The Ascension of Jesus
Notes
Transcript
This morning we jump back to our Thru the Bible series
If you will recall we have hit some of the highlights as we have preached our way through the entire Bible
Now obviously we haven't preached on everything but we hit some of the highlights in hopes to give you are spark and an excitement to dig in for yourself
We gave you an overview of Scripture
You have some basic knowledge of the Bible Story if you will
So that you can continue to dig in for yourself
Because after all that is why it is a personal relationship it is not a corporate relationship
As we look at the story of Jesus and as we come into the Christmas season we celebrate his birth and all that that means for us
Today we continue on since we have looked at His death, His resurrection and this morning we look at the ascension of Jesus
5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. 6 “He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.
This is where we left last
That Jesus had died and was now alive
That He is no longer in the grave
We know that the death paid for our debt of sin
We know that His resurrection now gives us life
We no longer have to live as a slave to sin because Jesus defeated death
Today we understand that the ascension of Christ confirms the deity of Christ
See without the ascending to heaven to be seated at the right hand of God Jesus is again just a really good Guy
Of course know that Jesus said I Am and which also proves who He says He is but the ascension confirms that to be true
We know that after Jesus rose from the dead that he was seen and ate with people
40 And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. 41 While they still could not believe it because of their joy and amazement, He said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave Him a piece of a broiled fish; 43 and He took it and ate it before them.
So He appeared and this is one of those times after the resurrection that Jesus ate with them
He ate broiled fish, not sure after rising from the grave and defeating death that is my go to meal but that is what they ate back in the day so yea
And we see more of this happening in scripture
We see he called some of the fisherman to shore and ate with them as well
remember this is the life that Jesus lived after defeating death
But what solidifies Jesus’s deity is the fact that He ascended into heaven to be seated at the right hand of God
See Jesus always said He would go away and that it was good that He would go away because He would send a helper
Its not as if Jesus went away on a vacation and left us high and dry
7 “But 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.
See even Jesus tells us that He must go away so the helper can come and church that is exactly what happens
Jesus goes away to send us the Helper the Holy Spirit
To dwell within us
That same spirit that raised Jesus from the grave because Jesus ascended and sent the Holy Spirit to help us now can dwell within us
Jesus goes away again not on some sort of vacation but goes away to prepare a place for you and I
if we go father back in John Jesus again explains himself
2 “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.
There is a lot of rooms for people but Jesus is going to prepare a place for you and I
A place for the Children of God
A place for those who will spend eternity with God in heaven
A place for those who have repented and trusted in Jesus a place for those who are saved
Jesus is going to be seated in the seat at the right hand of God
The seat of authority
Again not on some sort of vacation
but at work preparing places for you and I
6 So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; 8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” 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.
They ask Jesus is it time for you kingdom to come and restore Israel
Is it time for you to kick our the romans and restore your kingdom of Israel
Jesus says that time will come at a later date
And in the mean
Church we are in the mean time
We are in between the ascension of Jesus and the 2nd coming of Christ
And it is during that time that you and I are called to go to those closest
To those across the street and our neighbors to those we do business with in our own cities
We are also called to go to those just a bit father away and then of course we are called to the remotest part of the earth
We are called to share with the greatest news the world has ever heard
That very same news that we celebrate during this time of the year
We are called to share that story with people
We are called to share with that what that good news has done in our own life
We are called to do that under the power the Holy Spirit that only comes after Jesus has ascended
After He gave those instruction Jesus ascended into Heaven to prepare a place for those who know Jesus personally
Jesus desires to know you personally that is why He came and died and rose from the gave so that you could know Him personally
And church one day Jesus will return
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. 10 And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. 11 They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”
Jesus will return
Not to defeat sin and death again because that has already been taken care of but Jesus will return to collect His
Jesus will collect God the Fathers Children those who will spend eternity with Him in heaven
Let me clear Jesus will return and you had better have your affairs in order because that is it
And since we are in that between time right now we had better be sharing the Gospel with anyone and everyone we know
Because He will return to collect those who know Him personally
This morning as we come to our time of invitation
We invite you to know Jesus personally
If you are here and do not know Jesus personally would you come to the front and speak with someone
Or maybe you already know Jesus personally and maybe this morning you just need to spend sometime in pray at the alter
Or maybe it is a decision of church membership
The alter is open
