At the Father's Right Hand: Why the Ascension Matters

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Now please take a moment of silence to prepare your heart for worship.

Call to Worship (Psalm 24:1-5)

Prayer of Praise (Brittney Clukey)

All Creatures of Our God and King

Crown Him With Many Crowns

Prayer of Confession (Jerry Brewton), Impatience

Assurance of Pardon (1 Timothy 1:15–16)

Yet Not I but Through Christ in Me

Hymn of Heaven

Nicene Creed Reading

Pastoral Prayer (Hopson)

Prayer for PBC—Biblical understanding of church discipline

Prayer for kingdom partner—Pillar Network

Prayer for US—Lietenant Governor

Prayer for the world—Angola

Pray for the sermon

SERMON

START TIMER!!!

Sometimes the ending we expect isn’t the one we get.

Think about The Lord of the Rings. After three epic movies—or a thousand pages—you expect the story to wrap up with a dramatic victory: the Ring is destroyed, evil is defeated, and the heroes return home in triumph. But the story doesn’t end there. Frodo comes back to the Shire, but he’s not the same. He’s wounded, restless, unable to return to life as it was. And instead of a final moment of celebration, the story closes with a quiet, unexpected goodbye as Frodo sails away to the Undying Lands. It’s a good ending—but not the one we were expecting. It lingers. It unsettles. And it points to something deeper.

The same could be said of one of the most important moments in church history: the Council of Nicaea. You might expect a sharp resolution to a theological crisis—but the real story was much messier.

In the fourth century, the church was locked in a fierce debate about the identity of Jesus. A popular teacher named Arius claimed that Jesus wasn’t truly God—that He was a created being, not equal with the Father. Against him stood a young man named Athanasius.

SHOW ATHANASIUS IMAGE

At the time of the council, Athanasius was only a deacon his church. He was young, relatively unknown, and physically unimpressive. His opponents would mock him as “the black dwarf.” But what Athanasius lacked in stature, he made up for in courage and conviction.

The Council of Nicaea met in 325 A.D. and officially rejected Arius’s teaching, affirming that Jesus is fully God, of the same essence as the Father. But the controversy didn’t end there. Over the next fifty years, Athanasius would be exiled five times by emperors sympathetic to Arius. He lived much of his life on the run, fighting for the truth in letters, sermons, and personal appeals. He died in 373 A.D.—still convinced of the truth, but not fully seeing its victory. The creed we now call “Nicene” wasn’t completed until 381 A.D., eight years after his death.

The truth prevailed—but the ending wasn’t quick, or easy, or clean. It’s not quite the ending we expect.

And sometimes we treat the story of the gospel the same way. We celebrate Jesus’ birth, His life, His death on the cross, and His resurrection from the grave—and then we stop. As if that’s the end of the story. But it’s not.

Jesus didn’t just rise. He ascended. He returned to the Father and took His seat at the right hand of God. And that moment—the ascension—isn’t just a theological footnote. It is the crowning of the King. It is the moment He takes His rightful throne, reigning over all things with power and glory.

The ascension of Jesus isn't an unnecessary appendage to the story of redemption. It’s not just filler.

The ascension of Jesus is an essential part of the story of redemption.

That’s the Big Idea I hope to communicate with God’s help this morning.

We’re focusing on articles 6-7 from the Nicene Creed, which says Jesus...

… ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father; and he shall come again, with glory, to judge both the living and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.

When Athanasius and the other authors of this creed included a reference to Jesus’ ascension, they did so because they understood that the ascension is an essential part of the story of redemption.

But more important than what the Creed says is what the Bible says, so turn with me in your Bibles to Acts 1:6.

If you don’t have a Bible, you’ll find it on page 1080 of the black Bibles underneath your seat. And if you don’t have a Bible, please take that copy of God’s Word home with you. We want you to have a Bible of your own.

The events we’re going to read about in the book of Acts occurred exactly forty days after Jesus rose from the dead.

