The Ascension Of Jesus

If you're just joining us, we have begun a new sermon series in the book of the Acts of the Apostles.

If you have a Bible and you want to turn there, we're in Acts, chapter 1.

Acts 1 · chapter mention

And if you didn't get a sermon outline and would like one, raise your hand.

Our ushers would be happy to give you one so you can follow along.

When Jesus was raised from the dead, his followers had a very difficult time believing it.

Even when Jesus appeared to them, they didn't recognize him at first.

And at the end of Matthew, chapter 28, at one point Jesus is standing right in their midst and it says some of the disciples doubted.

Matthew 28 · chapter mention

They saw him, they felt him, they heard him, and yet they couldn't believe their eyes.

Only a few New Testament books were specifically written for skeptical people, and the book of Acts is one of them.

Luke, who writes the gospel of Luke, and the book of Acts writes to a man named Theophilus to explain the historical evidence of Jesus' resurrection and the truth of Christianity, why it exploded.

Luke tells us in Acts, chapter 1, that what finally convinced the disciples that Jesus rose from the dead.

Acts 1 · chapter mention

He says that after many convincing proofs appearing to them repeatedly over a period of 40 days.

They got it and his final appearance.

Now, in Acts, chapter 1, his disciples are gathered together and, before Jesus ascends to heaven, he has some important truths that he'd like them to know about the kingdom of God, which we'll look at today.

Acts 1 · chapter mention

So I'm going to read the passage and then talk about it for a few minutes.

In Acts, chapter 1, beginning back in verse 1, the first account I composed Theophilus about all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day he was taken up to heaven after he had, by the Holy Spirit, given orders to the apostles whom he had chosen.

Acts 1 · chapter mention

To these he also presented himself alive, after his suffering, by many convincing proofs appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking concerning the kingdom of God.

Gathering them together, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for what the Father had promised, which he said you heard of me, for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.

So when they had come together, they were asking him, saying Lord, is it at this time you're going to restore the kingdom to Israel?

And he said to them it's not for you to know the times and epochs which the Father has fixed by his own authority.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be my witnesses, both in Jerusalem and in all Judea.

And and after he said these things, he was lifted up.

While they were looking on and a cloud received him out of their sight as they were gazing intently into the sky while he was going, behold, two men in white clothes stood beside them.

They also said Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky?

This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you've watched him go into heaven.

The disciples believed that Jesus rose from the dead because they saw him.

The resurrection of Jesus is an objective historical fact from eyewitness testimony.

But Luke now continues with another historical truth we need to know.

The disciples saw the resurrected Jesus ascend to heaven.

Jesus wasn't just raised, he is ascended.

In his final appearance to the disciples, jesus explains the implication of that.

First by correcting their understanding of God's kingdom, which we'll look at right now.

God's kingdom refers basically to God's ruling power coming into the world to make things right.

We know the whole world is broken and Paul says, even groans together until the final revelation, when Jesus returns.

The disciples, though, when they hear Jesus and see Jesus, they're excited, gathered together about seeing their Messiah.

So they ask him in verse 6, lord, is it at this time you're going to restore the kingdom to Israel?

The disciples thought that Jesus was going to restore the kingdom to Israel, thought that Jesus was going to restore the kingdom to Israel, like David's kingdom in the Old Testament.

They thought he was going to do it now.

They thought he was going to restore Israel's political kingdom and throw the Romans out.

That's all they thought God's kingdom was Putting Israel back in power.

Now, jesus, they ask the question is this the time you're going to restore the kingdom?

Here's Jesus' answer.

It's an amazing answer and one I'm going to spend some time on today.

He looks at them and basically, here's what he says no, that's not how it works.

You're going to receive the Holy Spirit and then he ascends to heaven.

That's his answer to the kingdom, their question about the kingdom.

He said it's not for you to know the times and epochs which the Father has fixed.

You're going to receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.

You'll be my witnesses.

