The Overwhelming Joy of the Ascension.
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As we continue in John 16 we should be reminded of where we are in the story.
It is challenging to enjoy or appreciate any good story, book, or movie, if we forget or are not sure of what is going on.
I’m sure you all enjoy it as much as I do when you’re watching a great movie and someone comes in in the middle and has no clue whats going on and keep asking questions.
John 16 is the penultimate chapter of the upper room discourse.
Jesus and his disciples were in Jersualem for passover meal.
They were in a room together preparing to enjoy the feast.
It is here, around the passover table, that Jesus
washes the disciples feat,
Judas betrays him and is possessed by Satan
It here around this table where Jesus tells peter that he is going to deny him three times
Here Jesus comforts the disciples by promising them the Holy Spirit
Around this table Jesus gives the final I AM statement when he says, “I am the Vine”
It is around this table that Jesus is giving his final words to the disciples for within a few hours Jesus will be turned over to be crucified.
And in these final hours Jesus wants to prepare the disciples for what is coming.
Jesus has been preparing his disciples to continue the mission of God after he departs.
he has discipled them in the truth
He has demonstrated for them his power over
creation
food
illness
the demonic realm
over death itself
He has demonstrated that he and he alone has the power and authority to not only heal the sick, but to also forgive their sins.
He is preparing his followers for the mission, to go and disciple the nations, to baptize them, and to teach them all that Christ has commanded.
And here, in these final moments together in the upper room, Jesus is preparing his disciples for the suffering, the conflict, and the persecution that awaits them as they press the mission of God forward.
If we were to look back at chapter 15 we see Jesus has warned that to follow him means
The world is going to hate you.
The world is going to persecute you
The world hates you because it hates Jesus
And the world hates Jesus because they hate the Father
Jesus has prepared them saying that persecution will come even from those who claim to follow and love God.
Jesus is preparing the disciples, as parents prepare their children, as pastors prepare their people, as commanders prepare their troops, That conflict will come.
The darkness hates the light of Christ, and it hates all those who shine with his light… so the temptation that we face is to dim our light when faced with the hatred of the world.
But as Jesus says in Matthew 5,
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
The reality is, when conflict comes, when hatred is spewed, when all sorts of savagery and unholy persecution are waged against you, it is so tempting to shrink back, to dim the light, to fall away.
Jesus knows this about us, and about his disciples, which is why he is preparing his disciples so that they won’t fall away when the flaming arrows of the evil one are wizzing by their heads.
He wants them, and us, to be strong and courageous, not fearing nor shrinking back, but to stand firm in the faith.
When we see those arrows coming, when we hear the slander, when the spiritual warfare is cranked up, when temptations raging against your defenses, when the world’s hatred is turn on you…
...do not think you’ve done something wrong or become sorrowful.
When the hatred comes for you, for your reputation, for your job, for your house, for your life, we should rejoice because we know we are standing with Christ.
We should not be sad or sorrowful, but we should rejoice and be glad!
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Rejoice and be glad!
This ought to be our response
When we are persecuted, when we are hated, when we are reviled and slandered, we should as one pastor says, walk around the corner and dance a little jig.
This sort of warfare is evidence of a faithful life that shines bright with the truth of the gospel.
We should not be concerned when people speak evil against us when we standing firm on the truth,
In fact, we should be more concerned when everyone speaks well of us.
“Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.
This is part of the preparation of being mature followers of Jesus.
We must be prepared to live boldly for Christ, and to stand firm when persecution comes.
We must, to our core, understand that conflict and persecution for the sake of the gospel is something to rejoice about.
However, the disciples did not hear Jesus words of preparation as something to rejoice over. Instead, when the disciples heard Jesus words they became afraid and full of sorrow.
But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.
From the context we see two main reasons the disciple’s hearts were filled with sorrow.
The disciples were paralyzed by grief because of the painful events that await them
They did not want to be hated by the world
They did not want to be kicked out of the synagogues, lose their friends, and be treated like the scum of the earth.
2. Their hearts were full of sorrow because Jesus was
leaving them.
Not only are they going to have to face persecution and hatred from the world, but Jesus is saying they are going to have to face this conflict without him.
Every time Jesus talks about leaving the disciples seem panic.
