Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
Audio Transcript
So if I’ve not met you, my name is Aaron and I’m glad that you’re with us today. So if you have a Bible with you, if you’d open up to the book of Acts today, our text for study is going to be from Acts, chapter one, verses one through 11. And if you don’t have a Bible with you this morning, there should be some on the pews by you, the blue Bibles. And if you’re not familiar where the Book of Acts is, it’s kind of in the middle of the New Testament, if you can find the New Testament. So it’s Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, the four Gospels and then Acts.
As mentioned, our texture study is chapter one, verses one through eleven.
So let me read for us the sacred text and then I’ll pray and then we will get to work. So starting verse one, this is what the Bible says in the first book. O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day he was taken up. After he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen, he presented himself alive to them after his suffering. By many proofs appearing to them 40 days and speaking about the kingdom of God while staying with them, he ordered them to not depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which he said, you heard from me, for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.
So they had come together. They asked him, lord, when will you at this time restore the kingdom of Israel? He said to them, it’s not for you to know the times or season that the Father has fixed by his own authority, but receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. And you’ll be my witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria to the ends of the earth. When he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up.
A cloud took him out of their sight while they were gazing into heaven as he went. Behold, two men stood by them in white robes and said, men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven. That’s God’s word for us this morning. Let’s pray.
Lord, it is good to be here.
It’s always good for your people to be together, to worship you and to hear from you, Lord, ultimately, that’s why we’re here. We want to hear from you this morning. So I do pray that you would bless the preaching of your word. Please keep me from error, Lord. I pray that this time would be fruitful and glorifying to Christ.
We also pray that you give the congregation just ears to hear what the Spirit is saying. Pray this all in Jesus name. Amen. So if you’re with us last week, you know that last week was Easter, and we finished up a sermon series that we had through the Book of Revelation. In a couple weeks, we’re gonna start a new sermon series through the New Testament Book of Healing.
But between the close of that Revelation sermon series and the start of the Hebrew series, I wanted to work through a passage that teaches an important truth that in our circle of Christianity, we probably don’t think a lot about like other circles do, but typically we do not. And actually this week I was convicted, because we should. And that truth is the truth of the ascension of Jesus Christ, which is actually a truth that’s so important to early Christians that many of the early Christian creeds included the Ascension in the Confessions, as they believe. Is that important. That information that was that essential to the Christian faith, that the ascension was information so vital to hold on to for one to hold to the orthodox, true Christian faith that has once for all been delivered to the saints.
It’s kind of interesting to me that the early Christians felt holding to the Ascension was that important to put into creeds when you consider some of the information concerning the Lord Jesus Christ that they didn’t put into the creeds, not this information was not important, but not viewed as necessary belief to be a Christian. For example, none of the early creeds, at least not that I am aware of, mention like specific miracles that the Lord performed or make reference to any specific parables that Jesus taught or any specific prayers that Jesus prayed or when Jesus was baptized. Yet some of the most important, influential early Christian creeds, they include the Ascension of Jesus Christ back into heaven. Now, let me mention a few of those to you here. It’s the Apostles Creed, which is a creed that we recite many Sundays here before we take up the Lord’s Supper.
So it’s a creed in its earliest forms have been actually used like maybe as early as. Like the second century, with some indication that even parts of that was even used sooner than that, maybe within a generation of the time of the Apostles. The Apostles Creed says this. Jesus Christ suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried, sent him to death on the third day, rose again from the dead, and he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
Then there’s a Nicene Creed formed maybe 200 plus years after the Apostles Creed, like early 3 hundreds, continues to see the importance of this truth of the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ. So Nicene Creed recites this. For our sake, he was crucified under Pontius Pilate. He suffered death and was buried and was rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, he ascended into heaven and is sitting at the right hand of the Father. He’ll come again in glory to judge the living and dead, and his kingdom will have no end.
Let me give you one more. The Athanasius Creed. It’s a little hard to know how to date this creed. Probably 100, 200 years maybe after the Nicene Creed. And this is actually really important creed, helpful creed, when you think about like correct Trinitarian thought, which we are, like we’re Trinitarian Christians.
