FRIDAY 22nd – Hebrews 2:5-18
We continue with the subject of the Ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ. Yesterday we looked at several Scriptures that pointed to Jesus being seated at the right hand of God. I deliberately left one out to use today because it brings us to our third point concerning the ascension.
- It led to the High Priestly Ministry of Jesus. Hebrews 8:1 ‘Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven.’
The whole of the redemption story should enthral us, the word enthral could be replaced with excite, capture, or captivate. It is such an amazing story but more important is the reality of its application in our hearts and in our lives. To be ‘saved’ means that we know this man Jesus as our Redeemer, Saviour. It means we belong to him and are found to be in him, Paul often uses the phrase ‘In Christ’, what a blessed position. But, knowing Jesus as our Saviour also means that he is also our Great High Priest. As our Great High Priest, he acts as an advocate in the presence of God on our behalf, he intercedes on our behalf. John, in his gospel tells us that ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.’ (John 1:1-2,14) God became a man in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ and he lived as a man, he died as a man, he was raised as a man, he ascended as a man and he intercedes for us as a man. Paul reminds us in his letter to Timothy, ‘For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus’ (1 Timothy 2:5) and what a great High Priest he is, he has presented himself to God as a sacrifice for our sin, he pleads in the presence of God on our behalf and he is a perfect intercessor because he has been where we are (yet without sin) and he is permanently sufficient for our eternal redemption. Hebrews 2:17-18 ‘Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.’
4. It means that Jesus can come again! Jesus promised his disciples in his final week with them that he was going to prepare a place for them and that he would come again and receive them so that they could be where he was. (John 14:1-3) On the day of his ascension, after Jesus was taken up, and while the disciples looked up into heaven the Scripture tells us ‘Two men stood by them in white robes, and said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’ (Acts 1:10-11)
For Jesus to be able to fulfil his promise to the disciples about coming again, he would have to go or leave them, and on Ascension Day, that is what he did – he went, and where to? Up into heaven, into the presence of his Father. And because he has gone, it means not only can he come again, but that he will come again, first to the clouds to receive those who are ‘in Christ’, that is both the living and the dead, to take into his presence (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) but also to stand once again on the mount of Olives from where he will establish his millennial kingdom upon the earth. (Zechariah 14:4)
There is a man in the glory, he has been given a name which is above every name, he is crowned with glory and honour, he is seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high, he is interceding on our behalf and one day he will come and call us into his presence.
The Ascension is so important, it VERIFIES what Christ has done, for as he ascends the Father receives him back into his presence with a resounding ‘well done.’ It VINDICATES what he has done, for his victory is a permanent once for all-time victory, it VOUCHES for the future, we have a hope that is steadfast and sure.
Jesus is king and I will extol him
Give Him the glory, and honour His name
He reigns on high, enthroned in the heavens
Word of the Father, exalted for us
We have a hope that is steadfast and certain
Gone through the curtain and touching the throne
We have a Priest who is there interceding
Pouring His grace on our lives day by day
We come to Him, our Priest and Apostle
Clothed in His glory and bearing His name
Laying our lives with gladness before Him
Filled with His Spirit we worship the King
O Holy One, our hearts do adore You
Thrilled with Your goodness we give You our praise
Angels in light with worship surround Him
Jesus, our Saviour, forever the same
Wendy Churchill ©1981 Springtide/Word Music/ CopyCare CCLI788682