The glorious time of Jesus’s coronation.
It seems strange to me that we hear little or nothing about the ascension of Jesus. I have never heard anyone preach a sermon on the Ascension. We hear much and rightly so, about His birth, death and resurrection but these pivotal events would lose their significance if there had been no Ascension. We still celebrate the Day of Pentecost but Pentecost would never have happened without the Ascension of Jesus into heaven. There would have been no place (John 14:3) prepared for us if Jesus had not ascended into heaven. His Ascension is our rock-bottom guarantee of our hope and inheritance. Why did the angels say (Acts 1:11) this same JESUS? Why did God say (John 7:39) the Holy Spirit was not yet given because JESUS was not yet glorified? It is fairly easy for us to understand the Divinity of the Son of God but how do we get a real handle on the humanity of the MAN Jesus?
Peter speaks of the sufferings of Christ (1 Peter 1:11) and the glories which would follow them. When would that be? It would be when, in His humanity, He ascended into heaven. The MAN Jesus had never been in heaven before.
God had sent the Bethlehem Baby as a second Adam to redeem/buy back all that had been forfeited by the first Adam and to purchase a new beginning. This was in no way a repeat of the failure of the first Adam. This MAN did not disobey God. Although Jesus suffered all the temptations that we do (Hebrews 4:15) He did not sin but did always and only (John 8:29) whatever pleased God the Father. God demanded a sinless MAN to redeem all that the first man Adam had sold into bondage and death. While the disciples watched, this same JESUS ascended into heaven. God the Father and all heaven’s population were waiting in excitement and joyous anticipation to meet in person, to welcome and honour the victorious Conqueror. He had triumphed over death and Satan. What was happening in heaven during those ten momentous days of the coronation between the Ascension and Pentecost?
We can’t know everything that happened during that glorious time of coronation but we can certainly know some things. The things we know fill us with trembling awe and deep gratitude.
The sacrificial blood of animals was a temporary I.O.U. looking forward to the final Passover Lamb. When Jesus went into the Holy of Holies (Hebrews 9:12) in heaven, with His own Blood, the Blood of Jesus was declared to be (1 Peter 1:18-19) incorruptible, more valuable than gold and silver and to have the limitless enduring power (1 John 1:9) to cleanse away all sin forever. Jesus had to be equally enthroned (Hebrews 1:3) at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
He was crowned and proclaimed (1 Timothy 1:17) the King of eternity and (Revelation 19:16) the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. He was highly exalted and (Philippians 2:9-11) given a Name above every name. Every person in all creation from the beginning to the end of it will bow before Him and confess His Lordship.
When Jesus ascended, He took (Psalms 68:18, Ephesians 4:8) captivity captive and He raised Paradise from the place of the dead up to the third heaven because not even a smell of death can exist in heaven which is the eternal home of eternal Life. That tremendous lifting up would certainly have included, of course, the believing thief (Luke 23:42-43) from the cross which was beside the Cross of Jesus.
God commanded (Hebrews 1:6) all the angels to worship Him. When He entered into heaven (1 Peter 3:22) and was seated at the right hand of God, all angels and authorities and powers were made subservient to Him. The glorious coronation days are coming to an end but not quite. There is a stupendous climax to crown those glorious ten days.
The Blessing of Abraham (Genesis 12:2-3, Galatians 3:8) was promised to those who trust in Jesus for salvation. Jesus said (John 16:26) Whom I will send from the Father. The Holy Spirit would no longer come upon certain people for a certain period of time to accomplish a certain work. The blessing of Abraham is the promise that the Holy Spirit would be returned to the human spirit to indwell us as He was with Adam and Eve before the Fall. Because of His Resurrection victory, Jesus can now pour out on believers that promised Blessing. The Holy Spirit (John 14:16) is with us and in us forever. He has sealed us (Ephesians 1:13) eternally with himself, Who is Himself the promised Blessing. The world-changing climax of those Ten Days took place on earth in Jerusalem where 120 believers (Luke 24:49) had gathered to wait and pray (Acts 2:1) as Jesus had instructed them. Can we catch even an echo of the thrilling music of heaven, the worship and praise and honour for Jesus? When Jesus was fully glorified, the Holy Spirit was given – and the Church Jesus had promised (Matthew 16:18) was born.
It is not only the commands of God, but also the WORTHINESS of the LAMB that compels my love, loyalty and obedience to the Lord. Veiled in the human body of Jesus, (John 14:9) God was seen and revealed. This is what Jesus made possible for you and me when He poured out the Blessing of Abraham, so that God would be pleased (Galatians 1:15-16) to reveal His Son in us. God has set us apart for Himself in whatever place we are, in order to reveal Jesus through us in that Place by the power of the Holy Spirit. That is the reason for Pentecost. My heart cries out - - what a God, what a plan, oh, the depths (Romans 11:33) of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God, oh, the magnitude of His Goodness!
While we are still on earth we have the friendship of Jesus, the companionship of the Holy Spirit and the loving, caring, powerful Presence of our heavenly Father - - all in one beautiful deepening, wonder-filled relationship. As I’m sure you are, I am longing to see JESUS.
While we are still on earth (Romans 12:1) yield yourself to God.
(Dr. C. Stanley) “The death of Jesus took care of my sin; the Life of Jesus takes care of my life. (Galatians 1:4, Titus 1:11, 1 Timothy 2:5-6, Philippians 2:8). So, I can be free from all bondage, liberated to be the person God created me to be.”
God owns everything. I have nothing to give Him except myself, my love, my trust, my obedience and loyalty.
Yield without reservation.
Love without qualification.
Obey without hesitation.
Trust without agitation.
Remain loyal without wavering.
Put everything I am and have into the hand of God,
Accept everything that comes in my life from the hand of God,
Then nothing can ever get out of hand.
God engineers all my circumstances and His sovereign control in the universe is just as real in my life.
A past president of Moody Bible College, who lives with constant pain said “Wisdom is (Hebrews 4:14-16) to trust God. My experience does not tell me what God is.”