Mark 16:19-20 "The Ascension of Jesus Christ"

Good Morning Calvary Chapel Lake City!

Today… we are in our 63rd message of the Gospel of Mark… and we will finish the Gospel of Mark today!

I’ve always felt this bittersweet sense of accomplishment when closing out a book of the Bible… knowing we have studied it in depth and line by line… and I feel that today.

We’ve been camped out in Mark for almost a year and three months… and next week… we begin the long anticipated Book of Romans.

So closing out the Gospel of Mark…

The final two chapters of Mark… hone in on the final week of Jesus’ earthly life prior to the cross…

And, then focus on His trials, crucifixion, death and resurrection…

Then, His Jesus’ post resurrection appearances…

And, last week the Great Commission… as harmonized in all four gospels…

And, one thing I realized… after that teaching is the Trinity is truly represented in the Great Commission…

The disciples were given authority by the Father, were sent by the Son, and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

It’s a beautiful picture of the Trinity.

And, Jesus commands us to make disciples of all nations and to preach the Gospel to every creature.

After Jesus gave these commands… 1 Cor 15:6-7 records Jesus appeared to 500 eye witnesses at once… and then to His 1/2 brother James (what an encounter that must have been… given James would lead the early church and authored the epistle)…

And then He would ascend to heaven… which is how Luke and Mark both close out their Gospels… and in part how Luke opens the Book of Acts.

The Ascension is the event where Jesus returned to heaven…

As Luke described, He was “carried up into heaven”… “and a cloud received Him out of their [the disciples] sight.”

When we studied through Matthew… we didn’t really discuss the ascension because Matthew closes his gospel with the Great Commission.

So, I’m excited to teach on this today because I think we often overlook the significance of the ascension.

But it is significant… next to the resurrection… it’s up there as a premier sign that Jesus is God, His work is finished… and several other points of significance as we will see today.

We will cover eight points as to why the ascension is significant… supported by quite a few cross references.

Get your pencils ready.

And, there will be an exam afterwards…

That’s just a joke if you’re visiting today. No exam today… it will be next week.

Well… let’s read this passage now… let’s behold the word… and “The Ascension of Jesus Christ”… our sermon title… and final message in the Gospel of Mark.

Let’s Pray!

In reverence for God’s word, please stand… as I read the final two verses of the Gospel of Mark.

Mark 16:19-20 “So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.”

Praise God for His word. Please be seated!

Scripture tells us that after the resurrection of Jesus Christ… there were forty days until the Ascension of Jesus Christ…

We know this because in Acts 1:3, Luke wrote, “… He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.”

During the 40 days between Jesus’ resurrection and His ascension Jesus gave many “infallible proofs”… your bible may say “convincing proofs”…

Jesus gave many clear proofs that He was alive… by touch… by sight… by replication of miracles He performed early in His ministry… by eating food… and what we just read…

… that He spoke of “… the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.”

I wish we had the recording of those teachings…

What did He teach?

Did He give them greater details than what we have recorded in Scripture?

We’ll have to wait until heaven to find out.

This topic of the ‘Kingdom of God’ is a big topic describing the rule of God over His creation as King…

This includes the church and our present duty to fulfill the Great Commission… to “do business or occupy until He comes”…

But the Kingdom stretches beyond the church age to Jesus’ return and establishment of the Kingdom Age… where Jesus will rule for a thousand years on earth.

The topic is broad… and when we think about the disciples question in Acts 1:6 “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”

It’s obvious they expected the coming kingdom.

And at that time in Acts 1:7, Jesus responded, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.”

But, as we read in Acts 1:3… over the course of 40 days… Jesus did address this topic… just not the exact timing of when.

Now… Mark… in his quick action packed style… only gives us a general idea of what happened at the ascension…

He tells us in Mark 16:19 that Jesus was speaking with the disciples… which we have those details courtesy of Dr. Luke in the book of Acts (which we will look at in a moment)…

But it was during that time that Jesus was “received up into heaven...”

And, as Jesus ascends to heaven… it marks the end of His earthly ministry… which is our first point of several points… as to why the ascension is significant.

Again… point #1… the ascension marks the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry.

He came from the Father in His incarnation… and now He returns to the Father in the ascension.

Jesus’ limitations in human form now cease.

He returns to glory… and is seated at the right hand of God… as Mark also wrote in V19.

The Ascension is also significant because it fulfills prophecy… spoken by Jesus… and in the OT.

And, fulfilled prophecy is always significant because it gives us confidence that the word of God and the claims of Jesus… are true.

