But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it is said, “When He ascended on high He made captivity itself a captive; He gave gifts to His people.” (When it says, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that He had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is the same One who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.) The gifts He gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. Ephesians 4:7-13
“One may picture a military leader returning to Jerusalem at the head of His followers, after routing an enemy army and taking many prisoners. The victorious procession, with the captives in the train, makes its way up the temple mount, preceded by the sacred ark, which symbolizes the invisible presence of the God of Israel…Here Christ is the subject: it is He who ascended. The expression “He ascended” is seen to imply that He first “descended”… this phrase, “the lower part of the earth,” has traditionally been interpreted as the abode of the dead…the idea that between His death and resurrection Christ invaded the abode of the dead and released the men and women of God who, from Adam onward, had been held fast there, thus “leading captivity captive”…it is emphasized that the One who gave the gifts is the One who ascended: it is because He ascended that He has given them.”
F.F. Bruce in The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians (NICNT; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1984) 341-345.
Where is Jesus today on Holy Week Saturday? He’s working. He’s leading captivity captive! A beautiful picture of Him delivering the imprisoned spirits comes in 1 Peter 3:18-22.
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. After being made alive, He went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits—to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to Him.
Why are those who had previously died called called spirits? Remember you and I are souls and we have a spirit and a body. When we die, our spirit now leaves the body and goes to be with the Lord. Prior to the first Easter, the weekend that changed all human history, the spirits of those who died before were held captive awaiting deliverance.
On Easter Saturday Jesus sets them free because He was victorious over death. As a result of this faithful work, He gets to bestow gifts to the Church: apostles and prophets, pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for works for service. He worked and has gifted people to work and to build a community of faithful stewards.
So as you reflect on Holy Week Saturday, let us give thanks for the faithfulness of Jesus who did this work, and for the generosity of Jesus who has given gifts to the church to help everyone work together with Him. He wants us all to be part of the story, to equip everyone for works of service and show His love to the world.
And I have a free gift for you today. It’s a 30 day devotional called STEWARD. Visit the GTP website to download it. I wrote it with Aussie mate, Nathan Buttigieg from Christian Super. Explore your identity and responsibility as a steward in this little book, and yes, it has a Van Gogh on the cover: “Bulb Fields.” Enjoy!