ephesians 1:8b-10) The final verb is "bring," as in, "God's will is to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ."  The Greek root of this verb is the word "head."  As in: all things are brought in and gathered up under one single head—which is Christ.  It's the same kind of body language that Paul uses later in Ephesians where "we in all things grow up into Him who is the head—that is, Christ" (4:15).       This bringing to unity under the head of Christ is that mystery of the cross that God has made known to us.  In the cross, all things are reconciled.  All the disparate, sin-broken people and realities of the Creation and cosmos are reconciled back together, healed, and made well and whole through the cross.  Of course we're not there yet—but that is the destination—to be realized when the times reach their fulfillment.  It is good news, a word of great hope.  This too is a work and gift of God that we are slowly drawn ever deeper into as his grace continues spilling out lavishly into our lives and through them, to our world. Much more will be said about this unity through the cross under the head of Christ later in the letter.  But for now, I'd like to draw your attention to a different point. Throughout these opening eight verses from verse 3-10, we are simply bombarded by the action of God through these verbs Paul launches at us.  Yet, it is actually Christ who has been the primary actor.  Peterson points out that His name is used 11 times either as a proper noun or pronoun.  Jesus Christ is the one who reveals and who executes each of these actions of God: God has blessed us in Christ, chose us in Christ, predestined us through Christ, gave us grace in Christ, we have redemption in Christ, etc. etc. Then, when the times have reached their fulfillment, the will of God is that all things should be reconciled and brought together in one body, and under one head—which is Christ.  That's the great cosmic vision of the big story of God. But remember how we began last week—it is not just that we hear this big story of God's cosmic work from beginning to end.  The good news is that our own smaller stories are also caught up into it!  Just as Jesus is named 11 times in these first eight verses, so we are too.  11 times we women and men of God's choosing are drawn in, gathered up, personally brought together in unity under the headship and Lordship of Christ—in his story. We are there and we're present within the plan of God, personally, and intimately, like a child with her Father.  We are part of the Family of God and the Body of Christ.  All that's left is to receive it and to praise him for it.  So, as Paul says multiple times in these opening verses: praise be to God!