Here are some of those passages where the expectation or the prediction to return to the Father… the ascension is mentioned…

Luke 9:51… when Samaria rejected Christ…

Luke wrote, “Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, [speaking about the ascension] that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem...”

Just prior to Jesus’ ‘Priestly Prayer’, Jesus spoke to His disciples and said,

John 16:28 “I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father.”

He also said “I go to the Father in John 16:16”… same passage.

Very clearly in John 20:17 Jesus said to Mary Magdalene, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’ ”

In Jesus’ ‘High Priestly Prayer’…

John 17:13 Jesus prayed to the Father… “But now I come to You...”

In the OT… there are several passages where the ascension is foreshadowed, but the key passage is Dan 7:13-14 “I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. 14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.”

So often we think of this passage in relation to Jesus’ Second Coming… and that is indeed accurate…

He returns… coming on the clouds… and takes dominion of the earth…

But, he also ascended to heaven on the clouds… and note “He came to the Ancient of Days...”

Dan 7 not only predicts the Second Coming… but first it predicts the Son of Man coming up TO the Ancient of Days… the Father in Heaven… to receive a kingdom that will never end.

Which brings up our third point about the significance of the ascension… Jesus’ work was successful. He accomplished all He came to do to provide the means for mankind to be redeemed back to God…

Through faith in Jesus… sin is forgiven… death is defeated… the door is open for eternity in heaven with God.

His resurrection and His ascension signify the Father accepted Jesus’ work as complete… and through the ascension, Jesus is received back to glory.

Which Jesus spoke clearly of… also in His ‘High Priestly Prayer.”

In John 17:1… Jesus ‘lifted His eyes to heaven’… praying, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You…”

And this request to be glorified is seen again a few verses later… John 17:4-5… Jesus continued praying… “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.”

Jesus petitions the Father to return to… as several commentators title it… to “His pristine glory”… to His place of preexistence and equality with the Father.

And being that Jesus did ascend… coupled with His statements like what we just read in John 17 “I have finished the work”… or His cry of victory from the cross “It is finished”…

It’s clear that both Jesus and the Father were satisfied that His work was accomplished.

And, as Jesus ascends to heaven… and sits down at the right hand of God… fourth… as a matter of significance…

IS… Jesus is exalted. The exaltation of Christ is a topic of systematic theology whereby Jesus is honored and given a name above all names…

Phil 2:9-10 reads, “Therefore [contextually because of His incarnation and death on the cross] God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow...”

Exalt mean by def. “to exalt beyond measure”… “to lift or raise up”… “to exalt supremely”… “to elevate.”

Jesus… right now is seated on the throne… He HAS BEEN exalted by our Father in heaven…

And there will come a day “that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

His exaltation begins with His vindication at the resurrection… progresses at His ascension… His seat at the right hand of God… (where He forever makes intercession for His people (Heb 7:25))… and continues to His return, final judgment of all things, and His eternal rule.

Eph 1:20-23 captures all this very nicely… “He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. 22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”

The Father was well please with the Son and has exalted Him in part… and Jesus now waits until that moment… when the Father again says… “Now go”… where He will come again to reclaim the earth…

Fulfilling Ps 110:1 “The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”

That day is coming…

As I read those verses… there should be a feeling of reverent awe towards who Jesus is… and the authority He holds.

And, the anticipation of what He still has to accomplish.

It should comfort you to know that while the world is turbulent… Jesus remains on the throne…

While we may experience trials and tribulations… all things will be set right.

Even now… while the time is not yet for His second coming… until that time… Jesus continues to work now… in His role as our Great High Priest.

In that same Psalm… Ps 110:4 reads, “The LORD has sworn And will not relent, “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.”

And, this brings us to our fifth point… As Jesus ascends… it begins His new work as High Priest and Mediator of the New Covenant.

You may have heard of Jesus… of Messiah being referred to as Prophet, Priest and King…

There are many bible verses that speak of Jesus fulfilling all three roles… and this is true.

The was NOT true of any normal man.

Typically, the three offices of prophet, priest, and king were distinct from each other, with no overlap.

A king was neither priest nor prophet. A priest was not a prophet or king. And most prophets only prophesied… without seeking to be king or a priest.

But Jesus Christ perfectly fills all three roles simultaneously: He is the Prophet, Priest, and King… which is an immense blessing to the world.

Largely in His past earthly ministry, He fulfilled the role of prophet.

After His ascension and being seated at the right hand of the Father… PRESENTLY He is fulfilling the role of the priest.

And… one day yet future… He will come again… as the KING OF KINGS and LORD OF LORDS.

