The Ascension Of Christ (Part 2) 
A long, long time ago, on the Mount of Olives, in a land very far 
from us, a small group of men witnessed the startling sight of Christ 
being lifted from the earth, taken by clouds beyond their vision. They 
heard sweet angelic words burning in their hearts, "This Jesus, who was 
received up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye 
beheld him going in to heaven" (Acts 1:11).  They were never the same 
again. 
We continue our study of the ascension of Christ.  It is that which 
the Bible says made Jesus unique as the only begotten Son of God.  
Please stay tuned and we will finish this study today. 
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In the first installment of this study, the grand fact of the 
ascension of Christ was emphasized; a fact so grand it almost defies 
human comprehension.  Christ frequently made His disciples aware that He 
did not really belong here on earth; that He intended to return to His 
real home.  "You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, 
I am not of this world" said Jesus (John 8:23).  His ascension finalized 
His uniqueness as the only begotten Son of God.  When He said, "It is 
finished," His earthly mission was fully accomplished.  His ascension 
was the final act in the fulfilling all things. 
In our lesson last week, we noted that His ascension was designed 
to fill all things.  Paul wrote, "He who descended is Himself also He 
who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things)" 
(Eph. 4:10).  He brought everything into proper focus and perspective 
when He reunited with that heavenly clime.  He regained those riches He 
had forsaken.  "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that 
though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, that you through 
His poverty might become rich" (2 Cor. 8:9). 
In this part of the study, some of the purposes and results of His 
ascension will be noted.  They mean so much to each of us. 
1. He ascended to finalize revelation. This is expressed in Hebrews 
1:1-3.  "God, having of old time spoken unto the fathers in the prophets 
by divers portions and in divers manners, hath at the end of these days 
spoken unto us in his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through 
whom also he made the worlds; who being the effulgence of his glory, and 
the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of 
his power, when he had made purification of sins, sat down on the right 
hand of the Majesty on high."  Sitting on the right hand of Majesty is 
consequent to the ascension.  The tense "spoken" conveys the thought of 
an accomplished fact, not a progressive action.  Jesus came to reveal 
God to man and He did it completely.  "No man has seen God at any time; 
the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has 
explained Him" (John 1:18, NASB).  Christ finished the revelation by 
commissioning His apostles and inspired men to reveal the mind of God. 
Paul says they did it (1 Cor. 2:9-13).  No more can be revealed after 
Christ "spoke" it all.  Anything presuming to be a revelation from 
Christ would allege He is still speaking.  That presumption is not only 
false, it puts the assumer in condemnation. (Gal. 1: 8-9). 
2. Christ ascended to receive His power and Kingdom. Daniel wrote, 
"I saw in the night visions and, behold, there came with the clouds of 
heaven one like unto a son of man, and he came even to the ancient of 
days, and they brought him near before him" (Dan. 7:13).  Through 
prophetic power Daniel saw Jesus ascend.  He described what took place. 
"And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all 
the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him: his dominion is an 
everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that 
which shall not be destroyed" (vs. 14).  We learn from this that 
"coming" does not mean coming back to earth.  We also learn that after 
Christ ascended, He received an everlasting and indestructible kingdom.  
Christ will not be king until He comes again, He is already king.  
Christ received a kingdom never needs re-establishment.  Some 
millenniaists affirm that He received the kingdom and rule de Jure, 
(only by legal right) and not de facto, (in reality). 
The Hebrew writer says Almighty God in heaven said to the Son, "Thy 
throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the scepter of uprightness is 
the scepter of thy kingdom" (1:8). A scepter is a symbol of ruling 
power, regal executive right, and Christ has it in reality and fact, not 
by some mere hopeful right. 
3. The ascension of Christ marked the beginning of His priesthood. 
Again, from Hebrews, we read: "But he, when he had offered one sacrifice 
for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God, henceforth 
expecting till his enemies be made the footstool of his feet" (Heb. 
10:l2-13).  He sat down at the right hand of God as our great high 
priest. Earlier the author of Hebrews said, "Having then a great high 
priest, who hath passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God..." 
(4:14). As our high priest, He offers to God the one sufficient 
sacrifice for our sins.  He is our advocate, intercessor, and mediator 
with God (Heb. 7:25; 1 Tim. 2:5; Rom. 8:34).  Unlike other priests, 
Christ offers Himself as the sacrifice, the propitiatory offering to God 
(I John 2:1). 
4. The ascension of Christ brought Him His full glory.  Jesus once 
said to a crowd of people in Jerusalem, "He that believeth on me, as the 
scripture hath said, from within him shall flow rivers of living water" 
(John 7:38).  John explains this to mean, "He spake of the Spirit, which 
they that believed on him were to receive: for the Spirit was not yet 
given; because Jesus was not glorified" (John 7:39). His full glory came 
when the was received up into glory. Paul wrote to Timothy, "He was 
taken up in glory" (1 Tim. 3:16).  The glory Christ received on earth 
reached the climax with His regal ascent to the heaven of God. 
