Does Jesus’ ascension really matter and what does it tell us about him?

I Believe – 5

 Reading: Acts 1:1-11

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Click here to download the powerpoint presentation for this talk.

I want to give you a challenge.

If you were to put the most important fundamentals of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ, what would you put.

• Imagine you have just 12 tweets (of 140 characters each) to summarise what you know as a Christ-follower – what would you put in them?

• That’s what the Apostle’s creed is. Each of its 12 statements will fit snugly into a tweet.

Yet these are some of the most profound truths of the Christian faith and they’ve nourished people’s souls for over 2000 years.

You don’t need me to remind you that we have troops fighting for our country on the other side of the world. These men and women are giving their time, expertise and risking their lives for the sake of our nation.

And there’s one moment they almost universally look forward to when they’re in the theatre of battle – and that’s the moment they come home.

Today’s tweet from the apostle’s creed is a homecoming

I believe in Jesus Christ – that he ascended into heaven. (say it)

Acts 1:1-11 is the story – and remember that Luke , who wrote the book of Acts

What does the Bible say about Jesus’ ascension? You’ve already heard Luke’s account of what they saw and there are many other places in the Bible where this incident is mentioned.

There’s more than a hint that Jesus knew this was going to happen <ppt>

Jesus took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray.

Luke 9:29-31 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendour, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfilment at Jerusalem.

The exaltation of Jesus to his rightful place happened when he ascended <ppt>

The way the Bible writers talk about it after it happened is highly significant because they don’t speak of it as an event just to be amazed by (it was certainly that) they speak of it as showing the moment that Jesus was exalted. <ppt>

And this happened right from day 1of the church, the day of Pentecost.

• Peter was preaching to the vast crowd that had gathered because they’d heard the commotion caused by the Holy Spirit coming on people.

Here’s what he said:

Acts 2:32-34 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.

So we don’t need to major on the incident of the ascension, but on the meaning of it – the exaltation of Jesus to his rightful place <ppt>

It wasn’t long before the apostles were being persecuted by the religious authorities, imprisoned and hauled up before them they were warned not to teach about Jesus but this is what they said

Acts 5:29-33 “We must obey God rather than men! The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead– whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. Yet God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Saviour so that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” When they heard this, the priests were furious and wanted to put the apostles put to death.

Who was the first Christian martyr? (Stephen). What caused him to be stoned to death?

• Look at the evidence – Stephen had just defended his faith in Jesus before the Jewish council – the Sanhedrin – and they were livid at his barefaced cheek!

Acts 7:54-57 When the Sanhedrin heard what Stephen said, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him.

55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and [Jesus,] the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

57 At this [statement] the Sanhedrin covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him.

Many people (including some famous artists) imagine the vision of Jesus exalted at God’s right hand was being given to Stephen as he was being stoned, but Acts tells us that it was this vision of the exalted Christ which provoked the stoning!

• Saying that Jesus is exalted cost Stephen his life.

Jesus Christ stands exalted over people who persecute his children.

• Still today when people are being persecuted for their faith, they are seen by an exalted Christ who stands in judgement on their oppressors.

Some people find the ascension difficult to believe in the same was as they find the resurrection hard to swallow.

The deists are a group of people who believe that reason should determine everything we believe. And as a result they have a belief in God which sees him as unwilling – or even unable – to intervene in anything on planet earth.

The deists have a concept they call “the principle of analogy” and it runs like this.

Before we can believe strange happening outside of our experience we must produce something analogous (or similar) to them in the present day. While this may sound reasonable we run into trouble with the resurrection and ascension

If it were correct we would have to write off many of the miracles in the life of Jesus and the early church.

• We don’t have current examples of people who can walk on water, turn water into wine or raise the dead.
• Because some of these miraculous things were ‘sui generis’ (= one of a kind)

No-one will ever again be raised from the dead for our justification and exalted to glory to represent us to the Father – they are sui generis – one of a kind.

So what does the ascension tell us about Jesus Christ?

I think we should celebrate the ascension more! It’s equally important although we don’t give it such a high profile in our calendar.

7 answers (fasten you seat belts!)

The ascension tells us:

1Jesus’ earthly work was complete

For all of us our work will be complete when we die. What Ian white dies he will not preach another sermon (for which some people will undoubtedly be highly delighted!)

But Jesus’ death was not the end. We saw last week how important his resurrection is to us today, but it didn’t stop there.

There was more for Jesus to achieve after he returned to life

He needed to be seen by the world, he needed to teach his disciples and only then could he be taken into glory

2Because of the ascension Jesus is now exalted.

This moment that Jesus exited the earth marked the time his exaltation to God’s right hand began.

Philippians 2 gives us two immediate consequences of Jesus ascension

Phil 2:9-11 … God exalted [Jesus] to the highest place and gave him the name that is above (or superior to) every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, … and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

There is a new office (he’s exalted) and a new name

• That doesn’t mean Jesus had a name-change! The idea behind the ‘name’ is his reputation, the glory, the whole sum-total of who the person is – has all been elevated for us.

This week (12/10/2011) Bruce Forsyth received his knighthood and he’s now ‘Sir Bruce’ – he’s got a new name

The change of name is not just an alteration of his personal label, it indicates he’s occupying a new office – he’s been exalted to the status of a knight of the realm.