But still yet present. Jesus is our High Priest…

And Hebrews 4:14–16 captures in part what a blessing this is to us. Heb 4:14-16 reads “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. [And, how did He ‘pass through the heavens’? The incarnation and the ascension.] 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

This is really good news for us. Jesus is a High Priest who fully understands the human condition…

Every single temptation a person can experience… He did… but He didn’t succumb.

When tempted in the wilderness… we have the record of three temptations Satan put before Jesus…

Which are the same categorically that he puts before all of humanity… the lust of the flesh… the lust of the eyes… and the pride of life.

This is exactly how Satan tempted Eve.

And, Jesus defeated Satan with the word of God.

Rev 12 speaks about “that serpent of old… the devil… Satan… titling him the “accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night...”

Satan is presently busy telling God about all the faults… and failures… and sins of Christians.

But, that same passage says Satan is the one who will be cast out of heaven…

And Rev 12:11 declares, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”

Satan’s accusations are in part nullified by the blood of the lamb which renders our sins which are like scarlet… to be white as snow… (Isa 1:18)

As the accusations come in… our High Priest who is seated at the right hand of the Father… intercedes on our behalf… declaring we are blood bought…

That our sins of the past… our sins in the present… even our future sins are paid in full.

Psalm 103:12 promises, “As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

Transgression is even worse then sin (missing the mark), because transgression is all out rebellion.

It’s full awareness of wrong, and choosing to walk forward anyway.

And, Scripture promises even that… is removed indefinitely.

Not North to South where you can reach that set destination.

But east to west… a direction one can travel infinitely.

In Isaiah, God called Israel to return to Him… and He gave these promises regarding their transgressions

Isaiah 43:25 “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins.”

Blood bought saints can trust that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever…

And, our transgressions too are not remembered.

Satan accuses us before God about our sins… and God could say… “I don’t have that record… I only see the blood of the lamb which paid for that transgression.”

Isaiah 44:22 declares “I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions, And like a cloud, your sins. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.”

Like a cloud that blots out the sun… our sins are not seen by God… for all who return to God through faith in Jesus… for all who are redeemed.

And, maybe there’s someone here today that needs this reminder.

If you have failed… and are feeling a weight of shame and condemnation…

Remember that you are blood bought… that sin… that transgression has been paid in full.

That Heb 4 passage tells us that our High Priest understands temptation… He understands our human condition…

And, it doesn’t say that you’re a shameful sinner who should hide your face from God…

The verse says, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Run to Him… NOT from Him.

Eph 2 beginning in verse 14 says

Jesus is “our peace”…

He has “broken down the middle wall of separation”

The veil was torn…

He “abolished in His flesh the enmity”… ending the system of law…

He “reconciled mankind to God… through the cross”

“He came and preached peace to you who were afar off...”

And “through Him we have ‘access to the Father.’

I don’t read “go away”… I see a picture of a Savior and High Priest who came from heaven to earth because He is madly in love with you…

And, when you fail… you need to run to Him…

Scripture promises, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

You have a High Priest in heaven who is on your side… who has died for you… who intercedes on your behalf…

He died and ascended to heaven to take on this role as High Priest… and the Mediator of the New Covenant.

Which is part B of our fifth point… and we will cover this one quickly…

Hebrews 9:15 captures Jesus’ role as mediator which reads… “And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.”

Jesus stands between God and His people as our mediator so all who are saved can inherit eternal life.

Through His death… the necessity of keeping the law was no longer… we now live under the New Covenant of Grace… and through faith in Jesus Christ… we have been redeemed back to God… we presently have eternal life. ‘

Well… our next point in what’s becoming a “Theology Class Sunday”… I do hope you’re all doing ok!

Sometimes we come upon a passage like Jesus on the boat with the disciples… and it SO RICH with applications to our parallel “storms of life”… and I love those messages…

Jesus going before the disciples to Galilee… loved that passage…

But, as we teach straight through the Bible… there also comes passages like the Ascension, or the Resurrection…

Where the passage calls for a deeper look into theological topics.

Theology… the study of God. That’s today.

So… point 6… on why the ascension is significant… and I do think you will like this point…

Jesus ascended… so He can go and prepare a place for YOU!

“For me?” “Yes you!”

If you’re one of those people who likes to find yourself first in a group photo… and you know who you are… you should like this point.

We all should like this point… it’s highly personal… it’s a future promise… it pictures the Jewish wedding… and indeed there is a future wedding between Christ and His bride… the church… which is you if you’ve place your faith in Jesus.

