Following Christ's Lead Into 2024

So, Psalm 98 is our first psalm of praise this morning, Psalm 98, and it's on page 129.

We're singing verses 1 to 6. The tune is Peter's psalm.

O sing a new song to the Lord, for wonders he has done. His right hand and his holy arm the victory have won.

The Lord declared his saving work and made it to be known to all the nations of the world.

His righteousness is shown. Psalm 98, verses 1 to 6. And we'll stand to sing. If you're able to stand, please stand.

Psalms 98:1–6

His right hand and his holy arm the victory have won.

The Lord declared his saving work and made it to be known.

To all the nations of the world, his righteousness is shown.

His death, but love and faithfulness, he has remembered them.

The covenant, he made with him the house of Israel.

And all the nations of the earth have seen what God has done.

His right hand and his holy arm the victory have won.

His right hand and his holy arm the victory have won.

His right hand and his holy arm the victory have won.

The Lord, O all we are, shall love be and rejoice.

Make music and be children, to them lift up your voice.

With heart, his music to the Lord.

With heart, his graces sing.

With trumpet and with glory rejoice.

Before the Lord the King.

Let's join together now in prayer.

We're praying specifically for the children and for the Sunday school.

Lord our God, help us, we pray, to rejoice today in your presence here as we gather to worship you.

And we thank you for the children who are with us.

We thank you for all the young folk and children who belong to the congregation and their homes and families.

We pray for them today.

And we ask, O Lord, that they may progress in the knowledge of the Lord as their Savior.

And we pray that you'll bless the teaching they receive from week to week in their own homes, in the Sunday school here and elsewhere.

We thank you for the way that they form such an important part of the congregation's life.

And we pray that we may continually bear them before you in your presence in prayer.

And so we ask now as we seek to wait upon you here that you'll bless them.

And as they continue, O Lord, to attend upon Sunday school and creche and tweenies,

we ask that your own blessing will continue to be with us.

Hear us, we pray now, and pardon our sin for Jesus' sake. Amen.

My children, the Sunday school is looking today at the story of Simeon and Anna.

You'll find an account of that in Luke chapter 2 and from verse 27 or so.

Luke 2 · chapter mention

And at verse 27, we read about Simeon.

He was a holy man, a man who was waiting for something that God had promised in the Old Testament,

and that was the coming of the Savior.

And he was actually told, he had been told by God that he would not die until he had actually seen for himself the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

And when the Savior was born, some time after that, Simeon came to the temple,

and the parents of Jesus brought the child, the infant Jesus, just to follow out what was required in the law of God.

And at verse 28, we read,

And also we find Anna, also mentioned in the next part of the chapter.

So, Simeon and Anna were both waiting for this one important event of the birth of the Savior, the coming of the Savior.

And this is what Simeon did after seeing Jesus, the infant Jesus.

He took him up in his arms, and he blessed God.

Now, this is one of my favorite passages in the whole Bible.

It's such a wonderful passage.

The infant Jesus, and there's the old man, Simeon, waiting for the coming of Jesus.

And there he is, and as he's looking at Jesus, as he takes him up in his arms and embraces him in his arms,

he looks down at him and says,

Now, Lord, I can go in peace, because my eyes have seen your salvation.

Isn't that an amazing thing?

That he could say of this infant child, there is God's salvation in my arms.

And now I can go from this world, he said, in peace.

He was full of thanks, full of gratitude to God, that God had fulfilled his promise, not just for him, but indeed for all who would come to be saved through Jesus.

And he put it there even, for all people, this is a revelation.

This is your revelation for them.

Now, from that, there are two or three things that we can say about ourselves or apply to ourselves.

First of all, you need to take Jesus up.

I'm speaking especially to the young ones, but it's true for us all.

You need to take Jesus up in your heart the same way as Simeon took him up in his arms.

Just picture Simeon reaching out and taking the infant Jesus like that into his arms.

Well, this is what we have the opportunity to do ourselves, that we can reach out and by faith and by trust, we can bring Jesus into our hearts.

We can have Jesus coming to live in our hearts as we embrace him, as we receive him, as he offers himself to us in the Bible, in the Gospel.

And then we can be full of joy as well.

We can be full of joy because we then have salvation in our lives, in our hearts, God's salvation.

Just as Simeon could say, now my eyes have seen your salvation, so we can say, having Jesus in your life, you have God's salvation in him.

