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17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 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 1:17-23)

This is Holy Week, a time when we should seriously consider whether we truly know Him (Jesus). How deeply do we know our Lord? We know that He was born of Mary, who became pregnant by the Holy Spirit; that He spent His life preaching the gospel, calling for repentance, healing the sick and broken people; He consistently and completely obeyed His Father's will; during His last week on before He was crucified, He dined with his disciples, washed their feet and prayed with them. We also know that when the Jewish religious leaders arrested and tried Him, He was silent like a sheep in the presence of the shearer. And that Pilate sentenced Him to death, and He was crucified, but He was victorious over death! On the third day, He rose gloriously, as death cannot bind him. Before His ascension to heaven, He sent disciples out to spread the Good News and grow the Kingdom of God to the ends of the earth. These are the facts that we are familiar with, as the Bible tells us so.

Yet the Bible tells us more about Jesus than that. Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, tells us what salvation through Jesus Christ has accomplished for us: "the hope to which He has called you," ", the riches of His glorious inheritance", " His incomparably great power for us", and “God placed all things under his feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church". These statements may see abstract to us. How do they apply in our daily lives? Paul said “I keep asking (praying)…. that you may know him better.” He did not cease to preach this just because believers were unfamiliar with these words. Instead, he continued to constantly pray to the Father that the Holy Spirit will give believers the wisdom to truly know Jesus, not only what He has done on earth, but also what He is doing spiritually within us. For Jesus’ work on earth is what gives us eternal hope.

During Holy Week, let us focus our attention on what Jesus has accomplished for us, not only physically here on earth, but also spiritually. As we meditate on what is eternity, we will be renewed spiritually. Paul used these words in this passage: "hope", "riches", "power", and "fullness." These are what we will receive when our hearts are renewed when we realize what Jesus did for us in eternity. May our hearts not be hampered by what we see, but rather be touched with what we have been promised, and that is to dwell with Him in eternal blessings. May we be blessed by the Holy Spirit.