In John 14, Jesus comforted His disciples because Jesus said He was going away, and would die, and one of them was a traitor, and Peter would deny Him three times, that Satan was working against all of them, and that all the disciples would fall away…

Prior to the Cross… Jesus had dropped several bombs on them… and they were feeling it.

So, Jesus comforted them in John 14:1-3 saying, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also."

Jesus told them He was going… TO His Father’s house (that’s heaven)… and would prepare a place for His followers…

Then, at some future time… He would come again to take them to their new home with Him.

Now… these disciples were Jews and no doubt they would hear this and their minds would be drawn to the imagery of Jewish wedding traditions.

The symbolism is thick… Briefly… and there’s so much more… but in a Jewish weddings there was a betrothal period… which was a legally binding engagement period…

Followed by the wedding and consummation of the marriage.

During the betrothal… the bridegroom would go and construct the marital home… typically adjoined to His Father’s house.

And, what did Jesus do? After sealing the covenant with the church at the Last Supper… He ascended to heaven to His Father’s home to prepare a dwelling place for His bride.

In the Jewish wedding… at a future date not usually known in advance… the groom would return for his bride…

His arrival was announced with a shout.

And, that’s what we’re waiting on… Jesus had been away now for almost 2,000 years preparing a place for us.

He made the heavens and the earth in six days… and it was good.

Just imagine what He can do with 2,000 years.

Paul wrote in 1 Thes 4:16-18 “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

That’s what we are waiting for. For the Bridegroom to return and take us to His Father’s house.

Until then… He gave us the Great Commission… to make disciples and preach the gospel to all people.

And we are to occupy until He comes… we are to be faithful and wise stewards using the gifts and resources He has given us… investing in His kingdom…

And, loving God and loving people.

In the Jewish wedding… when the bride was taken from her home…

She would remain hidden for seven days at the groom’s Father’s house.

And I love that imagery as a support to the rapture and the church being hidden for seven years in the Father’s house… while on earth the seven year tribulation for the Jews… fulfilling Daniel’s 70th week… occurs.

There’s a crazy amount of parallels between the Jewish wedding feast and the church age… rapture and tribulation.

I printed a brief article on these parallels from GotQuestions.org… you can grab that at the info. table.

But, even better… there is a movie… a docudrama called “Before the Wrath”…

With commentary from Jack Hibbs, Amir, and several other scholars…

It’s really well done… and the movie parallels the Galilean wedding ceremony to the New Covenant… and Jesus going to prepare a place… and the Rapture.

If you’re skeptical about the rapture… or not familiar with the Jewish wedding parallels… you should check out this film.

It’s well done… and it’s free.

The free streaming service “Tubi” is currently featuring this film.

Should be eye opening.

Two more points… home stretch… our seventh reason why the ascension of Jesus Christ is significant is because as Jesus ascends… the Holy Spirit will descend and begin the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Another time when Jesus was speaking to His disciples and mentioned that He would go away… ‘sorrow filled their hearts.’

So, Jesus said, John 16:7-11 “I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; [via the ascension] for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8 And when He has come, He will [Here’s part of the work of the Holy Spirit… He… personified will… ] convict [meaning “to expose” or “to rebuke”] the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment; 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father [again… via the ascension] and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.”

And, so… Jesus says the ascension is necessary, so the Helper… Gk. paraklētos… the Advocate… the Comforter… the Counselor… He…

… will begin His work of “regeneration.” (another theological concept)… whereby the Holy Spirit transforms a person’s spiritual condition from death to life.

He does this by exposing sin of the world… sin is “missing the mark”…

The Jews thought Jesus was unrighteous… thus they had Him crucified… but His resurrection and ascension vindicated Him as righteous.

Thus, the Holy Spirit points to Jesus whom alone is righteous… and through faith in Him alone… we take on His righteousness…

John 15:26 states, “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.”

The Holy Spirit… the Spirit of Truth… stands as a witness that Jesus is Messiah… the only means of salvation from sin and judgment.

And, the Holy Spirit will convict the world of judgment.

Satan… the “ruler of this world” (Jn 14:30) who had the “power of death” (according to Heb 2:14)… has been convicted and sentenced to death.

Presently, Satan is still active in the world… walking about “like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet 5:8)…

But, he is on death row… his execution is coming according to Revelation 20… he will be bound for a thousand years… and ultimately cast into the lake of fire… which is called the “second death”… and is reserved for… not just Satan… but for all the unbelievers of the world.

It’s a place described in the Bible as a place of torment… and fire… and separation from God… “the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night...” (Rev 14:11)

Hell is a real place… it’s not a keg party with your buddies…

It’s far better to stop fighting God… and let the Holy Spirit do His work… and say yes to Jesus.