So today, young ones and old ones, we can embrace Jesus, welcome him into our lives, and so rejoice and be glad and be happy that we have God's salvation in him.

Now, Simeon did this in public.

Now, that's important as well.

He wasn't embarrassed that people were seeing this, that people were hearing him saying this.

And when you have taken up Jesus into your heart, and when you hold Jesus in your heart, and when he becomes precious to you, then you want to tell the whole world about him.

Because what makes him precious to you as a savior is what you want others to have as well.

And it's wonderful to hear of you young folks yourselves, children, telling others about the Sunday school, about how good it is to learn about Jesus.

That's you just like Simeon telling the world how precious Jesus is.

So today, Simeon and Anna tell us the importance of taking Jesus to ourselves, the importance of rejoicing in Jesus, being glad that we have him, and the importance of telling the world that this is the savior who is for them as well, Jesus Christ, the Lord.

So may God bless these words.

Let's say the Lord's prayer now together.

Amen.

Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever.

Amen.

We're going to sing again now.

We're singing this time in Psalm 25.

Psalm 25 in the Sing Psalms version, page 29.

Another tune is Finart, and we're singing verses 1 to 7.

To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.

I trust in you continually.

Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my foes gloat over me.

No one who sets his hope in you will ever suffer such disgrace.

But those who act with treachery, humiliating shame, will face.

So to the tune Finart, verses 1 to 7, to God's praise.

Let us sing.

Let us sing.

Let us sing.

Let us sing.

Let us sing.

To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.

I trust in you continually.

Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my foes go over me.

No one who sets his hope in you will ever suffer such disgrace,

but those who act with treachery, humiliating shame will face.

O Lord, reveal to me your ways, and all your paths help me to know.

Direct and guide me in your turn, instruct me in the way to go.

You are my Saviour and my God, all day I hope in you alone.

Remember, Lord, your love and grace, which from past ages you have shown.

Do not recall my sins of youth, or my rebellious evil ways.

Remember me in your great love, for you, O Lord, are good always.

Okay.

We're going to read from God's Word in the Gospel of Luke.

And it's chapter 24.

We're reading verses 36 through to the end of the chapter.

This is Luke's account of those who met with Jesus after his resurrection,

as they were traveling on the road to a village called Emmaus.

You'll find that from verse 13, and the incident as it's described there.

And then from verse 36, Jesus having spoken to them and taught them as to who he was,

and the scriptures being fulfilled.

He said then in verse 36,

And when he said to them,

And when he said to them,

He showed them his hands and his feet.

And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them,

Have you anything here to eat?

And they gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them.

Then he said to them,

These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you,

That everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.

Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures,

and said to them,

Thus it is written that the Christ should suffer,

and on the third day rise from the dead,

and that repentance and forgiveness of sins

should be proclaimed in his name to all nations,

beginning from Jerusalem.

You are witnesses of these things.

And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you,

but stay in the city till you are clothed with power from on high.

Then he led them out as far as Bethany,

and lifting up his hands he blessed them.

While he blessed them, he parted from them,

and was carried up into heaven.

And they worshipped him,

and returned to Jerusalem with great joy,

and were continually in the temple,

blessing God.

Amen. May God bless to us again this reading of his word.

Let's now call upon him again in prayer.

Our gracious God,

we thank you for the testimony of your word,

that the fulfillment of your promises,

given so long ago,

came to be fully realized

in the person of our Savior,

the Lord Jesus Christ.

We thank you today, Lord,

for what we have read,

even in this short passage,

and the words that we have been singing

as they describe your salvation.

And we thank you for all that has come to us in him,

and for everything, Lord,

that you have brought to us

by way of your redemption,

your salvation,

the forgiveness of our sins.

Lord, help us, we pray today,

to not only embrace these great truths for ourselves,

but to embrace you as that person

in whom we have salvation.

for we know that there is no other name

given under heaven amongst men

whereby we must be saved.

And so help us, Lord,

we pray today,

to have our trust deposited in you,

to have our lives given over to you,

to be ruled by you,

and to give ourselves to you,

to your service,

while we have the opportunity

of doing so in this life.

We thank you today, Lord,

that we gather as worshippers

of your great name,

that you have been exalted to heaven

to sit at the right hand

of the Father on high,

and that you receive the worship

of your people

as we worship you today

as God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

We give thanks, O Lord,

for the revelation you have given

of yourself

and of the way in which we find

in the very mystery,

but beauty of the Godhead,

our redemption to be placed.