The reason the disciples become so upset when Jesus speaks of his departure is because they have failed to understand the significance of his ascension.
Jesus has been speaking of his ascension, of his return to the Father, throughout his ministry.
The first time he mentions it in John’s gospel is all the way back in chapter 3.
However, the disciples have never engaged Jesus about its importance.
Look what Jesus says here,
John 16 5 “But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’”
Now, if we have been paying attention we might object to Jesus’ words here.
The disciples have asked him where he is going multiple times.
Peter asks him in 13:36,
John 13:36 “Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.””
And Thomas asks him in 14:5,
John 14 5 “Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”
So clearly they have asked him where he is going… However they have only asked him from a self-centered and, honestly, pathetic motivations.
The disciples respond to Jesus words like a child who says to her mom, “where are going?!” with a quivering lip.
When a child asks this question they ask to express their fear of being left alone
They ask from selfish motives
The disciples have only been concerned with how Jesus departure will make their lives more difficult and frightening.
As opposed to the mature asking the question, “where are you going?”
wanting to know the destination and the purpose
wanting to be informed of the reason.
Wanting to understand how his departure moves the mission of God forward.
The disciples failed to seek understanding in a mature and honest way… they failed to, from faith, seek to understand.
And because of this lack of faith, they were full of sorrow at Jesus words.
Its fascinating how quickly we can become afraid and full of sorrow when we turn our eyes away from God and his mission and place them on our own circumstances.
Peter experienced this when he walked out to Jesus upon the waters.
This is what the disciples have done. They have become afraid and full of sorrow as if they have taken their eyes of Jesus and have forgotten everything that he has done in their midst.
Their eyes have seen Jesus do only what God can do!
They have seen him work wonders in their midst, and their ears have heard him proclaim profound truths.
He has unveiled before them the ancient mysteries…
He has shown himself to be the new and better Adam, the better moses, the better Joshua, the better David, the greater Elisha…
They have seen him
outwit the pharisees
heal the sick
feed the poor
raise the dead
defeat the demonic
bless the children
fulfill the prophecies
control weather
and defy physics
With all of this, you might think that if Jesus tells them that he is going away, going to the Father, they might ask him with a heart of faith and a curious mind, “where are you going?” “How does you leaving fit in to the divine plan?”
What if the disciples did honestly ask him in faith, “where are you going?”
what do you think Jesus would have said?
What purposes and reasons would Jesus give to the disciples and to us if asked,
“why do you have ascend?”
“why do you have to leave the earth?”
“why not stay here with us?”
Even though the disciples fail to ask in faith, Jesus still gives them some graceful clarity.
Look with me at v.7
Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.
Nevertheless...
Even though you have not asked
Even though your hearts are full of sorrow when they should be rejoicing
Even though you are being driven by doubt and selfish emotions…
“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away”
It is to the disciples advantage, and to ours, that Jesus did not remain on earth but ascended to the Father.
We so often think that it would be better if Jesus remained on earth after his resurrection.
It is common for us to believe that our faith would be stronger if we could physically see Jesus.
However, the disciples are good examples as to the fact that this is not the case.
It is better for us that Jesus ascended… why is this case?
The immediate answer is because if Jesus had not ascended he never would have sent his Helper, the Spirit of Christ. … but we are going to look at that in more detail next week.
Why is the ascension of Jesus so important?
We understand why it is better for Jesus, but why is it better for us that Jesus returned to the Father?
The ascension is a massively important and profound reality, inherent in the good news of the gospel, yet we so often fail to consider the ascension as being crucial to the reality of the gospel.
The common formula of the gospel is concerning:
The life, death, and resurrection of Christ.
However, we ought to think of the gospel as the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus.
And even more, the promise, the birth, the life, the death, the resurrection, the ascension, and Pentecost .
The ascension of Jesus is just as crucial to the good news of the gospel as his death and resurrection.
Upon the cross
Jesus atoned for our sins, so that we might be free from the chains of sin and death.
Upon the cross Jesus put the dark powers to open shame
Upon the cross Jesus judged the enemies of God.
Upon the cross Jesus defeated the Dragon who wielded death as a weapon
In his resurrection,
Jesus took hold of the new creation, pulled it into the present.