Athanas Creed addresses a lot of that. Yet within that, this creed also saw the importance of the ascension of Jesus Christ. So that this conference confesses who suffered, meaning Jesus, who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again from the dead. On the third day, he ascended into heaven. He sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from whence he will come to judge the living and the dead.
So from the early Christian faith, the Church has recognized how important the ascension of Jesus Christ is. So important that it includes many other like central doctrines in the creed after creed after creed. Important doctrines actually still hold to today. This morning, before we start up our sermon series in Hebrews, I wanted to work through a passage that details this most important truth. Jesus ascending into heaven, where he is now seated at the right hand of God the Father.
We will come to judge the living and the dead. Okay, so that is the introduction. Look back with me in our text, starting verse one, as mentioned. All I’m going to do this morning is I’m just going to try to walk us through the passage. So keep your Bibles out.
Starting verse one. So look back there, you see the words in the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all the teaching, all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day he was taken up. Now let me try to explain a few things here. So first, let me address the first book in this verse. And this is a reference to a book that’s also a part of the canon of Scripture, a book that we refer to as the Gospel of Luke.
That’s the first book and we call it the Gospel of Luke because the author, Luke we actually see was a doctor in the New Testament. So he wrote that gospel as well as this book that we’re looking at today that we call Acts. So the Book of Acts, this is like part two of a two volume series that Luke wrote to Theophilus. There’s actually a second thing I want to point out here. It’s just Theophilus, who Luke addressed actually both of his books to.
So now it’s possible that Theophilus is more of like a generic name given to anyone who reads the book because the name Theophilus can be translated to like friend of God. So it’s possible it’s not like a specific individual that Luke is addressing, but more of like a generic greeting to any who read the book. However, for most of church history, many have concluded that Theophilus actually was an individual. And I actually tend to agree with this, that he was a specific person that Luke was writing to. Now we don’t know anything in certainty about his life, but we do have a couple of clues into this man we see in volume one and volume two of Luke’s writings.
So the first clue is just in the name Theophilus. So this is a Greek name. So most likely he was not Jewish, but Greek or maybe Roman, who at the time they used Greek names. So this was a Gentile, like a non Jewish person that Luke was writing to. Which is interesting, especially if you continue to read through the Book of Acts where there was a time in there the church, they actually struggled to know or believe, like, could Gentiles actually come to faith?
The second clue into Theophilus, into his life is it seems like he was a person of influence, maybe of high social standing, maybe a person of wealth. Because in the Gospel of Luke, he’s referred to as most excellent Theophilus. And this phrase is one that is reserved for like a noteworthy person. Now why would Luke write to this man Theophilus? It seems by the contents of volume one or two, volume one and two, like Luke was either trying to like evangelize Theophilus with hopes that Theophilus would become a Christian.
So as he read through the Gospel of Luke, this orderly account concerning Jesus Christ, that Luke was trying to help Theophilus to believe, to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Or perhaps if Luke was not trying to evangelize Theophilus, perhaps he’s actually trying to like disciple Theophilus, which actually I tend to think was the motivation behind the two volumes where some along the lines, perhaps maybe during one of Luke’s missionary journeys that he was on with the Apostle Paul, that they met Theophilus and he became a Christian. And these two books written by Luke were the hopes of helping Theophilus to now work grow in his Christian faith, at least to me, seems to be what’s going on in this letter. These books, I should say may also mention that some have wondered if Theophilus actually was a lawyer in Rome who was working with Paul while Paul was in prison. And so to help Paul out, help Theophilus out, Luke decided he wanted to give this two volume early account to help Theophilus put like his defense together for Paul.
I don’t know, I don’t think that’s what has happened here, but it is interesting to consider. Okay, back to the text. So in the first book we read that Luke dealt with that which Jesus taught until the day that he was taken up, the Ascension. And this is actually where Luke left off in volume one, the Ascension of Jesus Christ. Let me read the final few verses of volume one.
In Luke it says this and he means Jesus led him out as far as Bethany and he lifted up his hands and he blessed them. And while he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they were continually in the temple blessing God. So for us this morning, as they think about the Ascension, volume one of Luke ends with the Ascension of Christ.