We give thanks, O Lord,

to you as our Father,

who sent the Son into the world,

as to give him to the death

of the cross.

And we give thanks, O Lord,

to you for coming into the world

and for giving of yourself

obediently and fully

to the death which we deserve,

but could never fulfill ourselves.

And we give thanks for all

that that death accomplished,

for the way in which

the will of God

not only expressed in him,

but also the wrath of God

coming to rest upon him

instead of his people,

and the justice of God

satisfied fully.

We bless you, Lord,

today for the work

of your Holy Spirit,

and we thank you

that the Holy Spirit

takes the things of Christ

and shows them to us.

And we pray today

that that may be

our experience here,

that however we appear

before you,

whatever our circumstances

in life may be,

and whatever our relationship

with you presently is,

Lord, we pray that today

all of us will leave

this gathering

as people who know

the Lord for ourselves,

and to come to be

as we saw with Simeon,

embrace the Lord Jesus Christ,

and to take you up

into our hearts,

and to dwell believingly

upon you

for every day

that goes by.

So bless us,

we pray,

once again

as a congregation

of your people.

Lord, we thank you

for every encouragement

that you give us,

for every way

in which your blessing

is revealed to us,

and for every way

that we can still

wait upon you

for all our worship services

and all our related activities

throughout each week.

We thank you

for all that you enable us

to do,

for all that you enable us

to carry out.

Lord, we pray again

that you would bless

all of these activities

and enterprises

that we are privileged

to be part of

and to join in with.

Lord, we pray

that you would especially

bless the gospel,

for we know

that whatever activities

we engage in

or organize

or set up,

that they are to be

subsumed under our concern

for the glory of your name,

through the blessing

of your word,

through your salvation

coming to be known

by those who come

under the teaching

of your word.

We ask today

that you'd bless us

in all the various ways

in which we need

your blessing,

O Lord.

Bless us in our families

and homes.

Bless us in our relationships,

one with another,

in marriages,

in being parents

and grandparents,

and bless again

our children

and our grandchildren.

We ask, Lord,

today that you would

be pleased

to receive them

to yourself

in blessing

and to carry out

further

their standing

in the gospel

so that they may come,

Lord,

to be truly rooted

and grounded

in the Lord himself.

We ask your blessing

for every activity

that we engage in

from day to day

and pray that you would

continue, Lord,

to encourage us

by the work of your Spirit

being made known

amongst us.

We ask your blessing

today to be

with all of our number

who have difficulties

and trials

to contend with

in the course

of their lives.

We ask, O Lord,

that any of ourselves

here present

or watching online

who have trials

today to contend with

will know

of your upholding

and supporting of them

and of your encouragement.

Draw us,

we pray,

to yourself

amongst all

the changes

and the turns

of life

in your providence.

Help us,

we pray,

to constantly

reflect upon

your wisdom

and your right

to rule our lives.

And we pray

that you would give us

a willing heart,

O Lord,

day by day

to place our trust

in you.

We remember, too,

Lord,

all today

in our community

who have suffered

loss in these days

or recent times.

We pray that you

bless those

who have lost loved ones

and who mourn over them

and continue to miss them

from their lives.

We pray for them

and we pray

for their comfort.

You alone

are the great

comforter

who can comfort

in a way

that none other can.

And we pray

that you would grant

that comfort

to them today

and to all of us,

Lord,

in our circumstances.

Whenever we have

circumstances

of trial

and pain,

of disappointment,

of unexpected events,

we pray,

Lord,

that you would

grant

that we may be

drawn to yourself.

and remember,

we pray all

who help others

in their time of need.

We thank you

for all in our community

who attend to us

by way of nursing care

and medical practices,

both in hospital

and also in the hospice

in Bethesda,

in our care homes.

We thank you again

for the provision

that is made for us there.

We pray that you

would bless those

who attend to us

in our times

of bereavement

and sorrow.

Remember,

the undertaker,

his staff,

we thank you for them

and for the way

that they are so helpful

to us

in these times of need.

We pray that you

will continue

to provide for them

as each day goes by.

And we ask you

a blessing

for all others

in our community

who carry out

such valuable service

for all the emergency services.

We pray for the street pastors

who go out

in the late evenings

and early mornings.

And Lord,

we ask that you

would keep them safe.

We pray that you

would bless their ministry

in their community.

We pray that they

may be of much benefit

to those that they meet with.

And we ask that you

would help them

as they seek

to encourage others,

that you would grant

encouragement

to themselves.

ourselves.