After he's said these things, he's lifted up.

It's not for you to know, you'll receive the Spirit.

Goodbye, he ascends.

That's his answer.

So what does that have to do with God's kingdom?

How does God's kingdom work?

If you want to understand the kingdom of God and how it works now, you need to understand the ascension because, in answer to their question about the kingdom of God, jesus ascends.

Jesus is making a clear connection to help them understand the kingdom of God that they misunderstood, how it's linked to his ascension.

So let's talk about that.

Jesus' ascension.

A number of places in the Bible refer to what Jesus did here as the ascension.

It basically means going up and there are three ways in which the ascension of Jesus means everything to those who believe in him.

Because of the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, our relationship with God is fundamentally changed in three significant ways because of the ascension.

Three things extremely important we get of how Jesus' ascension affects those who believe in him now Linked to the kingdom of God.

First, our relationship is affected by his overwatch over us, his intimacy and power with us and his advocacy for us.

Those three things very important to understand.

First important fact we need to know is that the scriptures tell us that when Jesus ascended, he didn't just go up, he ascended to the throne of God, of the universe, at the right hand of God.

That's what that refers to.

Paul mentions this.

Other writers, biblical writers in the New Testament, mention this.

Colossians 3.1 says therefore, if you've been raised with Christ, meaning you believed in him keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

Well, what's Jesus doing up there, seated at the right hand of God?

This is what we need to know.

That's why he said want to understand the kingdom.

I'm going up.

The Holy Spirit's coming down.

He's doing things there on our behalf, those who believed in him.

Three very important things.

The Apostle Paul tells us first of all that when Jesus ascended, it means he's ruling over everything, now, everything Ephesians Paul says in chapter 1, 18 to 23.

He he says you know, I pray that the eyes of your heart might be enlightened so you know what the hope of his calling is, what the riches of his glory, the inheritance in the saints.

And what is this?

Listen, what is this surpassing greatness of his power toward us who believe these are in accordance with the working of the strength of his might, which he brought about in Christ, when he raised him from the dead and seated him at the right hand in heavenly places, far above all rule, authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age.

He's ruling right now, but also in the one to come.

He's on the throne and he ain't going anywhere.

And he ain't going anywhere and he put all things in subjection under his feet, gave him his head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him, who fills all in all Jesus at the right hand of God.

We need to let this sink in His power toward us who believe.

He says Let this sink in At the right hand of God, he's watching over us, he's controlling everything that happens in history.

For us Take a while to let that sink in.

We don't think along those lines, but it echoes what Paul said in Romans 8.28.

We know God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God and who are called according to His purpose.

All things.

I know what you're thinking.

So Jesus ascended to the right hand of God and is controlling the good things and the bad things in our life.

That's right.

None of us like bad things.

Well, he's not the designer or author of the bad things in this broken world.

Here's what you need to know.

But he controls them.

He controls them, their timing, their portion and their duration.

He's controlling all things so that all circumstances become part of his plan to do this to overrule bad things and use evil against itself and defeat it for good.

It's a lot to take in.

I know all you've got to do to see God doing that is look at the cross of Jesus.

It's the ultimate model of how God is doing just that On the cross.

The world and the devil sought to destroy Jesus and they made an unbelievable, cruel, unjust, evil, torturous, physical death to him and they killed him.

But all they did was bring light and immortality to light through the gospel, as Paul says in 2 Timothy 1,.

For God has saved us, called us with the holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his purpose and grace, which was granted to us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, but now has been revealed by the appearance of our Savior, christ Jesus.

From all eternity, but now has been revealed by the appearance of our Savior, christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

If Jesus didn't die and raise him, we would have no gospel.

That's all the cross they were able to do.

They killed him, but all God did was turn it around, turn it on its head, and now life and immortality came to light.

And now we're beneficiaries the whole world can be.

The cross is now the pattern on which Jesus is running the world in his kingdom.