Now volume two in Acts is picking back up with this most important event, the Ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ back into heaven. Okay, keep going. Before Jesus was taken up, we read that Jesus gave commands through the power of the Holy Spirit to instruct his apostles whom he had chosen. His apostles, these are like Jesus, uniquely chosen, sent out ones. The ones who Jesus uniquely entrusted with the message of the gospel by which the apostles were to spread the gospel throughout the land, which we’ll talk about more in just a bit.
Verse 3. Before the Ascension, we read that Jesus presented himself alive after his sufferings. And as he presented himself alive, he gave many proofs of his resurrection. New Testament Book of First Corinthians tells us that there’s an event where like over 500 people are present at one time at one of these presentations where Jesus was presenting himself alive. So for us it wasn’t like Jesus was like hiding after the resurrection.
Rather Jesus, he was out and about, he was public, he was visible. And in the text we see that he was Public, invisible for a considerate amount of time. In verse three we read that Jesus presented himself by giving proofs for 40 days. Meaning for almost six full weeks Jesus was in like Jerusalem, presenting himself alive where people could see him, they could touch him, they could hear from him as Jesus spoke about the kingdom of God. Okay, let me give you a couple thoughts here.
I was thinking about this this week. So first just the 40 days. So this number 40 seems to correlate with other events in scripture where the number 40 was present. So the story of Noah, remember that? 40 days, 40 nights it rained.
Moses spent 40 days in the wilderness. Moses on Mount Sinai for 40 days. Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 days. Goliath taunted Israel for 40 days before David struck him down with the stone. Elijah traveled 40 days as he fled from the evil queen Jezebel to Mount Horeb.
In Jonah’s sermon to the Ninevites, he warned judgment coming in 40 days if they did not repent at the start of Jesus earthly ministry. Remember how he was tempted 40 days in the wilderness. Now here at the end of his earthly ministry, at least in this type of context, he preached the kingdom of God for 40 days, 40 days after his resurrection. Now it’s not clear if there’s some significance to the number 40, this number that comes up so many times in scripture. If there is some significance.
Scripture doesn’t really give any insight into what the number 40, the significance behind that. So we need to be a little careful not to make too many drastic conclusions with number 40. But it does seem that that number is there to provide like connecting points to us, like jog our memory of other important events in the Bible, other events where God did a great unique work which is certainly true of the ascension of Jesus Christ. Second this week as I was thinking about this reality of Jesus presenting himself alive for 40 days, giving many proofs. So I think about this, I was just reminded like how hard the human heart is.
I mean you think Jesus, he’s on a 40 day preaching tour, 40 days showing everyone with proofs that he’s brought back from the dead. And you would thought like a master Bible surely would have come where everyone in the area would have come to faith in Jesus Christ. I mean really, what more would you need to believe in Jesus Christ? That’s not what happened. Now in Acts 2 mentioned bring up more in just a bit.
There is a great number of people who came to faith in Jesus Christ. Other places in Acts talks about many people coming to faith in Jesus. But even in those places where all these people come to faith in Christ, there were still plenty who did not believe. In fact, plenty in short order would be extremely violent towards those who did believe as they tried to stomp out the Christian faith. Unless the Lord pours out his grace and opens up the eyes of sinners, we just won’t believe our hearts are that hard towards God.
Think about risen Christ. 40 days. 40 days preaching about the kingdom. 40 days giving many proofs that for 40 days many did not believe. Keep going.
Verse 4. As Jesus was in Jerusalem teaching about the kingdom, as he was staying with his apostles, he gave them an order, an order or command which was for them to not depart from Jerusalem. Rather, they were to be in Jerusalem and they were to patiently wait for the promise of God the Father to come, which is a promise that the apostles heard Jesus actually speak about, really throughout his entire ministry. The promise in verse 5 of the passage which says this. For while John baptized with water, but according to the promises of God the Father, they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now, apostles stay in Jerusalem until that baptism happens.