We pray too

that you'd bless us

in our further

waiting upon you here.

And we ask that

your blessing

will be with us

throughout our nation

at this time

and these difficult times.

We ask that you'd bless

those who are

suffering different ways

from lack of work

or lack of income.

And we pray that you would,

Lord,

help them

and help them

to come

to trust in you,

to know

the riches

of eternal life.

Even though we know

that our financial

and economic situation

is in itself important.

Grant to us,

Lord,

that we have

our affection

on those things

which are above,

those things

which are unseen,

these riches

that are within

your salvation

and provision

for us

in Christ Jesus.

Remember our rulers.

Lord,

be with them,

we pray,

in different governments

and administrations.

We pray for wisdom

for them.

We pray especially

for the light

of your gospel truth

to come

to dwell in their hearts

and to come

to guide their minds

and their thoughts.

We pray throughout

the world,

Lord,

today,

that where there is

conflict,

war,

strife,

terrorism,

lack of resources,

devastation,

earthquake,

and floods,

O Lord,

we pray that

throughout the world

your own kingdom

may advance,

that we may,

as we have been thinking

and reading through

and saying the Lord's Prayer,

help us truly

to know, Lord,

and to come

to experience

your will being done

on earth

as it is in heaven.

And we pray

that your kingdom

will advance.

Remember the places

in the world

where there is

such devastation

of war.

We think of

the Middle East

at this time

and ask that

you would bless

those who are

seeking to bring

peace of a proper

kind to these places,

Gaza and Israel.

We pray for Ukraine

and their situation,

asking, Lord,

that you'd continue

to bless them

and to bless

your people there.

And we ask

that you'd continue

to bless those

of them who are

with us here

in this congregation

as a family.

Lord, continue.

We pray to provide

for them.

Help us to continue

to pray for them

and for all

who belong

to that nation

at this time.

We ask that you

would continue

to bless them

with that

persevering spirit

that would seek

to resist aggression

and to seek

to live their lives

again in freedom.

And so bless us now,

we pray,

and hear our prayer.

Pardon our many sins,

we pray in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Amen.

We're going to sing again

to God's praise

this time in Psalm 21.

Psalm 21,

and that's in the

Scottish Psalter this time,

verses 1 to 6.

The King,

in Thy great strength,

O Lord,

shall very joyful be.

In Thy salvation,

rejoice,

how vehemently

shall he.

And as we read

through the words

of this psalm,

we think of the Lord

Jesus Christ himself

in whom they are

so wonderfully fulfilled

and how he himself

has come to rejoice

in the salvation

that he has provided himself

and come with blessings

to occupy the crown

that's now upon his head

at God's right hand.

So Psalm 21,

we're singing

verses 1 to 6,

and the tune this time

is Paisley,

the King,

in Thy great strength,

O Lord.

The King,

in Thy great strength,

O Lord,

shall very joyful be.

And Thy salvation,

rejoice,

how vehemently

shall he.

Thou hast bestowed upon him

all that his heart would have,

and Thou from him

didst not withhold

what e'er his lips

to crave.

For Thou with blessings

him previst

of goodness manifold,

and Thou hast set upon his head

a crown of purest gold.

When he decided life of thee,

Thou life to him didst give,

in such a land of peace

that he forevermore should live.

in that salvation

in that salvation

wrought by thee,

his glory is made great.

Honor and comely majesty

thou hast upon him said,

because that Thou

forevermore

most blessed

hast him made,

and Thou hast with Thy

countenance

made him exceeding

glad.

Well, for a short time,

let's turn again to the passage

we read in Luke 24,

and looking this morning

at the final few verses

from verse 50.

Then he, Jesus,

led them out as far as Bethany,

and lifting up his hands,

he blessed them.

While he blessed them,

he parted from them

and was carried up into heaven.

And they worshipped him

and returned to Jerusalem

with great joy

and were continually

in the temple

blessing God.

We want to look at this passage

under the general title

of Following Christ's Lead

into 2024.

In other words,

that as the passage

deals with Jesus

leading these disciples,

we learn much

that will benefit us,

we hope,

as we seek to follow

his leading

and guidance of us

through the year

that has just

very recently begun.

Luke ends

his gospel,

his book,

the gospel of Luke,

as he began.

He ends it

with worship,

the worship of God,

as he began,

with a reference

in different ways

to the worship of God.