By the way, this past Thursday was forty days after Easter Sunday, so as long ago as Easter feels to you, that’s how much time had passed before this moment when Jesus met His disciples on the Mount of Olives.

Acts 1:6–11—So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Even though the details of Jesus’ ascension are only recorded in two places in the Scriptures—both by Luke!—the significance of the ascension is ALL OVER THE BIBLE!

Because the ascension is an essential part of the story of redemption.

I want to show you Four Reasons Why the Ascension Matters:

The Ascension CERTIFIES Jesus’ Deity

The Ascension CONTINUES Jesus’ Work

The Ascension COMFORTS Jesus’ People, and

The Ascension CONFIRMS Jesus’ Return.

1) The Ascension CERTIFIES Jesus’ Deity

We’ve seen the importance of certifying results in recent elections. It’s one thing to cast your vote and count votes, it’s another thing to certify them. Even when the results of an election seem unquestionable, certifying those results is still an important step.

Similarly, it is one thing for Jesus to demonstrate His deity and another thing for His deity to be certified. For heaven itself to issue its stamp of approval, that this man is truly God.

At first glance, it’s hard to see how the ascension certifies Jesus’ deity.

In fact, if we’re honest, I think it’s hard for most of us to see how the ascension is even good news at all.

It’s easy for us to look at the cross and call it good, because we know that by Jesus’ stripes we are healed.

And it’s easy for us to look at the resurrection and call it good, because we know that Jesus is alive!

But why should we look at the ascension and call it good?

Wouldn’t it be so much easier if Jesus were still here? Wouldn’t it be far easier to prove Jesus is truly God if He were still around? Imagine how much easier it would be to evangelize people if Jesus was still physically here!

If someone said, “Jesus didn’t really rise from the dead,” we could say “Alright, buddy, I’ll prove it to you!” and then take them to see Jesus!

But that is not the way the early church thought about the ascension!

In the gospel of Luke—the only other place where this story is recorded—we read this...

Luke 24:50–52—And [Jesus] led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up His hands He blessed them. While He blessed them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.

I don’t know about you, but that last line surprised me when I studied for this sermon.

Why were the disciples filled with great joy?!? Jesus had just left them! What is going on here!

I think the reason is found in an ancient prophecy from the book of Daniel. A prophecy they certainly would have known, because Jesus referenced it often.

Daniel 7:13–14—“I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a Son of Man, and He came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And 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 one that shall not be destroyed.

What is Daniel prophesying? One day, a Man would travel with the clouds and appear before the throne room of heaven. And God the Father would give this Man a crown and a Kingdom that would never ever pass away.

Daniel was prophesying about the ascension!

When Jesus was lifted up in the clouds, the disciples rejoiced because they knew this meant that Jesus was now being enthroned in heaven. The Man they knew to be God was now seated on His throne, forever exalted in the presence of the Father!

Here’s what this means practically, friend. Jesus is God. Whether you believe it or not, whether you have submitted to Him or not, He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! The disciples rejoiced because the ascension PROVED what Jesus said throughout His earthly ministry.

Unbeliever: the reason Jesus is not PHYSICALLY here today is so YOU have time to repent and believe. To turn from your sins and trust in this Jesus who bled and died in your place. Would you trust Him today?

Christian: the reason Jesus is not PHYSICALLY here today is because He is still drawing sinners to Himself. And He intends to do that THROUGH His people! Who in your life needs to hear this good news? And what are you doing to tell them?

The ascension is an essential part of the story of redemption because it certifies Jesus’ deity.

But also...

2) The Ascension CONTINUES Jesus’ Work

Let’s look again at the Creed. It states, Jesus “ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.”

That language about Jesus sitting at the right hand of the Father is all over the Bible.

Psalm 110:1—The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”

That verse, by the way, is quoted more frequently by the NT authors than any other OT verse.

Jesus Himself said...

Luke 22:69—“But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God.”

In his first sermon, Peter said...

Acts 2:33—Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.

