Monday, January 29, 2024

He Ascended Into Heaven

 


As we begin today, let’s recite the Apostles Creed together. This morning, we come to the last of the works of Christ that are confessed in this ancient confession: “He ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from whence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.” This statement expresses a reality that I believe Baptists have all but ignored – the reality that Jesus Christ is right now, in this very moment, and all throughout this universe, ruling and reigning as the king of kings and lord of lords. I say that Baptists have ignored this because we tend to represent the ascension and return of Christ as a going away and coming back. We speak of the ascension as though Christ left us completely to ourselves, and now we have to eak out an existence in this sinful world, waiting on him to return and fix everything. But, that is not the way the NT speaks of the ascension of Christ. Instead, what I want you to understand is that Jesus Christ is ruling now over this world, that this rule is growing and expanding until one day when he will bring final judgment on this world. To see that, let’s return to part of the text that we studied last week, 1 Cor. 15:20-28. From this passage, I want you to see three points: the present reign, the future return, and the final recompense of Jesus Christ.

First, I want you to see the present reign of Jesus Christ. In verses 20-25, Paul tells us of God’s strategy for defeating all of his enemies. He says that Jesus has risen from the dead so that all who are in him might live. After the resurrection, Jesus spent 40 days with his disciples, preparing them to carry the Gospel into all the world. Then, he called his disciples up on a mountain, gave them one last commission, and ascended into heaven. We might make the mistake of thinking that this was the end of a chapter – story over, Jesus has done all he was sent to do, now he’s just waiting. But, Jesus isn’t waiting from heaven – he is reigning. Notice two important phrases in verses 24 and 25. In verse 24, Paul says that Christ will deliver the kingdom “after destroying every rule and every authority and power.” Right now, in this present age, Jesus is building and expanding his kingdom. As he does that, he is defeating every rule and authority and power that would raise its might against him. There is not one rebellious kingdom, a single pagan religion, a lone philosophy that has not broken against the rock of the kingdom of God. The Roman army could vanquish any enemy on the battlefield, but they could not defend the Roman empire from the spread of the Gospel. Domitian, Trajan, and Marcus Arillus could do their worst to stamp out the rise of Christianity, and yet, where they stamped, the fire spread all the more, until the Gospel reached all the way to the emperor himself. The pagan lands of the Angles, Saxons, and Germans could resist the advance of the Romans, but they could not resist the spread of the kingdom of God. Karl Marx could condemn religion as the opium of the masses, but long after Marx, Lennon, and Stalin, the church of Christ still stands in the former Soviet Union. And even now, the sexual revolution and identity ideology of our day can deny the very reality of God’s good creation, but Jesus Christ will win over that power, too.

Second, notice in verse 25 that Paul says, “he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.” Don’t miss this all-important word, “reign”. In this present age, Jesus is not waiting. He is not fretting over what we miserable humans will do. He is not watching the political talk shows to know whether America will be saved. Jesus is reigning. But, you might wonder how Jesus is reigning. There are three ways we find that Jesus reigns in this world. First, Jesus reigns through the Gospel work of the Church. To see that, turn with me to Matt. 28:18-20. This is the famous “Great Commission” – the last command that Jesus gave to his disciples before ascending. This commission serves as the marching orders of the church. And, this command re-enforces the fact that Jesus reigns. Notice, in verse 18, Jesus begins his commission by establishing his rule – “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Jesus has all authority – over Satan, demons, presidents, dictators, armies, natural forces – all of it. And, because he has all authority, his church should be about his business. So, what business are we to be about – “Make disciples of all nations, baptizing… and teaching.” The church exercises the authority and commission of Christ as we preach the Gospel, make disciples, and teach them the way. Jesus extends his reign and defeats his enemies through the work of the church in the world.