And of course,

in between,

Luke fills

the gospel

with an account

of Christ's ministry

from his birth

through to his death

and here

his resurrection

and ascension

to glory.

And the focus

really in these verses

from the beginning

of this chapter

is on the fact

that this in fact

is the same person

who died

who is now

meeting with

these disciples

and showing himself

to them

and then taken up

from them

into heaven.

And that's an important point.

It's not a different Jesus

who appeared

after his resurrection

and in these passages here

to the Jesus

they knew

before he died.

It's the same person,

the same Jesus

who died

and rose again

and now comes

to be taken

to heaven.

And in verse 42

you can see

a reference there

to the fact

that it's still

very much

the human Jesus.

He took this piece

of broiled fish

and he took it

and ate before them.

In other words,

he demonstrates

this is not really

a spirit

that is not

some ghost-like

phantom-like figure.

It is in fact

Jesus himself.

His humanity

is still true humanity.

Whatever we say

of the meaning

of that verse

this is obviously

a demonstration

that he isn't

still the same Jesus.

He's still the same person.

He is still fully human

just as he is God.

And verses 50 to 53

then take us

to see how

the emphasis

on the resurrection

of Jesus,

the appearance

of Jesus

after the resurrection

and how that

in a way

logically

in terms of

God's provision

of salvation

and provision

of all that's in Jesus

as it logically

in that sense

flows into

his ascension.

One thing just

carries on into

the other,

the resurrection

and the appearances

carry on into

his being taken

from this world

up into glory.

And there are

three things

that we can look at

from these final

verses of Luke.

Three things

that apply

to our own

Christian experience

that we can look at

as significant features

of a Christian experience

that I hope

we all can follow

today

and if not

then you have to

ask yourself

the question

why can't I

I'm not yet

in that position

to experience

and enjoy

these experiences.

What are they?

Well here we find

first of all

this Christian life

the life

of following Jesus

it's a life

willing to be

led by Christ.

A life willing

to be led by Christ.

It's secondly

a life secure

within Christ's

intercession.

Within Christ's

blessing

we'll see that

that takes us

to think about

his intercession.

And thirdly

it's a life

rejoicing

in worshipping

Christ.

A life

willing to be

led by him

a life secure

within his

intercession

and a life

that rejoices

in worshipping

him.

then he led

them out

as far as

to Bethany.

Now that's a

deliberate reference

it seems by Luke.

It doesn't say

that he walked

with them

as far as

Bethany.

He actually

says specifically

and deliberately

he led them

out.

He actually

led them

and he went

before them.

In other words

they were

following him.

He deliberately

chose

this way

of

progressing

towards

his ascension.

It is

Jesus

who chose

the route.

It is

Jesus

who went

before them.

It is

Jesus

who led

them.

He was

the leader

until he

was taken

up from

them.

They were

under

his

direction.

And that

itself

seems a

simple point

is a very

important

factor

in our

discipleship.

In our

living life

under the

direction

and control

and government

of Jesus.

It is

life

willing to

be led

by Christ.

A life

that wants

indeed to

know more

and more

of his

leading and

of his

guidance,

of his

going before

us and

of his

being with

us.

In other

words,

the turns

and the

climbs

and the

descents,

the experiences

of providence

which is

God's

providence,

Christ's

providence,

all that

we find

in the

turnings

of our

experiences

from day

to day,

the gains

and the

losses,

the highs

and the

lows,

the pains

and the

joys,

the unexpected

things and

the expected

things,

whatever they

are as

they combine

together in

the providence,

in the lot

that we

have,

that is

by Christ's

choosing.

That is

by Christ's

choosing.

And our

peace of

heart

comes

from

acceptance

of that

great

fact.

Because we

will never

have that

peace of

heart if

we keep

rebelling

against the

Lord and

against His

wisdom.

Everything in

your life

today has

been appointed

by Jesus.

Not just

appointed in

any old

way, in a

loose kind

of a way,

but appointed

deliberately and

appointed wisely.

I think one

of the things

that we

always need

to come

back,

myself

especially,

again and

again to,

is the fact

that it is

the wise

Savior,

the wise

God,

who chooses

the route

for us.

It's not

the one we

would have

chosen

ourselves.

If Jesus

had left

the route

to these

disciples and

said to

them,

well on

you go

and I'll

just follow

you and

just wherever

you want

to meet,

wherever you

want to

stop,

I'll meet

with you

there.

He led

them out

as far

as Bethany.

Is that

how it is

with your

own life

today?