The Apostle Paul writes...

Colossians 3:1—If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

We could go on, but hopefully you get the point.

To be at the Father’s right hand is a position of authority and power. It’s the place of highest rank. [2]

But what does it mean that Jesus is seated at the Father’s right hand?

Hebrews 10:11–12—And every priest stands daily at His service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God.

There were no seats in the tabernacle, because while the priest was on duty his work was never done. There were always more sacrifices to be made.

But Jesus, after dying as our sacrificial lamb, sits down at the Father’s right hand because all the work necessary to pay the penalty for our sins was finished on the cross.

Christian: Even when you commit grievous sins against your Savior, your penalty is still paid. Jesus really did pay it all!

Now why this fear and unbelief? / Has not the Father put to grief / His spotless Son for us?

And will the righteous Judge of men / condemn me for that debt of sin / now canceled at the cross? [3]

The answer to the rhetorical question in the song is NO! God will not condemn you for a debt of sin that has already been canceled at the cross. It is finished! You are forgiven, Christian, no matter how you feel!

Jesus is seated because His atoning work on the cross is finished! But that doesn’t mean Jesus is done working entirely.

He’s not chilling in a La-Z-Boy until it’s time for Him to return.

Jesus’ work continues after His ascension, it’s just different.

For example, Jesus is still working as our great King.

Henry Swete rightly explains “When [Jesus] sat down at the right hand of power, it was not for a brief cessation from warfare, but for an age-long conflict with the powers of evil. ‘Sitting’ is not always a posture of rest. Some of the hardest work of life is done by the monarch seated in his cabinet.” [5]

Another author said, “the resurrection means Jesus lives, the ascension means Jesus reigns.” [6]

So how is Jesus ruling and reigning as King right now?

He does it through the church! When we gather together to sing His praises, we are giving honor to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

And when you resist temptation and fight your sin you are saying with your life that there is a Kingdom that is better than this world!

When we tell our friends and neighbors and co-workers the gospel we are heralding the Good News of the King.

Whenever someone turns from their sins and trusts in Jesus they are submitting to King Jesus.

In fact, the only reason Jesus has yet to return is because some of the elect have still not yet submitted to His rule. Maybe that’s you, friend. Would you turn and trust in Jesus today?

The ascension is an essential part of the story of redemption because it continues Jesus’ work.

But also...

3) The Ascension COMFORTS Jesus’ People

That might seem like an odd thing to say.

Would you be comforted if your All-Star Quarterback walked off the field with the game tied in the 4th Quarter?

The Ascension doesn’t seem comforting. It seems like Jesus is abandoning us when we need Him the most!

But consider with me two reasons why the Ascension is a source of great comfort.

A) God Dwells in HUMANS

A few hours before He was betrayed, Jesus said this to His disciples...

John 16:7—“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.”

That Helper is, of course, the Holy Spirit. We’ll talk about Him at length next week, Lord willing.

But for now, I want you to grasp what Jesus is saying. J.D. Greear paraphrases this verse like this: “The Spirit inside you is better than Jesus beside you.” [7]

As amazing as it would be to walk alongside Jesus, in a fallen world it’s better to have the Spirit inside you—present wherever you go, convicting you of sin, gifting you for service, illuminating the Scriptures, and filling you with power.

If you struggle believing that, it probably means you don’t realize what a gift we have in the Holy Spirit. Come back in a few weeks to learn more.

The ascension comforts Jesus’ people because it means God—in the person of the Holy Spirit—dwells in humans.

But also, it’s comforting because it means...

B) A HUMAN Dwells With God

No author talks more about the implications of the ascension than the author of the Hebrews.

Consider these words from...

Hebrews 4:14–15—Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Jesus’ “passing through the heavens” is a reference to His ascension. He was transported through the clouds into another dimension, the place where God dwells that we call heaven.

But I want you to notice the subtle implications here.

The author says we have a high priest who can sympathize with us. That word have is very important.

