Christ's Exaltation

We have a gospel problem… The ascension of Christ… The answer… exhalation.

Last week I said a better title… Acts is the history of Christ’s exhalation. It is a story of Christ’s Kingdom. In the Gospels Christ inaugurated… realized as he sits at the right hand of God.

When it comes to the Kingdom of God, many Christians are confused. Interestingly… lost too . The disciples were together for one thing .

Coming Holy Spirit

With the coming of the Holy Spirit, which Jesus just announced, surely it…

“their stupidity is incredible.”

First, they should have known better.

Three Year School

Example, suffering

They, however wanted victory without a battle… They had what Luther… This religion believes the Holy Spirit’s in… Yet Jesus said, “Take up your cross…” Here the Kingdom comes with persecution… he had not come to bring peace but a sword ().

The result of Christ’s ministry is peace with God and eternal life. It is however not peace…

Division and Conflict

So conflict is inevitable. We know how the world responded to Jesus and his message and we should not expect anything different. This is Luther’s theology of the cross. Christianity is not easy nor comfortable. If it is, you are in the wrong kingdom. Jesus reminds us that if we lose our life… Its a kingdom of suffering.

Second, they wanted positions of authority (cf. ). Authority is the goal of the theology of glory.

John the baptist

If God gives any authority, its the authority to serve. Christian leaders are nothing but humble servants.

e.g. ministers (ministry not about minister)

Our vow before God is this, I must decrease. It’s the Kingdom of Christ, therefore the gospel must increase. We need to put Christ back into Christianity.

Third, they wanted a kingdom of this world, yet Jesus had just said before… Today, so many preach up their physical country, “one country under God.” The disciples wanted… So we get spiritually excited… Theology of glory reduces Christianity to an adjective, “Christian country” and so makes every vocation heavenly. In a Christian country everything’s…

Theology of glory wants a relationship. Yet, here’s the problem, you don’t need a relationship… The Kingdom of God is now a spiritual kingdom. You need religion in this Kingdom.

And this presents the fourth problem, they wanted to know about things which they should not have inquired . What God reveals we must know. We do well to study times and seasons. For example…

If anyone says, “I’ve been studying and counting this and that and I can list 2019… just simply say… We must fight for the truth of God’s Word. The truth of God’s Word is this, the timing of the end is the Father’s sole jurisdiction. Jesus according… greater than Jesus.

If anyone says, “I’ve been studying and counting this and that and I can list 2019 reasons why Christ will return in 2019” just simply say “You’re an idiot.” As C.S. Lewis said, “Christianity is a fighting religion.” We must fight for the truth of God’s Word. The truth of God’s Word is this, the timing of the end is the Father’s sole jurisdiction. Jesus according to his manhood didn’t even know (); so don’t think you are greater than Jesus.

Here’s what’s wrong with this question, the disciples were not willing to let God have what was his alone. We want to be our own sovereigns. Yet the theology of the cross says, be thankful for what God has given… The theology of the cross is this, keep pace with God’s Word. Don’t try to get ahead of it. Don’t try to put something else in place of it. The Christian rule is this, be content with God’s Word. Anything else is serious sin. Whenever we are bothered to know things we shouldn’t remember Christ’s words here, It is not for you to know.

Here’s what the disciples needed to know— get busy .

Not political power (witness)

Its the power of the Holy Spirit that makes preaching Christ and him crucified effective. Jesus is correcting their togetherness… It is how Christ remains with his people to the ends of the earth.

Verse 8 is a Table of Contents for Acts. The Title “You will be my witnesses” with three chapters “in Jerusalem” (ch1–7); “in all Judea and Samaria” (ch8–11); and the last chapter “to the ends of the earth” (ch12–28). Christ’s Kingdom will spread throughout all the earth, through the church together for the gospel.

The Kingdom of God belongs to Christ. It is a Spiritual Kingdom and lastly, it is a Heavenly Kingdom . Here’s the problem I alluded to early. Jesus Christ was taken from the earth. According to his Godhead… And here we find both natures, his entire person belongs to glory. Clouds… envelop the glory of God (the shekhinah).

e.g. tabernacle and temple

This is a problem for the gospel. We need both natures. We need Christ’s humanity; but how? How is Jesus Christ going to the ends of the world if he is in heaven?

Here we find the necessary instrument of salvation. We can have Christ… Theology of glory tries to cling to Christ physically in this world. We are then like these disciples starring off into space . These are not mere men . Jesus is no longer on earth and they are not to look for him here. Here’s Biblical sacramentology,

Physically present in symbols

truly (spiritually)

Why? Because as this verse clearly shows, he is far from us. This means we cannot have him on earth. He must remain in heaven until he appears on the last day . Theology of glory attempts to pull Jesus out of the heavens with our own inventions. Theology of glory wants to handle and see … body infinite… Theology of the cross, however says, “Lift up your hearts.” Here we find access to this Spiritual Kingdom. By faith empowered by the Spirit we more… The sacraments are a foretaste of Christ’s return, its our heavenly meal until that glorious day.

The answer to Christ’s absence is a true presence. In the gospels Jesus said, “Lo, I am with you to the ends of the earth.” In Acts, he shows us how he is with us, religion, through the ministry of the Word and sacraments. The answer to Christ’s absence is Christ’s church, which we will be exploring as we study the Acts of Christ’s Reign on Earth from Heaven. Now to the King eternal, immortal, and invisible, be glory now and forever amen.