For Believers… there are also advantages of the Holy Spirit coming…

Of course He in-dwells us and seals us… which also has parallels to the Jewish Wedding…

John 16:13-15 states, “He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.”

Speaking of that which is given to Him from above and glorifying Jesus by declaring truth to the disciples… so they and we can understand and teach about the Savior.

John 14:26 declares, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”

Presently… as you fill yourself with Biblical teachings… and then are out in the world sharing the Great Commission…

The Holy Spirit will be at work in you bringing to your remembrance the teachings of Christ.

I cannot tell you how many times I find this to be true.

Where I am talking with someone… and verses come to mind.

It is a gift… and it is a mark of the Spirit filled life.

If you recall from last week… we spoke about the Great Commission… and how in all four gospels… the gospel writers share an aspect of the Great Commission…

And for Luke… he felt led to emphasize the role of the Holy Spirit… of being empowered by the Holy Spirit… and then going into the world to be a witness for Jesus (Acts 1:8).

Well… if you turn to Luke 24 and follow along with me… it’s not surprising that when Luke speaks about the ascension of Christ… that in close proximity to the Ascension is also the mentioning of the coming Holy Spirit.

Let’s read Luke 24:49-53… the ending of Luke’s Gospel…

Luke wrote, “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”

So, Jesus tells the disciples that the Holy Spirit… the Promise of the Father would come upon them…

With, in and upon… the Holy Spirit is with unbelievers, in-dwells believers, and comes upon or empowers… or overflows believers with the Baptism of the Holy Spirit… for the purpose of ministry… “to be a witness to Jesus...”

And, then right after this mention of the Holy Spirit… continuing in V50… the ascension…

V50 “And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. 51 Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen.”

Bethany… on the Mount of Olives… is a village just near Jerusalem…

This is where Jesus ascended… and where He will descend at His second coming…

According to Zech 14:4 “And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two...”

And, somewhere on the Mount of Olives is where Jesus gave His disciples a final blessing…

… and was “carried up into heaven.” This is the ascension.

And, they worshipped Him… rightfully so…

And, the sorrow they felt previously now turned to joy.

The ascension was a major confirmation to the disciples that Jesus indeed was who He said He was.

And, so… in obedience they return to Jerusalem to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit… and continued in praising Jesus continually at the temple.

Now turn to Acts 1… which Luke also wrote…

Luke begins in Acts 1:1-2 writing, “The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen...”

This sets the tone for the entire book of Acts… which some like to call the Acts of the Holy Spirit…

Jesus “began to do and teach” until He was “taken up” (speaking about the ascension)…

And, He hasn’t stopped “doing and teaching”…

He is busy at work as our High Priest…

And the Holy Spirit continues the teaching ministry.

Then, in Acts 1:8 Jesus… still with the disciples… commissions them… “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

And again… in like manner to the end of Luke… the coming of the Holy Spirit is the topic and right after the Ascension…

Acts 1:9-11 “Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, [angels] 11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

And, so… more details about the ascension… thank you Luke…

The disciples were staring at the sky… watching Jesus ascend… His body rises from the ground… and they watched until a cloud received Him out of their sight.

Which is our eighth and final point about the significance of the Ascension…

It set the pattern for His return. The angels said He “will so come in like manner as you saw Him go...”

When Jesus comes again to establish His kingdom… He will return just as He left:

literally, bodily, and visibly in the clouds (Matthew 24:30; Revelation 1:7).

Matthew 24:30 all the earth “will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”

Revelation 1:7 “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him.”

He is coming. And the world will mourn for the time of wickedness will come to an end.

And, so we come to the end of Marks Gospel… after the Ascension of Jesus Chris… the final verse in Mark reads, “And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.”

Beautiful.

Matthew closes his Gospel with the Great Commission…

Mark and Luke with the ascension.

And, John with this summary statement, “… there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.”

In heaven, we will learn of all those other things… I look forward to that.

Still what we have now is sufficient… there is enough evidence for us to take that leap of faith and believe.

John wrote “… these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”

Worship team come.

If you’re here today… and you want life. Not just physical life… but a real assurance of life after death…

Eternal life in heaven… it is a free gift given to all who place their faith in Jesus Christ.

Our Elders and prayer team will be here to talk with you… and pray with you…

Come up during this last song.

Read ahead. Next week… the Book of Romans. Let’s Pray!

The Gospels are a blessing of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.

Praise God for this journey He has taken us on… through the Gospel of Mark.

Go do what the disciples did in that final verse of Mark… go… preach everywhere… and know the Lord works with you as you fulfill His great commission.