Okay, now just for the sake of clarity, the John here, this is John the Baptist, who was the promised forerunner of Christ, the one who came to prepare the way of the Lord. His baptism was similar, yet a little different than the baptism that we have as a Christian baptism that we see in the New Testament and we are actually about to witness here just a little bit at the end of the service. So John’s baptism is a picture of repentance, cleansing from sin, which is true of Christian baptism, but Christian baptism is also more than that. And that in Christian baptism, there’s a very strong symbolism tied to the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. These are events that took place after John had already died after his baptism.
So we get to our baptism to end our service today. I’ll explain a little bit more what Christian baptism is having our text today. Luke was not comparing and contrasting between those two baptisms, the John’s baptism, the Christian baptism, but he compared John’s baptism, this outward physical baptism, to the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which is a baptism of the heart, where the Spirit of God comes and fills a person’s heart, which in doing so, he actually takes out a heart of stone that’s dead towards God, that will not believe in God, and the Spirit comes and replaces it with a heart of flesh that now is alive towards God, a heart that believes in God, that trusts in God, where the Spirit then lives and dwells. In the heart of the believer forever. In our text, Jesus told his followers they were to stay in Jerusalem is not many days from now this promise would be fulfilled where not many days from now they would be baptized by the Holy Spirit, which you see in chapter two.
And the large number of people who are turning to faith in Jesus Christ, they’re baptized by the Holy Spirit. Their eyes were finally opened to the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ and his death and resurrection. His promise of the Holy Spirit to come was to come after the ascension. We’ll talk about more in just a bit, but keep on verse six.
So the apostles came together as they heard the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. We see in the passage, they had some questions for him, particularly questions as related to the kingdom of God that he spoke to them about in verse three. And the questions that they had for Jesus related to the timing on when the kingdom of God would come to Israel. So in the text, Lord, we’re on board, we are eager, we are excited about this kingdom is to come. So we’re kind of hoping you won’t keep us in the dark.
When’s this going to take place? Like, we kind of want to know so we can best prepare. Lord, tell us plainly, exactly when is it? When is the time when you’ll restore the kingdom of Israel? Let’s hear about this question.
Clearly the disciples were still thinking of some type of political kingdom, some type of kingdom of this world that Jesus would usher in. Go back to Palm Sunday. That’s what the crowd was hoping for and excited about. Jesus restoring the kingdom of Israel to its former glory. Former glory.
Like when David sat on the throne 100 years prior in the Garden of Gethsemane. Remember that story when Jesus is praying the night that he was betrayed and the Romans came to arrest him? Remember how Peter, that’s what he was thinking was gonna happen, that the kingdom was going to come, so he pulled out the sword and cut off the ear of one of the Roman soldiers who came to arrest Jesus. Now here at the scene, even after the resurrection of Jesus, even after Jesus talked about the kingdom of God for 40 days, seems like the apostles, they’re still not quite getting it. They’re still, like, focused on Jesus ushering some type of political kingdom, a kingdom with borders, an earthly kingdom, the kingdom of Israel.
Only for Jesus to respond back to them in verse seven, which he does really, by deflecting their misguided question about the understanding of the kingdom by simply restating to him, which he stated to them many times. Concerning his kingdom, a kingdom that was not of this world. Rather, his kingdom is a kingdom that was one that was to come, an eternal kingdom, which in the text, the coming of his kingdom, he said, it’s not for them to know the times or the seasons when this eternal kingdom would fully come. Which by the way, going back to our study of Revelation, we just finished out. As important as it is to study, try to understand revelation as best we can, Jesus actually tells us the exact timing on when the kingdom will come.
That’s something he keeps from his people. Some text. Rather than trying to decipher the times and the season when this kingdom would fully come, the apostles, by extension us, they were to trust that the kingdom of Christ would come when the Father had fixed it to come based on his own authority. The apostles, rather than putting all their focus on this earthly kingdom or the times or the seasons when this kingdom would come, they were to wait patiently for the Holy Spirit to come. Verse 8, vertex.
When he would come, just say it again. Happens in the next chapter. It was then that they received power from the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit who had come upon them, who baptized their hearts, who would empower them in ways that they would be his witnesses. Meaning this baptism of the Holy Spirit was not empowering to bring forth some type of earthly kingdom. Not that we can’t care about the things of this earth, but as mentioned, when the Spirit comes, He does so to empower us to be witnesses for the Christ.