It does not say we had a high priest who can sympathize with our weakness. That’s what we would have if Jesus used to be human.

Like the grandparent who used to be a child and sympathizes with their grandchildren by talking about walking uphill to school in the snow both ways!

“Oh yes, long ago I can remember when I was a wee lad!”

Jesus doesn’t have to reminisce to sympathize with humanity, because Jesus is STILL human! That’s what the ascension means! Jesus, in His glorified body, was physically relocated to heaven itself. Which means that a human—one of us!—dwells with God in heaven!

Nick Needham puts it like this: “This is not to say that his risen, ascended humanity hasn’t been glorified. It has. So there are differences between his earthly humanity and his ascended humanity, but that doesn’t alter the fact that he is still human. He has a glorified humanity, not a glorified something else … The ascended Christ is still a human being and that he will remain a human being for all eternity - an exalted and glorified human being, yes, but a human being with a recognisable human body.” [8]

You don’t need to go to a saint, or a priest or a pastor, or someone more relatable to access God. Jesus, is the most relatable person in the universe! And He is physically present—in a glorified human body—with the Father, interceding on your behalf.

Five bleeding wounds he bears,

Received on Calvary;

They pour effectual prayers,

They strongly speak for me;

Forgive him, oh forgive, they cry,

Nor let that ransomed sinner die.

The Father hears him pray,

His dear Anointed One;

He cannot turn away

The presence of his Son;

His Spirit answers to the blood

And tells me I am born of God. [9]

The ascension is an essential part of the story of redemption because it comforts Jesus’ people.

But finally...

3) The Ascension CONFIRMS Jesus’ Return

We’re not going to spend a lot of time here. We talked about the return of Jesus a lot when we studied 1-2 Thessalonians recently, and (Lord willing) we’ll be studying the book of Revelation together in less than a year. But let me just show you the connection between the ascension and the return of Jesus.

Acts 1:11—… “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

With the ascension comes the rock-solid promise that Jesus is coming again!

And He is coming, not as a baby in a manger but as a King on a white battle horse.

Will you be ready when He returns, friend? Have you turned from your sin and trusted in Jesus’ death and resurrection in your place? Are you living in submission to His Kingship now? Are you striving to advance His Kingdom? Will you be ready when the King returns?

The ascension is an essential part of the story of redemption because it confirms Jesus’ return.

We don’t know when that day will be, but we know that our job is to be faithful until then.

That was the calling of Athanasius. He didn’t live to see the full triumph of his theology. He didn’t know that, decades after his death, the theology he defended would be universally affirmed by the church. What he did know was that Jesus was reigning—ascended, exalted, and worthy of allegiance.

The world around him often said otherwise. In 359, the scholar Jerome wrote, “The whole world groaned and was astonished to find itself Arian.” [10] It felt like the truth had lost. Everywhere Athanasius looked, false teaching seemed to have the upper hand.

Around the same time, a bishop known as Gregory of Nyssa said, “If... you ask a shopkeeper for change, he will argue with you about whether the Son is begotten or unbegotten. If you inquire about the quality of bread, the baker will answer, ‘The Father is greater, the Son is less.’ And if you ask the bath attendant to draw your bath, he will tell you that the Son was created.” [11]

And yet Athanasius held fast. He endured exile after exile. He stood alone against emperors, councils, and the tide of popular opinion—so much so that church history gave him the nickname Athanasius contra mundum—“Athanasius against the world.”

He could do that because he knew Jesus was not just risen—He was reigning. Seated at the right hand of God. Interceding for His people. Ruling history. And one day, returning in glory.

We may live in a time of confusion, compromise, or cultural chaos. But the ascension reminds us: our King is on the throne, and He is coming again.

So until that day, we stay faithful.

Because the One who ascended will surely return. And on that day, every eye will see Him, every tongue will confess Him, and every knee will bow before Him—Jesus Christ, Lord of all.

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Behold Our God

Benediction (1 Thess 5:23–24)