Moving on Up
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The Reaction of the Disciples
The Reaction of the Disciples
The seemingly unavoidable issue of how does this affect me?
“Gazing intently” - to stare - found 14 times in NT, 12 of them in Luke/Acts
There are other examples in scripture of ascensions
Enoch walked with God and he was no more
Elijah was taken up in the whirlwind on a chariot of fire.
It is also reminiscent of the theophanies on Mt. Sinai and on the mount of transfiguration.
While he was saying this, a cloud formed and began to overshadow them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud.
Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!”
And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent, and reported to no one in those days any of the things which they had seen.
The seemingly unavoidable issue of how does this affect me?
The Rebuke of the Angels
The Rebuke of the Angels
At the tomb, the angels asked the women why they were seeking the living among the dead, now they asked the disciples why they stood there staring at the sky.
The message was very clear, things had radically changed from what they were expecting.
The apostles’ gaze into the sky is understandable after witnessing such a miracle.
The angelic rebuke, however, is necessary.
Moments of high spiritual experience are never ends of themselves.
It was time to come down from the mountain and witness to what they had seen.
This was obviously a refocusing of their attention.
God’s rebukes are always followed by His instructions.
The Return of the Savior
The Return of the Savior
This Jesus
speak of the promise of Christ’s return
In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south.
Implications of the Ascension
Implications of the Ascension
For Jesus it is the necessary affirmation of His heavenly glorification to sit at the right hand of the Father (Psalm 110:1).
For Jesus it is the necessary affirmation of His heavenly glorification to sit at the right hand of the Father (Psalm 110:1).
It proves His superiority over OT heroes such as David ().
Acc
He rises over all and fills all (), receiving “the name which is above every name ().
In Hebrews it is the proof of Christ’s superiority to angels as He sits enthroned while they are sent out to serve ().
It shows that angels, authorities and powers are all subject to the ascended Christ (, ).
For Us there are four meaningful things that the ascension demonstrates:
For Us there are four meaningful things that the ascension demonstrates:
1. According to , Without the ascension there is no gift of the Holy Spirit
1. According to , Without the ascension there is no gift of the Holy Spirit
2. Because Jesus was human and ascended to heaven, He has made the way for those who are “in Christ” to ascend to be with Him (, ).
2. Because Jesus was human and ascended to heaven, He has made the way for those who are “in Christ” to ascend to be with Him (, ).
For Us
3. The Ascension proves that the sacrifice of Christ is finished and accepted by God.
3. The Ascension proves that the sacrifice of Christ is finished and accepted by God.
Jesus has passed through the heavens () and entered the presence of God (), which is described as the inner sanctuary of the heavenly temple, the real temple of which the one on earth was a copy (). Having brought a single, once-for-all sacrifice to God (), Christ sat down (; , ), showing that no repetition of the sacrifice is necessary.
4. The ascension means that Jesus is in heaven and can sympathize with what we endure and can therefore intercede on our behalf ().
4. The ascension means that Jesus is in heaven and can sympathize with what we endure and can therefore intercede on our behalf ().
Jesus has experienced everything humans experience — birth, growth, temptation, suffering and death — and can therefore serve effectively as an intermediary before God in Heaven (, ). Christ’s ascension assures the church that God understands the human situation and that Christians can therefore approach him boldly in their prayers ().