It's very important to get that is running the world in his kingdom.

It's very important to get that.

So how do all things work together for good?

What does that mean?

It means that Jesus is ruling over every single thing that's happening in our lives, overruling evil to defeat itself and bringing about a greater good.

That would not happen otherwise.

That's the point Now.

Will we always see his power turn evil on itself and result in good in our lives?

No, we won't.

In this life, we're never going to see more than a millionth of how he does that, more than a millionth of how he does that.

We won't see it all except from the perspective of eternity.

But the reason this is here in this life.

It's very important that we know.

That is what is happening.

Based on these scriptures.

It's the result of Jesus' ascension to the right hand of God.

He's our overwatch, and what we're going to see as the book of Acts unfolds, we're going to see the model of the cross defeating evil, turning it on its head for good.

Over and over and over again, the cross is how his kingdom is being advanced, beginning with the gospel.

Wouldn't have a gospel without the cross, but that's where God showed us I can turn evil on its head for much greater good than you can imagine.

That's what we need to know about the ascension Now.

Dothan is a place in the Bible where we see two incidents happen years apart that show us God's overruling power over evil for good.

The first place we see this place, dothan, is in 2 Kings 6, where the prophet Elisha is trapped in the city of Dothan.

An army is on its way to besiege the city, and they're there to take Elisha prisoner and kill him.

Elisha, though, prays to God.

God sends chariots of fire, blinds the army to keep Elisha and the city safe.

That happens at Dothan, and you and I say now, that's what I'm talking about.

That's the kind of prayer I want to see God do right there.

Yeah, he's overwatching me.

But several centuries later, in Dothan, joseph was thrown into a pit by his envious brothers and while in the pit, knowing he might be killed or sold, he's praying and praying, praying like crazy, and nothing happened.

He got sold into slavery.

Then he was falsely accused and thrown into prison for several more years In Dothan.

And yet we know that God was working in all of that to turn evil on its head in order to make him prime minister of Egypt and save thousands and thousands of lives.

And Joseph saw it.

His overwatch good and bad things.

He's got it.

We may not see it right away.

We need to know it though.

Genesis 50, 20, joseph says to his brothers you as for you, you meant it for evil against me, but God meant it for good.

Don't ever forget that In order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people, he controls the bad things and turns the evil on its head to bring about a good that would never happen otherwise.

Do you get that?

That's God's mode.

That's what he does, and we see it at the cross.

Sometimes, like Elijah, god seems absolutely present.

Man amazing answers to prayer, rejoice, praise God.

But sometimes God seems absolutely absent, like Joseph experienced.

Terrible things are happening, yet he is never absent, ever.

Paul says in Romans 8, to those who love him, who are called according to his rivers, he's got good in mind.

He's always working for the ultimate defeat of evil, having it literally undermine itself to ultimately bring good.

That glorifies God, and the cross is the model for us to see.

That Jesus now is controlling everything that happens in the universe.

He's overwatching our lives.

How do we know that?

The ascension?

He's at the right hand of the whole ruling power in the universe.

It means you can get up in the morning and not be afraid.

It means you may not know why something's happening that you don't like, but you know who is controlling it.

That's important.

Now we come to the second important fact we need to know about Jesus' ascension what changes in our relationship with God because of it?

The first thing is Jesus is overwatching our lives, everyone believing in him, precious in his sight.

The second important fact we need to know about Jesus' ascension related to our relationship with God is that, because of His ascension, we can now have a deep, intimate relationship with God and experience the power of God as a result Intimacy with God, something I think we all want to grow closer in.

Well, his ascension made that possible.

In John chapter 20,.

John 20 · chapter mention

After Jesus is resurrected from the dead, mary Magdalene sees him near the tomb, recognizes that Jesus was alive, and she runs up to him and tries to hold him.

And here's what Jesus said to her John 20, 17.

Stop clinging to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father, but go to my brethren.