Being witnesses for Christ is hopefully the thing we most care about, we’re most motivated to do in this life, right, to tell others about Jesus in our text, as apostles, we’re about to be empowered to be witnesses to Christ. We see Jesus giving further instructions on where they’re to start their witnessing campaign. They’re starting Jerusalem, where they were. However, when the Spirit comes upon them, they are not to remain in Jerusalem, which is what Christ ordered them in verse four. But as the Spirit comes now, they’re to be witnesses, starting Jerusalem, but then move out from there and they go into all of Judea, our text tells us, and then keep going and then go into Samaria.
And then they were actually not to stop there. They’re supposed to keep going by being witnesses of Christ until they reach the very end of the earth itself. This year. This is how Christ builds His kingdom. It’s through the power of the Holy Spirit, who uses his people of faith to testify to others about Jesus Christ so they too would come to faith for us.
It’s witnessing that we are to do as well. Likewise, it’s the start where God currently has us, the apostles. It was Jewish for us. We start with our families, our neighborhoods, our places of work, maybe like our hobbies or interests, to connect with people who God has already planted in our lives to witness to them. But then we’re always seeking to expand from there.
Like the text. Apostles start here, keep going until you reach the ends of the earth. Revillist Church start here, but keep going until you reach the ends of the earth. Because the borders of Christ’s reign are borders that have no end. The Spirit is filling us to witness to the earth.
By the way, if you keep reading through the Book of Acts, actually we see what happens. The Gospel starts in Jerusalem, but just keeps advancing and it advancing and advancing even to us today. Verse 9. Jesus answered their question in his own way. We see that this answer, which really was commissioned for his followers to be witnesses to testify to Him.
We see that’s actually the last thing he would say to his apostles, at least in this fashion, this setting. Because after he finished saying these things, as the apostles were looking on, we read the Lord Jesus ascended as he was lifted up into the clouds, where as he reached the clouds, he was taken out of their sight. As the Lord ascended, He was taken out of this present life and back into the heavenly realm from which he came before the Incarnation, before the Word became flesh to dwell among us. But now in the Ascension, the Word who became flesh is dwelling in the heavenly places, which is where Christ will continue to dwell until the appointed time of his return.
And also mentioned here something more talk about more in just a bit, just Jesus taken away to the cloud. This also seems to be more than just like a descriptive detail of what happened at that scene. Rather seem that this descriptive detail has a theological connection that we see to other places in scripture where God would use clouds to indicate his presence to his people. Thinks this also is meant to jog our memory of that. So remember the story of the Exodus, how God had lead his people with a cloud by day, fire by night, or how the cloud would descend upon Mount Sinai, was declared God’s presence among his people.
The book of Daniel talks about the ancient of days who had come on the clouds. Remember when Jesus actually was transfigured on Mount Transfiguration? Remember how God the Father spoke to Jesus through the cloud, declaring Jesus to be his Son, with whom he is well pleased. So here, even though Jesus is ascending back into the heavenly realm, as he went into the cloud, I think this is Communicating God’s presence was still with his people.
May also mention. I think this here also connects us to Enoch. Remember how he was taken up in Genesis, the prophet Elijah in Second Kings, who was also taken up into the heavens. I think both those events here are actually pointing to this most important event. Keep going on this theme.
First. Thessalonians 4 tells us, those who are in Christ, who have been given the spirit, who are alive, when Christ returns, they will meet him by being taken up into the clouds to be with him forevermore. Keep going. Our passage, verse 10. As the Lord Jesus Christ was taken up in the cloud, naturally the apostles were, like, giving into the heaven, into the heavens as he went.
And as he gave. It appears like they were, like, fairly spellbound, maybe almost like paralyzed by what had just taken place. Which that would have been us too, right? Can you imagine being on site to see this scene? And as the apostles were, like, spellbound, the Lord we see sent to them two men to stand by them, who were in white robes to help snap them out of their gaze.