In his resurrection he has given us life, for when he was raised we were raised with him.
In his resurrection we are given freedom to follow Christ.
It is the resurrection that gives us hope for eternal life.
It is the resurrection that gives us the hope of seeing our loved ones who have passed away.
However, the gospel is not only freedom from guilt and shame, its not only new life in Christ, but it is union with Christ.
The ascension guarantees our participation in the divine life of the Triune God
The Ascension is why we have been seated with Christ in the heavenly places
The Ascension is Jesus’ enthronement as the king of the whole world.
If Christ had not ascended, the promises of the gospel would not be fulfilled.
Themes of the ascension are found all throughout the scriptures - in fact the whole story of the bible could be told in a descension and ascension.
We see the story of Jesus’ ascension in Luke and Acts.
Yet we see if symbolized all throughout the OT, from the garden of Eden, to the Burnt offerings - lit. ascension offering
We see the Ascension throughout the book of Psalms and in the prophets as well.
Jesus mentions his ascension many times during his ministry when he talks about going to be with the Father, and sitting at his right hand.
The Ascension fulfills and completes what Jesus came to do.
And what did Jesus come to do?
He came to establish his kingdom, and himself as King by defeating satan, sin and death, and in so doing he brings us back to God.
This is why it is to our advantage that Jesus ascend to the Father.
You see, since the fall, humanity was unable to come near to God do to our sin.
this is why Adam and Eve were kicked out of the garden
This is why no one could come into the holy of holies
This is why you offered burnt offerings - the animal would ascend on your behalf to be with God.
Cursed humanity cannot be in union with God.
So what God did to rectify this cursed situation was to send Jesus to put on flesh, to become human, and as a human he conquered sin and death and then in his ascension went back to the father in his human form.
You can think about it like this, at Jesus’ incarnation he brought heaven to earth, but at his ascension he brings earth to heaven.
Because of his ascension, Jesus has created a place for humanity in the presence of God.
For the blood of Christ washed the sins of his people, and now by his blood we are presented before the father, as men and women and children who have been washed from our transgressions.
It is to our advantage that Jesus go away to be with the Father, because if he did not go to the Father, we would have no place with the Father.
The ascension was necessary to lead humanity to the height of every blessing and not only free us from death and sin but also to raise us to the heavens.
In this way Christ brings humanity back into the dwelling place of God.
When Adam was kicked out of the garden he descended from the presence of God, he and his bride with him.
When the second Adam ascends, he enters back into the garden, back into the presence of God, he and his bride with him.
This again is why it is better for us that Jesus departs. So that he can bring us, those whom he has atoned for and given life, back into the glorious presence of God.
And in this, we have hope.
We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,
where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
For no one comes to the father except through Jesus.
If the disciples could have understood the significance of the ascension, if they had eyes to see and ears to hear… their sorrow would have been turned to Joy.
For they would have understood that Christ is going to
open the doors of heaven,
to open the doors to the garden and the tree of life,
to open the doors to the Holy of Holies,
to open the doors into the very nature and glory of God.
And all of this is only scratching the surface of the ascension.
The ascension gives us hope and confidence that we have a high priest who stands before the father
The ascension gives us confidence that Christ has taken his seat at the right hand of God as the true king of the whole world
The ascension gives us reason to rejoice when we are persecuted, when we are hated, when we are reviled and slandered.
Because we know that we stand with the true king who rules over the nations.
Because we know that Christ is ruling and will continue to rule until every enemy is brought under his feet.
Church,
As you went to bed last night, know that Jesus was at work subduing his enemies.
While you slept, he was continuing his rule and reign over the world, which is why you are able to sleep in peace.
When you woke up this morning, he was still at it… pushing back the darkness, crushing satan underfoot, forgiving and restoring those of us who have fallen into sin.
And even now, as you sit here in church, the ascended Christ has continued to rule and reign, he has continued to bring many sons to glory, he has continued to intercede, he has continued to subdue his enemies, he is still preparing a place for you in the Father house,
This is the outrageous reality of the ascension.
When the disciples realized the reality of the ascension their sorrow turned to joy. Their fear turned to courage. and their doubts turned to worship.
May we too experience the overwhelming joy of the ascension.
Lets pray.