Say to them I ascend to my Father and your Father and my God and your God.

Don't hold on to me, I'm ascending.

What's that mean?

What's he saying?

Why is she clinging to Jesus?

She lost him once.

She doesn't want to lose him again.

She's going to hold on to him.

Jesus says let me ascend.

If he stays here, he can't always be with her.

He has to ascend.

If he ascends, he will come to her and us who believe in Jesus and send the Holy Spirit to be in us and with us forever.

If he does that, we won't ever lose him again, no matter when, where we are.

After he ascends, we will have a greater, more intimate fellowship with him.

Because Jesus says to her let go of my hand so I can ascend and come into your heart.

You know, augustine picked up on that idea and he wrote a little poem about it.

He said you ascended before our eyes and we turned back, grieving, only to find you in our hearts.

Isn't that great.

Jesus' ascension means that the very presence of God lives in every single person who believes in him.

Why every single person who believes in him?

Why?

So that we may experience God's love to us in a reality we've never known before.

This is what Paul was getting at in Romans 5, verse 5.

Romans 5:5

And he's talking in Romans 5 about those who believed in Jesus and are justified.

And he just can't get 5, about those who believed in Jesus and are justified.

And he just can't get over all the blessing about that.

And he comes to verse 5 and says you know, the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit.

That's how we know how much he loves us.

But he loves us.

In addition to that, jesus' ascension means that the very presence of God in us, in the person of the Holy Spirit, will give us the power, confidence, boldness we need to be his witnesses.

That's what he told the disciples you will receive power.

When the Holy Spirit's come upon you, you'll be my witnesses.

I think what he means is you won't have to do this on your own.

I'm going to give you myself.

I'll be in you.

You will have my resource to do what I'm asking you to do.

Have my resource to do what I'm asking you to do.

Finally, the third important fact we need to know about Jesus' ascension Not only is he overwatch of our life, and his ascension meant the Holy Spirit could come right into our hearts and he could be with us always, but now the ascension also means we have an advocate in heaven at the throne of God, the throne of God's justice.

When the Bible talks about Jesus' Ascension, it talks about him ascending to the throne, the right hand of God.

In ancient times, the throne king or queen was not just a place of power, it was a place of justice.

That's where people went to have their disputes settled.

Sin addressed A place of justice throne.

They would come before the king.

The throne room served as a courtroom and that's the image of Jesus seated at God's right hand.

Now, when Jesus, our exalted king, ascended to that throne, he became the scriptures tell us our advocate before the ultimate court of justice in the universe.

He defends us and intercedes for us.

1 John 2, verses 1 and 2,.

1 John 2:1

John says my little children, I'm writing these things to you that you may not sin.

And if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father.

Jesus Christ the righteous, and he himself is the propitiation for our sins, and he himself is the propitiation for our sins.

In other words, he settled the debt of all, the guilt of their sins, past, present, future.

Jesus the righteous, and not for ours only, but for the whole world.

I love Hebrews also.

Chapter 7, 25 says but Jesus, because he continues forever, holds his priesthood permanently.

Therefore he's able to save forever those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

He's our intercessor, he's our advocate, our defender, our supporter, from the very throne of God.

That means in God's courtroom of justice.

If there's any charge against us, jesus is our representative.

He's paid the penalty for our sins, he's endured the wrath of God's justice on our behalf and now stands before the court of divine justice with our pardon written in his blood, free, no condemnation justified completely.

Well, how does that truth help us completely?

How does that truth help us?

Because in Christ, what's happening in the heavenly courtroom weighs eternally more than whatever happens in any earthly judgment of us when you really weigh it.

So why are we so concerned about what other people think of us?

We think they're judging us.

We may seem not to care.

The reason we do care is because people are constantly we're all constantly we're passing verdicts on.

Everybody Can't help it and we so desperately want a lot of positive verdicts so we'll feel good about ourselves.