And these two here, these are angels, which, by the way, I think is actually another little connecting piece in our text. So Lord Jesus Christ, when he’s born in Bethlehem to the Virgin Mary, Remember how Luke recorded that while there were shepherds out watching their flocks by night, how angels came and declared the good news, a great joy for all the people, that Christ was now born. Now here at the end of Christ, dwelling with his people, at least in this fashion, here now, angels are back on the scene. This time to help prepare the apostles for what Christ was commanding them to do. To declare good news of great joy for all the people.
Men of Galilee, which is where they’re from, Men in Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? Do you not understand this? Jesus who was taken from you into heaven, do you not understand that one day, at the right time, in the right season, he will come in the same way you saw him go into heaven. That’s actually what Jesus told his disciples throughout his intercessory ministry, that he returned by coming through the clouds. And as he returns, he will fully set up the kingdom that will have no end.
A kingdom filled with the presence of God. So in the text, the angels to the men, men of Galilee, stop looking to the sky, but go forward. Do the thing Christ has called you, commanded you to do, and remain in Jerusalem until the coming of the Spirit. Then, as the Spirit comes, then go be his witnesses. What the Spirit promises, he will empower you to do for us.
That’s where we’re going to end our text today. But before we end the sermon, I do want to think a little bit more closely on the ascension of Jesus Christ and why it is so important. So important. As mentioned, many of the early creeds included this truth in what they professed. So for us.
So why is it so important? I got a handful of things for you. It’s a First, the ascension of Christ declares that the message of the Gospel has been fulfilled. All that Jesus came to do in the incarnation, like he accomplished it. It’s all accomplished in his life, his death, his resurrection from the dead.
All that needed to be accomplished, he accomplished. And how do we know that because he ascended, there’s nothing left for him to do. The message of the Gospel has been fulfilled. Jesus Christ accomplished what he came to accomplish by bringing forth forgiveness of sin and eternal life to all who would trust in him, including all here today. Friends, that’s what the Ascension teaches us.
It teaches us mission accomplish. Jesus declared on the cross it is finished. By the way, the Book of Hebrews. We’re going to start in a couple weeks. This is why there’s just one single sacrifice for sin.
This after Jesus died and rose again, he ascended and now sits at the right hand of God the Father. Jesus doesn’t need to be sacrificed over and over and over again to bring about forgiveness. He sacrificed once on the cross, once for all. He finished all that needed to be finished. And after he finished, he ascended.
Nothing left to do to fulfill his his Gospel. By the way, this is why we join the Protestant tradition where when displaying the cross, this is why the body of Jesus is not present in our display. He doesn’t need to be sacrificed over and over again. His body is not his continual place of sacrifice. Rather, say it again.
Through the ascension, we believe that the work is finished and his body is now in heaven. Likewise, when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper together, which we’re going to do in just a bit here, we don’t believe that we are re sacrificing the body of our Lord. Rather, as we take the Lord’s Supper, remember the one time sacrifice that was given, the only one that was needed. Friends, Christ ascending back into heaven. Say it again.
This is the great declaration that Jesus indeed fulfilled all that he came to do, which ought to give us every confidence in the Gospel. Friends, there’s nothing lacking. Second, the Ascension of Christ announces Christ’s authority. Again, the Book of Hebrews. As Christ ascended to heaven, he did so by sitting at the right hand of God, which is a position of complete power and authority.
Which is why Matthew 28, which is also the Great Commission. So Jesus, after His resurrection, somewhere along the 40 days, he told his disciples that now all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him. And essentially that’s what it’s declaring, this Jesus now declaring, showing that he has authority as he sits at the right hand of the Father. And that ought to encourage us. We know this life is broken.
It is chaotic. Life can be filled with one question after another after another without many answers.
Life at times feels like we’re just longing for something to provide hope and stability for us friends. As we struggle to find the answers to our questions, do so by struggling, understanding that Christ has all authority. All things have been under him, his authority. And when he returns, he will make all things right. Third, the ascension of Jesus Christ.