Is he

leading your

life onwards

day by day?

Are you

today willing

to be led

by this

Jesus?

Are you

willing that

your life

will be

patterned

by his

wisdom

and his

choice

of the

route

for you?

That's all

built into

this very

brief reference.

He led

them out

as far

as to

Bethany.

And not

only that,

but remember

who this

is and

what his

position is

here.

It's the

risen Jesus

who's leading

them out.

The Jesus

who's conquered

death.

The Jesus

for whom

death is

now behind

him and

having gained

that victory

over death

and over the

grave and

over sin

and over

Satan and

over the

world,

here he is

leading his

disciples on

into further

blessing.

It's the

risen Jesus

that's doing

this.

It's the

risen Jesus,

the one

triumphant

over death

that actually

leads his

people onwards

through life.

And how

important is

that?

Because it

means that

in him and

having him as

your savior,

as your leader,

having your

life willingly

under his

direction,

it means that

all the things

that happen to

you in your

life, he

and in him

you are able

to actually

prevail over

them and

benefit from

them and

gain from

them, however

difficult they

might be.

Because he's

in charge of

them and he's

in charge of

your life and

in charge of

the turns of

your circumstances.

Let me just

take you to

Psalm 68.

You turn

briefly with me

to Psalm 68

in the book

of Psalms.

I want to

pick a few

verses there

because this

is a psalm

really about

what we can

call the

divine conqueror.

Words that

apply very

much to

Jesus himself

as they were

fulfilled in

him.

And it's a

psalm of

praise by

David to

God.

But notice

how it

begins.

God shall

arise, his

enemies shall

be scattered,

and those who

hate him shall

flee before

him.

As smoke is

driven, so you

shall drive

them away.

But then if

you turn to

verse 7,

O God,

when you

went out

before your

people, when

you marched

through the

wilderness, the

earth quaked, the

heavens poured

down rain, before

God, the one of

Sinai, before God,

the God of

Israel.

You see, there

is God going

out.

Yes, it's a

reference especially

to Sinai, to

the wilderness, to

the journey that

they have, which

itself is symbolic

in a sense to a

measure of the

journey that we

have through this

life.

And here is

God going before

his people.

What happens when

God goes before

his people?

Well, they are

victorious in

him.

They march after

him as he

marches ahead

of them.

Go to verse

12.

The kings of

the armies, they

flee, they flee.

The women at

home divide the

spoil.

The conqueror has

come back from

his victory, and

the spoils of

victory are

shared out.

That is Jesus

having conquered

the grave.

The spoils of

his victory

shared out to

his people.

Verses 18 to

19.

You ascended on

high, leaving a

host of captives

in your train, and

receiving gifts

among men, even

among the

rebellious, that

the Lord God

may dwell there.

These verses are

quoted in the New

Testament in

regard to Christ's

resurrection and

then ascension.

You ascended on

high.

Why did he

ascend on

high?

To receive

gifts for

men, the

gifts especially

of the Holy

Spirit and the

gifts that come

in God's

salvation.

And then

verse 28, a

couple more

verses.

Summon your

power, O God,

the power, O

God, by which

you have worked

for us.

You see, there's

David's prayer as

he comes to

seek that power

that God has

displayed as he

marched ahead of

his people and

gave them

victory.

He wants that

power to be

displayed, to be

summoned again for

his benefit and for

his people's benefit.

That's your prayer

today, surely, as a

Christian, that

Christ would summon

the power by which

he rose from the

dead, by which he

ascended to glory,

and that that power

would come into

your life increasingly

day by day for

your benefit.

And then at the

end of the psalm,

in verse 35,

awesome is God

from his sanctuary,

the God of Israel.

He is the one who

gives power and

strength to his

people.

Blessed be God.

And where better

do you see that than

the likes of this

passage in Luke where

Jesus leads his

people out, these

disciples out to

Bethany, where under

his direction he

comes to lead them

into blessing, where

his power is operating

on their behalf and

for them and in

them and through

them.

As we begin this

new year, or as

it's just newly

recently begun, is

this not our

concern?

Is this not our

burden?

Is this not how you

would like your life

to be lived?

To be lived

willingly led by

Christ.

Willingly led so

that the power of

Christ comes day by

day into your life,

into your experience,

into your circumstances

so that through him

you are able to

proceed, you are able

to prevail, you are

able to go on, you

are able to conquer

the sin in your own

life, you are able to

conquer temptation,

you are able to

glorify him in the

life you live, you are

able to accept the

difficulties that are

as possible in your

life, the unexpected

events, the

illnesses, the

bereavements, the

losses, the

sorrows.

