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The Ascension of Jesus
Adapted from Discovering the Biblical Jesus, Daniel
L. Akin
Jerry Vines, the pastor of First Baptist Church in Jacksonville,
Florida, and a dear friend, preached a sermon that has had
such a profound impact on my life that I listened to a tape
of it almost weekly for several years. With his permission
I will allow his message on the ascension to guide us through
this significant event and doctrine.
Carried Up into Heaven
The ascension of Jesus Christ marks the conclusion of His
earthly ministry and the initiation of His heavenly session.
Jesus’ incarnation is inseparably linked to significant
events in His life like His incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection,
and exaltation.
When Jesus ascended, He led His disciples out to Bethany on
the slopes of the Mount of Olives. From there He ascended
back to heaven. Vines eloquently describes what happened:
“Suddenly the strongest law in the universe was broken!
That law which keeps the earth in place; that law which causes
planets to whirl around the sun; that law, the universal law
of gravitation, was relaxed or suspended or broken to let
go free the Son of God! That law could hold on to the stars
and keep them in their places, but it could not hold on to
the Bright and Morning Star! That law of gravitation could
keep the sun in place, but it could not keep the Son of righteousness
from arising with healing in His wings! Jesus Christ ascended
back.”
At God’s Right Hand
Ephesians 4:10 says, “The One who descended is the same
as the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He
might fill all things.” He went above the first heaven,
where the birds fly and the clouds are formed; He went above
the second heaven, where the Milky Way is and innumerable
stars appear; He went into the very heaven of heavens itself,
the place of the throne of God! First Peter 3:22 says, “He
has gone into heaven, He is at God’s right hand, with
angels, authorities, and powers subjected to him.” The
Bible teaches that Jesus ascended to heaven for us, for our
benefit. In John 16:7 Jesus said, “‘It is for
your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away
the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send Him
to you.’ ”
Jesus ascended to heaven as our Master (see Col.
4:1). He now sits at the right hand of the throne
of God, where He resides as the Lord of this universe. In
Acts 2:33-36 Peter says, “‘Since He has been exalted
to the right hand of God … God has made this Jesus …
both Lord and Messiah.’ ” Because Jesus is in
heaven, He is our ascended Lord; He is the Master, with angels
and authorities subject to Him.
Jesus ascended to heaven as our forerunner (see
Heb. 6:19-20). As our great forerunner, Jesus
Christ has gone into the very holy of holies in heaven as
our High Priest. Hebrews 10:11-12 reminds us, “Every
priest stands day after day ministering and offering time
after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away
sins. But this man, after offering one sacrifice for sins
forever, sat down at the right hand of God.” In His
present ministry Jesus “always lives to intercede”
for us (see Heb. 7:25). Paul wrote that Jesus “is at
the right hand of God and intercedes for us” (Rom. 8:34).
This means that heaven is on our side. Jesus is praying for
us!
Jesus ascended to heaven victorious (see Eph.
4:8). Dr. Vines describes the scene:
When Jesus Christ went back to heaven, His ascension gift
to His church was the Holy Spirit. We have the power of
the Holy Spirit today because Jesus Christ, the ascended
Lord, gave it to us on the day of Pentecost. All power in
the church is made possible because of the gift of the Spirit
of God. All power in your individual life is possible because
of the Spirit of God. He gave the gift of the Spirit, but
the Bible also says He gave gifts (plural). Our Savior,
our ascended Lord, gave to His church gifted men. He gave
some, apostles; some, prophets; some, evangelists; some,
pastors and teachers (see Eph. 4:11).
Jesus was born contrary to the laws of nature, reared in
obscurity, and only once crossed the border of the land in
which he was born and lived, and then as a child. He had no
wealth or influence, neither training nor education in the
world’s schools. His relatives were inconspicuous and
unimportant. His death was the height of shame and disgrace
in His day. Yet in infancy He startled a king. As a boy He
puzzled learned scholars. In manhood He ruled the course of
nature. He walked on the waves and hushed the sea to sleep.
He healed the multitudes without medicine and did not charge
for His services.
Jesus never wrote a book; yet if everything He did were written
in detail, the world couldn’t contain the books that
would be written. He never founded a college; yet all the
schools together cannot boast of as many students as He has.
He never practiced medicine; yet He has healed more broken
hearts than doctors have healed broken bodies. Throughout
history great men have come and gone; yet He lives on. Herod
could not kill Him, Satan could not seduce Him, death could
not destroy Him, and the grave could not hold Him. As King,
He is enthroned at God’s right hand. As Priest, He has
atoned for sin and now prays for us. As Prophet, He is the
final spokesman for God.
This was the life of Jesus, and it was and still is a life
like no other. After 20 centuries He is still the amazing,
surprising, and fascinating Master. |
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