Introduction:
As we continue through our study of the Nicene Creed, we come to that portion of its confession of Christ and His work that speaks to His ascension. The Nicene Creed uses four words to affirm this doctrine: "and ascended into heaven."
In the words of Bible teacher R.C Sproul, Christ's ascension puts an exclamation point on entirety of Christ's first coming. Two scriptures give us the beginning and ending points of the forty- day period of time between Jesus' resurrection from the dead and His ascension into Heaven. Matthew 28:1 states:
"Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave."
The other endpoint that would occur forty days after Jesus' resurrection represents what was Jesus' ascension into Heaven. Acts 1:1-3
"The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen. 3 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 of the things concerning the kingdom of God."
Much of course occurred in that 40 day period of time. By beginning to focus upon the scriptures that speak of the event of Christ's ascension, we can begin to see why this event is so crucial to our understanding and worship of our Great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
What Jesus had to say about His own ascension.
Much of course occurred in that 40 day period of time. By beginning to focus upon the scriptures that speak of the event of Christ's ascension, we can begin to see why this event is so crucial to our understanding and worship of our Great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
What Jesus had to say about His own ascension.
Jesus Himself had predicted during His trials and journey to the cross that He would ascend and sit at the right hand of God the Father in Luke 22:69,
"But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.”
Such a statement is important and reminds us that Jesus' ascension into heaven was only possible because of His willing "descension" from heaven to earth, in the virgin birth of His incarnation and ultimately into His passion or sufferings on the cross.
The ascension as an event is recorded in the Gospels and in Acts. For now, I just want to list the scriptures that record this event. Why? To remind the reader that this was no myth or fictional hallucination in the minds of the New Testament authors. This event really happened, in time and space, in history and among eyewitnesses.
Mark 16:19 "So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God."
Luke 9:51 "When the days were approaching for His ascension, He was determined to go to Jerusalem."
Luke 24:50-51 "And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. 51 While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven."
John 6:62 "What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before?"
John 20:17 "Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’”
Acts 1:9 "And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight."
How the ascension gives us a window into the glory of the exalted Jesus confessed by the Nicene Creed.
The ascension as an event is recorded in the Gospels and in Acts. For now, I just want to list the scriptures that record this event. Why? To remind the reader that this was no myth or fictional hallucination in the minds of the New Testament authors. This event really happened, in time and space, in history and among eyewitnesses.
Mark 16:19 "So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God."
Luke 9:51 "When the days were approaching for His ascension, He was determined to go to Jerusalem."
Luke 24:50-51 "And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. 51 While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven."
John 6:62 "What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before?"
John 20:17 "Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’”
Acts 1:9 "And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight."
How the ascension gives us a window into the glory of the exalted Jesus confessed by the Nicene Creed.
The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 not only summarizes belief in the physical ascension of Jesus into Heaven, but also how it relates to three other significant truths: His resurrection, His return, and His activity in the lives of Christians today. This is what the BFM 2000 states:
"He was raised from the dead with a glorified body and appeared to His disciples as the person who was with them before His crucifixion. He ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where He is the One Mediator, fully God, fully man, in whose Person is effected the reconciliation between God and man. He will return in power and glory to judge the world and to consummate His redemptive mission. He now dwells in all believers as the living and ever present Lord."
That statement summarizes for us the connection we as Christians have to the resurrection of Jesus Christ and all that He is and accomplished. Each of the major events of our Lord's lives, a window is given through which we can see increasing manifestations of His glory.
For example, in His incarnation and virgin birth, the angels are depicted as singing "glory to God in the highest". Later at His baptism, the voice of the Father is heard speaking from Heaven: "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." In the midst of His earthly ministry Jesus reveals His pre-incarnate Divine glory to his disciples atop the Mount of Transfiguration. Even in His cross, scripture repeatedly states that the glory of His love is demonstrated.
The cross for many Christians represents the epicenter of Christian devotion - and rightly so - being that it is at the cross where humanity and Deity meet, being that the One Person who is humanity and Deity accomplished the necessary redemption.
The windows of glory continue in what is considered the most important event, the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. It is this event which, according to 1 Corinthians 15:1-20, is the article upon which the validity and reality of Christian faith rises or falls. Without confessing one's trust in Jesus' death and resurrection, salvation cannot be applied.
As scripture marches forward, especially in the Gospels, Acts 1, and 1 Corinthians 15:1-10, we see the glory of Jesus Christ seen yet through another set of windows - His post-resurrection appearances.
That statement summarizes for us the connection we as Christians have to the resurrection of Jesus Christ and all that He is and accomplished. Each of the major events of our Lord's lives, a window is given through which we can see increasing manifestations of His glory.
For example, in His incarnation and virgin birth, the angels are depicted as singing "glory to God in the highest". Later at His baptism, the voice of the Father is heard speaking from Heaven: "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." In the midst of His earthly ministry Jesus reveals His pre-incarnate Divine glory to his disciples atop the Mount of Transfiguration. Even in His cross, scripture repeatedly states that the glory of His love is demonstrated.
The cross for many Christians represents the epicenter of Christian devotion - and rightly so - being that it is at the cross where humanity and Deity meet, being that the One Person who is humanity and Deity accomplished the necessary redemption.
The windows of glory continue in what is considered the most important event, the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. It is this event which, according to 1 Corinthians 15:1-20, is the article upon which the validity and reality of Christian faith rises or falls. Without confessing one's trust in Jesus' death and resurrection, salvation cannot be applied.
As scripture marches forward, especially in the Gospels, Acts 1, and 1 Corinthians 15:1-10, we see the glory of Jesus Christ seen yet through another set of windows - His post-resurrection appearances.
It was Jonathan Edwards that once stated: "grace is but glory begun and glory is but grace completed." It is in those twelve post-resurrection appearances of our Lord, over a period of 40 days, that we see the early disciples established and solidified in their faith, and getting ready for what will be their message to a lost and dying world: "He is Alive!"
All of these key events: Jesus' incarnation/virgin birth; earthly life, crucifixion, resurrection and appearances give us windows into His glory.
However, there is one event that not only gives us a window, but a grand, sweeping bay window into the glory of the God man - the ascension. There is no denying how much is suddenly opened up to us in the ascension of Jesus Christ. It seems that once He had ascended, the New Testament explodes with scripture after scripture describing and applying the significance of the ascended Jesus to Christian identity and living. A few of these scriptures will serve to prove what we are talking about in this post:
Romans 8:34 "who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us."
Ephesians 1:20 "which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places."
Colossians 3:1 "Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God."
Hebrews 1:3 "And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high."
Hebrews 8:1 "Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens."
1 Peter 3:22 "who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him."
All of these key events: Jesus' incarnation/virgin birth; earthly life, crucifixion, resurrection and appearances give us windows into His glory.
However, there is one event that not only gives us a window, but a grand, sweeping bay window into the glory of the God man - the ascension. There is no denying how much is suddenly opened up to us in the ascension of Jesus Christ. It seems that once He had ascended, the New Testament explodes with scripture after scripture describing and applying the significance of the ascended Jesus to Christian identity and living. A few of these scriptures will serve to prove what we are talking about in this post:
Romans 8:34 "who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us."
Ephesians 1:20 "which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places."
Colossians 3:1 "Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God."
Hebrews 1:3 "And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high."
Hebrews 8:1 "Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens."
1 Peter 3:22 "who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him."
Closing thoughts
In the next post we will continue expounding upon the Nicene Creed's confession of Jesus' ascension into Heaven by noting His three-fold work in Heaven and how the ascension ties us to what will be His second coming.