He led them as

far as Bethany.

And secondly, you

find a life secure

within Christ's

intercession.

Now how do we

come under his

direction?

How do we come to

benefit from his

leading of his

people?

How do we come to

have ourselves

actually in that

situation?

Well, of course, it

is through trusting

in him.

And trusting in him

means entrusting your

whole life to him,

giving your whole life

over to him to be

ruled by him, to be

directed by him, as we

saw in the first point,

willingly.

There's such a thing

nowadays as adaptive

cruise control in some

cars.

And adaptive cruise

control means that the

car, when you set, it

automatically keeps the

right distance between

you and the car in

front.

So if that one slows

down, it automatically

slows your car down as

well.

And if that car in front

of you stops, then the

system applies the

brakes in your car as

well, and your car

comes to a stop.

And it is so, so

difficult, until you

get used to the system,

to keep your foot off

the brake and just let

the adaptive cruise

control take control.

Because your tendency

is, when you see the

car in front slowing

down, your tendency

is, push the brake just

to make sure that your

car is going to stop.

And that cuts out the

adaptive cruise control.

And that's, I think, a

really useful illustration,

I hope, of the

challenge and the

difficulties of handing

your life over to

Jesus.

Because our tendency is

to want to keep

control, and at least

keep a measure of

control, over our own

lives.

We just don't have the

willingness of ourselves

to give our whole

life over to Him.

But that's really what

it has to come to.

He doesn't want your,

this little bit or that

little bit of your

life.

He doesn't want you to

hand over certain

aspects of your life,

and then keep control of

the rest yourself.

That's not going to be of

any use to us.

You have to hand your

life over to Him.

For Him to willingly

come to lead you

through the issues of

life, through death

itself, and on into

eternity.

And as He led them as

far as Bethany, then

lifting up His hands,

He blessed them.

It's a life secure

within Christ's

intercession.

Now, why do I say

intercession?

Because there's nothing

specifically mentioned

there about intercession.

And yet I think that

the language there,

lifting up His hands,

He blessed them,

that language is

indicative of the

language of the Old

Testament with regard

to the priestly

blessing or the high

priest blessing of His

people.

Think of Numbers and

the words in Numbers

Numbers 6 · chapter mention

chapter 6 from verse

22.

We often sometimes use

them at baptism.

The Lord bless you

and keep you.

The Lord make His face

to shine upon you and

be gracious to you.

The Lord lift up His

countenance upon you and

give you peace, His

peace.

They're words of blessing

in a priestly setting.

They're words by which

God has said the priest

would put Aaron and his

sons, would put His name

upon the people of

Israel, God's name.

In other words, they

come under the security

and the safety of God's

name.

And where is that

fulfilled?

It's fulfilled in Jesus

and in His intercession.

Because Jesus is still

active on behalf of His

people in heaven and He's

active especially in making

intercession for them and

bestowing His blessing

upon them.

You see here, lifting up

His hands, He blessed

them.

They come under the

blessing under the

uplifted hands of Jesus.

The blessing of His people

takes place and continues

to take place.

And the blessing of Jesus

flows into your life and

my life as a Christian from

Jesus in heaven.

Now His hands are still

lifted up, as we'll see in a

minute, in that sense of

still blessing His people

actively as their high

priest.

Everything you find in

number six and from verse

twenty-two is fulfilled.

All of these elements that

were mentioned in these

verses are actually

fulfilled in the blessing

of Christ as the high

priest of His people.

And what is the

intercession of Christ

really?

It's a big subject

worthy of much more

study than I can give it

in a couple of minutes.

What is the intercession of

Jesus?

What does intercession

mean?

What does intercession mean?

Is it just that Jesus is

praying for His people,

just as you would imagine

Him praying for His people

here while He was on earth

or ourselves praying for

God's blessing?

Well, I'm not saying there's

not that element in it,

but the intercession of Jesus

is basically the presenting

of Himself and His finished

work of atonement, His death

that fulfilled all that

was necessary for His people,

for their sins to be forgiven,

the presenting of that

to God the Father.

I remember when people came

to arrest Jesus in the garden,

that Jesus said something

specific at that point.

If it is I you are seeking,

if it's me you are seeking,

let these,

He mentioned the disciples,

let these go their way.