I am not going to draw a parallel between Bruce Forsyth and Jesus Christ!

• Except this – his new office gives him a new name and a (theoretically) higher status. And that’s what God did with Jesus when he ascended,
• Jesus took on a new office and God gave him, not just a higher name, but the highest status
• And one day everyone will pay homage to Christ and everyone see for themselves the wonder, the glory of God.

3Because of the ascension Jesus now intercedes for us.

To ‘intercede’ means to ‘stand in between’, to come between two parties in order to act as an intermediary to bring them together.

How can we possibly stand before the searing purity of a holy God?

• Only if someone acts as our intermediary – a friend of both sides – and that person is Jesus.
• Up to that time this ministry had been reserved for special priests – and then only on rare occasions. But now the channels of communication are open to each of us individually and all of us together to plead with God!

The person who stood in our place bearing God’s punishment on the cross is now the one who stands in our place pleading our cause before him.

4Because of the ascension access to God is open for all

In Corinthians Paul spends a chapter taking about death

1 Cor 15:19-22

19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.

20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, and he is the firstfruits of those who have passed away

22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

In the OT sacrificial system the first fruit of a crop would be given to God as a sacrifice -and the priest would ceremonially lift it up as an offering to the Lord. Paul is telling us that Jesus does that for us. He is the first one to be given ultimate status and with him, come each of us.

We have access to God!

5Because of the ascension Jesus earthy work is complete

The main thrust of all Jesus’ work was the atonement – acting as our substitute to pay the ransom price for our sin.

• It began with the incarnation (when he entered this world) and finished, not with his death, but with his ascension.
• It’s the ascension that is God saying ‘mission accomplished!’

Just take a look at the way the Bible talks about this.

• When Jesus came, his arrival was spoken of as a joint initiative – it was Jesus (along with his Father) who did this.
• When Jesus died the Bible speaks similarly – Jesus voluntarily gave himself for our sins (along with the Father – he did it).

But when the resurrection is spoken of it’s more often in passive terms -

• “God raised Jesus” – indicating that Jesus was powerless to raise himself but God did it for us!

Similarly with the ascension of Christ

• “God exalted him to the highest place” – it was God who is acting here – He’s taking the initiative so that you and I can benefit from Jesus’ completed work on earth!

If Jesus work is complete it begs the question: how can God continue to redeem / rescue people he loves on planet earth?

The answer is …

6Because of the ascension the Holy Spirit could come

I want you to see the way Jesus spoke to his disciples just before he left. – Jesus’ final words

Acts 1:6-9 <ppt> when they met together, they asked Jesus, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

They had been waiting for this all along and it’s clear that they still had this fixated idea that Jesus was going to be some sort of political liberator

7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

These still learning disciples asked for one thing and were promised another.

• They asked for dates and times but Jesus promised them power and zeal.
• The power of the Holy Spirit and godly zeal to tell their world about Christ.

And it was after those telling final words that Jesus was taken into the clouds and they never saw him again.

We need this power. We need it at Victoria.

• I need it. Our leaders need it, our missionaries need it.
• And you need it, if you want your life to count for eternity.
• And the reason we need it is that without it our witness for Christ will lack deep conviction and zeal. It will lack courage, convincing wisdom, and converting effectiveness.

When the Holy Spirit falls upon you in power your witness to Christ comes with deep conviction.

In 1 Thessalonians 1:5 Paul identifies exactly the same two facets of God’s work

“Our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.” <ppt>

Some of us need to be convicted – about starting out as a Christian.

• You’ve been putting it off and the Holy Spirit wants access to you heart to bring conviction

Some of us need to be convicted about how we’ve conducted our Christian life

• we’ve been lazy and half-hearted and ‘full conviction’ is not the way anyone would describe our faith

Some of need to be convicted about obeying Jesus by being baptised.

• Matthew recorded Jesus’ instructions to his disciples about this time when he gave them the great commission to make disciples – how? By going to where people are, by teaching them the truths about him and by baptising them in the name of the father, son an holy spirit.
• In Acts the message of the early church to every convert was ‘believe and be baptised’ not believe and think about it for later!

Sure, you may have been christened >>>

It’s not my job to make you feel guilty – heaven forbid that conviction is done by Ian White – that’s the Holy Spirit’s job! And some of us need to respond to his repeated promptings before his voice becomes so faint that we can no longer hear it.

And it was with that promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit and a promise of the conviction or zeal to witness effectively that Jesus left this earth. Period.

(don’t ignore God’s voice!)

7Because of the ascension we are in a new age

Jesus had just disappeared from their sight

Acts 1:10-11 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go.”

We are between these two events, the ascension and Jesus’ return.

It’s the age of grace in which God’s grace is offered to every last one of us and is there to be taken, day after day, year after year.

Jesus’ translation into heaven was more than just a convenient exit

The Bible talks about Jesus ‘sitting on god’s right hand’ – a place which is the highest that anyone could be given.

And that is the person who is here today speaking to you, that is the one we pray to , He is the one who pleads with the Father in our defence and brings our prayers to almighty god.

Pray >>>