This inaugurated the coming of the promised Holy Spirit, which was to our advantage to why Christ ascended. Because as Christ ascended back to heaven, that’s when the promised Holy Spirit came. Now, in the Incarnation, that Christ bodily was present in one limited location. But now, through the coming of the Spirit of Christ, he is now present in all places and all times. Where through the Spirit of Christ, he is particularly present in the hearts of his people, where he leads and guides his people.
Where through the Spirit that has now come, he comforts his people and he gives to his people his peace. Where through the Spirit, he’s now leading us to all truth. Where through the Spirit, Christ takes out our heart of stone, replaces the heart of flesh so we can see and believe in him. Where through the Spirit, Christ eternally seals his people as a very own friends. When Christ ascended to heaven, he did not ascend in such a way that he left us as orphans.
Rather, it was for our advantage so the Spirit would come come to empower us in this life in ways that we can witness to Him. Fourth, the ascension of Christ assures that we have a great high priest who intercedes for us.
That’s the end of the Book of Hebrews. Since we have a great high priest who passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God. Let us hold fast our confession. We don’t have a high priest who’s unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every way, every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace in our time of need.
Then later on the book of Hebrews, Jesus, our great High Priest Scripture says the great High Priest who lives and makes intercessions for us.
And by the way, if you’re curious what this intercession of Christ looks like, just read chapter 17 of John in the great High priestly prayer that he prays for his people. It’s so encouraging to know how our Lord prays for us. It’s one of the reasons why the important dissension is so important. Jesus is our eternal High Priest. That one we can go to and continue to go to in our times in need.
And as we go to him, friends, he will always be there for us. Fifth Ascension of Christ happened so that he could go and prepare a place for us. That’s why he ascended John 14 to his disciples to us. Let not your hearts be troubled. And we know there’s many things in this life that can trouble our hearts.
Rather, believe in God. Believe also in Me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, I would have told you. If it was not so, would I have told you that I go and prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself. There I am. You may be also. Let’s go back again to our sermon series, one last time. Revelation.
This glorious eternal life has come, friends. The ascension of Christ. This is Jesus going back to heaven to prepare all that needed prepared for his people and the eternal life that awaits them. Say it again. Will come at the right time, in the right season.
As it comes, it will never end. 6. The Ascension of Christ happened so that his kingdom would expand. Say it again. It’s not a kingdom of this world.
The kingdom of the world that is to come. The kingdom where God’s perfect will will be done, which will be a kingdom where there’ll be no more sickness, no more sin, no more death, no more tears. A kingdom made up of all God’s people of all time, including all of us here today who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. The text as Christ ascended, His spirit came to empower the people of God to be his witnesses. So through the witnesses of his people who testified to the sufferings of Christ and His resurrection from the dead.
Through that God would draw more and more and more into the kingdom of Christ as He moves more people out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of his marvelous light.
One more, friends. The ascension of Christ gives us hope for his return.
As our text tells us, one day he will return in the same way in which he went and when he returns, we will go meet him in the same way. Read again. 1 Thessalonians 4 the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry and command, the voice of an archangel with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
And so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore, encourage one another with these words. My friends, may we just do that. May we encourage each other time and time and time again with these words. These words are very much tied to the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ, which are words that are not just theologically true.
The words are just so encouraging to our hearts, to our weary hearts.
As Christ ascended, one day we will ascend with him. Which is why, at least in part, I think, the early creeds felt it so necessary, so important to include them in their confession. It’s just so encouraging on so many fronts. Red Village Church May the ascension of Lord Jesus Christ be an important truth that we continue to confess as we wait with longing for our Lord to return in the same way in which he left. And may this truth, the ascension, not be important to us just because the early trees confessed it.
But more than that, scripture confesses it. So let me end with these words here. This is actually the earliest Christian creed found in first Timothy. Words that confess the mystery of godliness would say this Jesus, he was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the spirit, seen by the angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory. Let’s pray.
Lord, thank you for your word.
Lord, thank you for the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And Lord, I do pray this morning that that truth would really grip our hearts in ways that would just deeply encourage us.
And Lord, within that deep encouragement, I do pray you would help us to be witnesses that more and more and more would turn and trust in Jesus.
In Jesus name, Amen.