And you know,

you can take that text really

and say that's applicable

to the intercession of Jesus

because He took what we deserved

in the death that He died,

in enduring the wrath of God

which we were liable to

for our sins.

And Jesus is really the one

who in Himself, as it were,

fulfills that great statement

that He spoke.

If it is me that you're seeking,

since I'm the one you're seeking,

let these go their way.

I'll take their place.

I'll take the penalty.

I'll take what's due to them

and they can go free.

Now you see,

that's within Christ's intercession.

That's what's happening.

Because God the Father,

as God the Father looks upon God,

the Son beside Him,

the One who entered this world

and died and rose from the dead

and was exalted to glory,

as God the Father looks upon Him

and sees His people in Him,

He regards them as fully acceptable

to Him in Jesus.

And Christ's presenting of the case

for their security,

for their everlasting security,

for their forgiveness of sins to be,

His forgiveness of their sins to continue.

It's all in Jesus.

And His intercession for them

is an intercession

that keeps presenting

the worth of His own death,

the merit of His own death,

the power of His own death,

the achievement of His own death.

And that goes on constantly

in heaven

for His people.

And

you notice this,

while He blessed them,

He was parted from them

and was carried up into heaven.

You see there,

Luke is really recording

the thing exactly as it happened.

While

He was blessing them,

He was parted from them.

In other words,

the last thing they saw of Jesus

physically in this world

was Him with His hands uplifted

being carried up into heaven.

It wasn't that they saw Him

lifting His hands

and blessing them

and pronouncing a blessing

and then His hands went down

and then He was lifted up.

He was still in the act

of blessing them

as He left them.

He was still in the act

of pronouncing

that priestly blessing

from Himself

that He was actually

involved in at the time.

and it was like that

that He was taken into heaven.

He was actually still

in the act of blessing.

In other words,

their conclusion from that

and our conclusion

as we read that

is that the blessing

was going to continue.

As He went into heaven,

He continued to bless them.

As He entered heaven,

He continued to bless them.

As He sat at the right hand of God,

He continued to bless them.

And we still have

Christ's priestly blessing

as our privilege

as Christians today.

And if you are in Him today

and if you've embraced Him

and if your life

is willingly led by Him,

this is actually

what's happening

on your behalf.

This is what's happening

in heaven

through the intercession

of Jesus Himself.

His hands, as it were,

are still raised over you,

pronouncing you blessed,

pronouncing you

in favor with God.

That's where our security lies.

You remember how Hebrews,

that book in the New Testament

that speaks so much

about Christ's high priesthood,

how in chapter 7,

among many other things,

it says this,

from verse 23,

contrasting Jesus

with the former priests

of the Old Testament,

the former priests

were many in number

because they were prevented

by death

from continuing

in office,

but He holds

His priesthood

permanently

because He

continues

forever.

Consequently,

He is able to save

to the uttermost

those who draw near

to God

through Him

since He always lives

to make

intercession

for them.

It is the Hebrews version,

if you like,

of what we're saying here

from Luke's Gospel.

The continuing life

of Jesus

for His people

is a life

of continuing

blessing for them

under His priesthood,

under His direction,

under His own intercession.

A life willing

to be led by Christ,

a life secure

within Christ's intercession,

a life rejoicing

in worshiping Christ.

You notice how

the passage ends.

They worshipped Him

and returned

to Jerusalem

with great joy

and were continually

in the temple

blessing God.

They were not downcast

that He had left,

that He had disappeared

from sight.

They were not afraid

that there were just

such a few people

surrounded by

so many opponents.

They returned

with great joy.

Here's the question

for you

and for me today.

Am I joyful

in the worship

of God?

Am I joyful

in my faith

in my following

of Christ?

Am I joyful

in my being led

by Him?

Do I know

this joy

as something

not only that I want

to find in my life

but I want to see

increased in my life?

They returned

with great joy,

not just joy

but great joy.

They were rejoicing

in worshiping Christ.

Is our worship

a joyful worship?

If it is,

do we want

that joyful worship

to spill over

that others

will experience it as well?

Surely we do.

And let's pray

that as we go

through this year

and seek to follow

the leadership

of Christ Himself

that more and more

we will actually

enjoy worshiping Him.

That we will rejoice

in worshiping Him.

That we'll have

this great joy

that these disciples

had as they

worshiped Him

and as they

returned to Jerusalem

with great joy.

I mean being led

by the risen Jesus

and being safe