Second, Jesus reigns through the personal holiness of believers. In Matt. 5:13-16, Jesus gives two metaphors of what his disciples are to be doing in the world. He says that his disciples are to be salt and light. In comparing his disciples to salt, he is calling upon two aspects of salt. For one, salt acts as a preservative. Just as salt acts to preserve meat so that it will not spoil, so too Christians preserve society through their holiness. Salt also enhances flavor so that foods that would otherwise be tasteless burst with flavor. Christians bring beauty and goodness to this world by our worship of our God and our faithful witness to the abundant life. When we live faithfully in our marriages, raise our children in the way of the Lord, worship together on Sunday, write music that is beautiful, build structures that are good, and lead others to build good societies, we are like salt that adds flavor, which brings the kingdom of God to bear in this world. Jesus also says that we are like light. Light serves two purposes as well. For one, it is like a beacon – like a city set on a hill. Our holy lives show others the true way of life, and that calls them to glorify God. Light also serves to illuminate – to reveal things for what they really are. Yes, our holiness does reveal the depravity of sin in others, but all the better to point them to salvation. So, God’s kingdom is brought to bear as we shine the light of holiness in this world.

Lastly, Christ reigns through justice. In Romans 13:1, Paul says, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” Justice, wherever it is meted, is the work of God. The pagan king who rules well is as much a minister of God and an example of God’s rule in the world as any pastor or Christian politician. The unbelieving police officer with a strong since of justice is created by God to ensure that evil is punished, and God is able to use him just as much as he is the missionary on the foreign field.

Jesus is presently reigning, but his reign is going somewhere. So, consider my second point, the future return of Christ. The creed looks forward to the day when Jesus Christ will come to judge the quick and the dead because 1 Cor. 15:23 promises it. Paul says, “In Christ shall all be made alive, but each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.” Christ is ruling now, but there will come a day when he will finish his work. There will come a day when he will defeat every enemy, when Satan will have tried and failed at every deceitful philosophy, every oppressive government, every wicked idolatry. There will come a day when the Gospel will reach the ends of the earth and all nations will be brought to God. When that day comes, Jesus Christ will return in a shout, at the sound of a trumpet, as 1 Cor. 15:52 says, and in that moment the dead in Christ will rise to new life. So, we work and wait for that day. We work to be salt and light so that God’s kingdom is seen in us. We work through the church to spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth. We work to bring justice to this world. And we wait as Christ defeats his enemies through those works. But, as we work, we might wonder – what’s the point when our country seems to be sliding into moral decay? What’s the point when China and Nepal and the Arab states seem so resistant to the spread of the Gospel? What’s the point when our government seems to traffic more in injustice than justice? We work, not because we will be the generation to see its completion, but because we have faith even still that Jesus Christ reigns, and that he will win. And when he does win, when his rule is complete, he will bring us up out of the ground and make us new so that we might revel in it.

Lastly, see the final recompense of Christ. The creed ends the works of Jesus by confessing that he will judge the quick and the dead. To see this, turn with me to Rev. 20:11-15. This scene is known as the great white throne judgment. After Satan is finally defeated, God calls all of humanity to judgment. Two books are set before him: a book of life, and a library of books recording the works of men. Then, every man and woman, small and great, is called to give an account. If your name is written in the book of life, you enter into eternal life. But, if your name is not written there, you are judged by your works. And notice the certainty of judgment in verse 15 – “If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” There is no ambiguity here. You cannot be saved by your works. There is no one who will stand before Jesus Christ on that day and impress him by what is written in the book of works. No! The only hope that anyone has for escaping the judgment of Jesus Christ is to fall on his mercy given through his death and resurrection.

So friend, Jesus Christ reigns right now, and he will complete his rule and bring judgment on all the earth. You will be judged for your sins and thrown into the lake of fire unless you repent and believe in Christ as your savior. Won’t you turn to him today?

Brothers and sisters, our Lord Jesus reigns. So, we can work for his kingdom knowing that our work matters. He is defeating every enemy as we live holy lives before a watching world. He is destroying every power as we make disciples and spread the Gospel. So may we be about his business as we work and wait for his return.

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