Scripture tells us that even if you're not a Christian, deep down, deep deep, you know there's a God and deep down you know there's a divine courtroom and you know you should be better.

The truth is we are desperate for good verdicts in our life, telling us you know you're good, you're a good person, because deep down you know what.

We know we're not good, we're not good enough.

We know that.

So when somebody gives us applause and a good verdict comes in, man that really lifts us up.

Good verdict comes in, man that really lifts us up.

We know there's something wrong with us, but we sometimes feel like an imposter.

That is, unless you understand the ascension, extremely important.

It was God's mercy toward us to send Jesus to die for our sins.

And when we believe in Jesus, here's what God does he takes Jesus' righteousness and puts it to our account.

So when God sees us, he sees Jesus' righteousness.

After paying our sin debt.

The verdict is in my friends.

Jesus, our advocate, stands at the throne of God's justice on our behalf and Apostle John says if we confess our sins, you know what he's faithful and just.

He's just to forgive our sins.

It.

You know what he's faithful and just.

He's just to forgive our sins.

It's already been paid and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

If you believe in Jesus as your Savior, your ascended Lord is in you and the verdict is in.

You are righteous in the eyes of the only person in the universe whose verdict counts.

In God's eyes you're forgiven.

In God's eyes you're holy.

In God's eyes, you're beautiful, because he sees you in his son.

The disciples asked Jesus if he was going to restore the kingdom of God to Israel.

Now Jesus told them no, it's not for you to know.

Holy Spirit's going to come upon you and he ascended.

They all go together.

That's how God's kingdom works.

The Holy Spirit will come into your life.

You know why.

What he's going to do, what he does, this is what he's supposed to do.

He's going to make the things that Jesus is telling us the truths of Jesus real to our heart, in reality, be able to sense God's love for us because of the Holy Spirit I love.

I don't want to jump the gun too much, but when we get to Acts, chapter 7, we see in Stephen, who was martyred for his faith, what happens the Holy Spirit is sent to make the truth of Jesus so real to us, so real that we become like Stephen.

Acts 7 · chapter mention

Stephen, it says, was filled with the Holy Spirit.

He preached Jesus.

Then he was hauled before a human court, found guilty and sentenced to death.

As he was being executed, he said behold, I see the Son of man standing at the right hand of God, not seated standing.

When he's seated, it's a place of judgment.

When he's standing, it's a place of advocacy, standing at the right hand of God.

And his face became like an angel.

They said he was making Jesus so real to him he didn't care what the verdict on earth was.

So real to him.

He didn't care what the verdict on earth was Because his advocate was standing on his behalf.

So when you and I think of Jesus, think of him ascended, not just resurrected.

Ascended, that's where he left us, and all that that means he's the overwatch ruling everything in your life.

He's provided a greater intimacy with God himself through giving us his Holy Spirit, and he stands as our advocate in heaven.

When we need him, he's there.

When we feel guilty, he wants to make our forgiveness real in our hearts.

When we wonder if God's present, he wants to make his presence so real to us.

We won't doubt that again.

That's what he does as our advocate.

I can't say this enough Jesus died for our sins so we could receive forgiveness of our sins in the gift of his Holy Spirit.

Oh, my heart would beat.

Every one of us in this room will have done that believed in Jesus for the gift of eternal life, because when we do that, he's going to give us the resource of his Holy Spirit.

That will absolutely be life transforming.

I hope that's you.

I invite you to believe in Jesus, receive his life.

Let's pray, father, thank you, thank you, thank you that you not only raised Jesus from the dead, I thank you that he ascended to the throne of the universe.

He watches over us as your adopted children.

He sent his Holy Spirit to be with us forever as your adopted children, testifying with our spirit that we belong to you and he stands as our advocate, our defender, our supporter wanting us to know there's no condemnation.

All the sin has passed.

He paid for it in full.

Would you help us to see the reality of these truths, as Stephen did, as our advocate in heaven?

I pray in Jesus' name, amen.