In ancient times, when a conqueror would return from the conquest of his enemies, he’d give gifts to his loyal subjects. In modern days this might look like when a CEO makes a huge profit on some deal and shouts to the whole office, “Drinks are on me.”
The root of our Christian confession is that Jesus Christ is Lord (Phi. 2:11). Or as the Nicene Creed frames it, “[Christ] ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father.” Our faith is founded on the irrefutable reality that Jesus rules the world. Our faith is in Him who died, but is now risen and reigning over all the affairs of heaven and earth. Christ ascended on high as a conqueror who not only had all authority over all matters in all corners of the cosmos, but who had the power to execute and carry out the full extent of His will.
When Christ ascended to His throne of majesty, which was His by right and by blood, we’re told “He gave gifts to men (Eph. 4:8).” He ascended to the Father. The Father gave Him the world. In turn, Jesus gave a gift to the world. The Spirit–poured out on Pentecost–was Christ’s gift.
Jesus called the Spirit our Comforter, but this Comforter would come to reprove the world of sin, righteousness, and judgement (Jn. 16:8). In other words, the Holy Spirit–Who proceeds from the Father and the Son–comforts us with the knowledge that Christ reigns and is putting all evil underneath His and our feet. Our Comforter gives us courage that we will conquer all our enemies, all because–and only because–Jesus is Lord.
