IS CHRIST ASCENDED?
Acts 1:9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. 12 Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey.
Our question is not, “HAS Christ Ascended?” Of course he has! Everyone knows that. That is a well established fact. But our question is, “IS Christ Ascended?” That is, Is he the ascended Lord and Ruler in your heart? Have you come beyond the realm of the factual; beyond the realm of the literal, and on into the realm of the experiential? Is Christ reigning and ruling in your heart?
One of the things not often considered is that although Christ showed himself alive by many infallible proofs, yet he only did so to a selected group! Acts 10:40 Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly; 41 Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. We must remember that he said to us, Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. (John 14:19).
You see, receiving eternal life is the result of seeing the Son! John 6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. Therefore you can now realize the importance of the meaning of our title. For if you have been given spiritual sight to become aware of the Lord Christ as exalted Savior, you are a regenerate soul! 2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
This is the importance of Luke listing out by name those that were involved in witnessing the ascension in verse thirteen of our chapter. The Apostle Paul also, knowing the importance of a spiritual view of the resurrection and ascension, gives us a broader list in 1 Corinthians 15:5-8. Therefore, as already noted, it was not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God! Not to “people!” But to “witnesses!” And only those are fashioned witnesses upon whom the Holy Ghost has come, revealing Christ! Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
And those chosen ones sit spiritually in heavenly places in Christ Jesus! (Ephesians 2:6). But exaltation always comes from humiliation! Isaiah 57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. Matthew 23:12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
Consider also these verses: Philippians 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
1 Peter 5:5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
Let us now consider that Christ is only ascended to those:
…Gazing upward from the mount! – See verses 11 & 12 in our above listed scripture. It is amazing how many people in our day are “going to heaven” from funeral homes who never had any previous consciousness of Christ! Somehow we have completely left the importance of being born spiritually, and have come to believe that being dead physically gets one into heaven! It would seem that the funeral director now has more power than does the gospel preacher!
Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. It is not that any should be literally gazing up into heaven, peering into the clouds! For that is what the two angels called the disciples away from. But it is that Christian attitudes and activities reflect one whose heart is aware of having to give account of himself at the appearing of the Sovereign Christ!
Joseph was such a man! He was far from home. No one in Egypt knew him. They didn’t even speak his language! There was no e-mail, nor postal mail service. There were no telephones. So none could tell his parents what he was doing! But when his boss’s wife tempted him, his response was, how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? (Gen. 39:9). God consciousness is a great deterrent against sin!
2 Corinthians 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. The eye of faith brings one into an other world consciousness! Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
But what about the above statement that these aware of Christ having ascended in their hearts are “gazing upward from the mount?” Here too we are speaking of the spiritual position of the regenerate – the born again children of God. For they are seeing spiritual matters such as the present reign of Christ in their hearts from sanctified ground!
The Holy Savior, the Lamb of God had sanctified this ground with both his prayers and his blood! Luke 22:39 And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. 41 And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, 44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
What greater place can the believer see Christ, the ascended Lord, than from the place of His intercession for them to the Father? To have been made aware that the only thing saving us from Satan’s power are the prayers of our dear Lord is certainly an elevated place within the believer’s awareness! Luke 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
Dear soul, the only difference between the denying Judas and the denying Peter are the prayers of the Lord Jesus! {For his intercession reveals his sovereign election! John 17:9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.} And from where does Christ send forth his prayers of intercession for us, but from his exalted position! Romans 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
And need we say much concerning his blood that was spilt on this mount? It was the blood of his redemptive labor! It was the blood of sweat exacted upon him by our curse! Our sin grew the thorns platted around his holy brow! (Genesis 3:17-19). And shall not our worshipful, longing gaze upon such a heavenly place as that grant us the view that Stephen had just before the stones crashed into his face and head? Acts 7:55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, 56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
…whom heavenly messengers were sent to direct them on to the greater glory! Christ was ascended. The disciples would not leave the spot. With Peter’s nature to build tabernacles and stay in that one spot where glory had been revealed, (Matt. 17:4), effectual messengers of the Lord were needed to direct the sheep from the pasture of Olivet into the greener pasture of Jerusalem!
O! Our Olivets! How precious have they been to our weary souls! We have been through times of great fear; through times of sinful denials; through times of seeing our Hope crucified before our eyes while there was not one thing we could do about it! But now, we abide in our Olivet, that glorious, peaceful garden where we had been led by the merciful, forgiving Savior many times before. How can we leave this garden sanctified by his prayers and blood? Have we not all had times of temporary refreshing for the Lord, that like that child’s seldom obtained piece of candy, we want to savor on our tongue for as long as possible?
And sometimes does not the voice questioning our presently being lost in that unbelievable happening which we had been chosen before of God to witness, seem almost wrong? But there it was; an insistent refusal to allow us to even mark the place where his holy feet once stood! There is was; a prodding of our soul’s to leave our Olivet and press on, back to the place of his death. We must leave our Olivet and return to his Jerusalem. But little then did we know of the greater glory that would be ours there! How short lived are some of the glorious blessing of God. And how soon we are redirected back to the realm of reality, unaware that the Lord has a greater revelation of himself awaiting us there!
John 16:16 A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father. 22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.
But those messengers did not deny us what we know we saw! They did direct us from our Olivet. But they did so without damage to our vision! They did say, this same Jesus that ye have seen go into heaven! These are then those watchers of spiritual matters. Daniel 4:17 This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.
These are those who watch for your souls! Hebrews 13:17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.
These are not just those who write religious editorials in their study’s and come to the pulpit like a newscaster to sound forth opinions. These are those who are messengers! These are those encased within white garments fit for standing in the presence of God! These are those interpreters, one among a thousand! Job 33:16 Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, 17 That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man. 23 If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his uprightness: 24 Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom.
… Who worship Christ with joy! Luke 24:51 And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy: 53 And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.
Some wonder why there is no spiritual worship in today’s church. No problem there. For not all church members are born again Christians! Not everyone who can pass a written test on the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Christ have experienced it in their hearts! Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
But all those spiritually resurrected, regenerate souls go on their way rejoicing with the Holy Spirit within them!
Pastor Gene Breed, May 17, 2012