5. The ascension of Christ made Him our forerunner.  The author of 
Hebrew wrote of Jesus' ascension to heaven saying, "whither as 
forerunner Jesus entered for us, having become a high priest for ever 
after the order of Melchizedek" (Heb. I:l9).  A forerunner is one who 
runs ahead to mark out the way, to insure a safe passage, and to 
encourage followers to continue the journey.  Christ brings us into the 
very presence of God.  Passages come to mind such as, "I am the way, the 
truth and the life, no man cometh to the Father but by me" (John 14:6). 
Christ Jesus is our hope and encouragement.  He urges all to remain 
true to Him in these persuasive words.  Christ leads; He offers His hand 
to those who become weary along the way.  The sureness of our hope is 
proportionate to the strength of our faith.  Christ is more than our 
hope; He is our anchor to which we attach our faith.  No matter what 
dangers threaten, if our faith is strong, our anchor will hold.  Hope 
has been opened to all who are weary and heavy laden by the fountain 
filled with Immanuel's blood. 
6. Christ ascended to become head of His church.  Paul prayed for 
his Ephesian brethren that they might really understand and appreciate 
the greatness of God's power. He prayed for them to know, "what is the 
exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe according to that 
working of the strength of His might which he wrought in Christ, when he 
raised him from the dead, and made him to sit at his right hand in the 
heaven places ... and put all things under his feet and gave him to he 
head over all things to the church" (Eph. l:l9-22).  When Christ was 
made king over His Kingdom, He became head over His church.  There may 
be an slight difference between the kingdom of Christ and the church of 
Christ.  However, both expressions refer to the same people over whom 
Christ rules.  The church exists as an entity; it is a body of people 
who are all members of Christ (1 Cor. 6:15).  The kingdom is made up of 
the same people.  The resurrection serves as the foundation of the 
church, but at the ascension, Christ became its head. 
The ascension of Christ is more than just a very meaningful and 
lovely topic for study.  It is the confirmation of all God is and has 
revealed to mankind.  Sinners can be saved. Why and how?  Christ is at 
the right hand of God.  Mortal men may live fearlessly and faithfully, 
for Christ is at God's throne to assist. Mere men may pray confidently, 
in his name, to the Almighty God who rules the universe.  Why?  He is 
there to intercede in our behalf.  Serve loyally, because Christ is now 
king of kings.  Study diligently, because Christ has fulfilled all that 
God intends to reveal to mankind.  Looking to the heavens, and remember 
His ascension, let us heed the inspired injunction, "If ye then were 
raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where 
Christ is, seated on the right hand of God" (Col. 3:1). 
May we never forget where a Christian's real citizenship is.  "Our 
citizenship is in heaven, whence also we wait for a Savior, the Lord 
Jesus Christ" (Phil. 3:20). But, my friend, if you wait until Christ 
comes back for His saints to also enjoy an exalted position, you will be 
too late.  You must now be exalted in Christ by being added to His 
church.  Paul reminded the Ephesians of their former sinful state and 
added, "even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive 
together with Christ by grace have been saved, and raised us up with 
him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus" 
(Eph. 2:5-6).  In Christ is a "heavenly place," and the only way one can 
be thus exalted is to be forgiven of all sin that resulted in spiritual 
death. 
There is only one way to come into Christ.  Faith that is expressed 
in full obedience to the Lord's gospel plan of salvation is what the 
Lord requires.  Thus Paul wrote to those who were justified "by faith" 
(Rom. 5:1-2) and reminded them that they had been "buried with Christ 
through baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised from the dead 
through the glory of the father, so we also might walk in newness of 
life" Rom. 6:4).  A penitent believer, who obeys a form of the 
resurrection of Christ, is exalted by being added to the church over 
which Christ is head.  Paul says that is being seated with Christ in the 
heavenly places (Eph. 2:5-6).  
A long, long time ago, on the Mount of Olives, in a land very far 
from us, a small group of men witnessed the startling sight of Christ 
being lifted from the earth, taken by clouds beyond their vision.  As 
they strained their eyes to retain the last sight of Him, they heard 
sweet angelic words burning in their hearts, "This Jesus, who was 
received up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye 
beheld him going in to heaven" (Acts 1:11).  Our faith in that sublime 
fact should cause those very words to echo daily in our minds, for just 
as surely as He ascended, he will come again. Will you, dear listening 
friend, be ready and waiting? 
 
If you have a question about this or anything else you hear on this 
program, please let us hear from you.  If you wish to receive our free 
paper, write to West End church of Christ, 1609 Parkside Drive, Bowling 
Green, Kentucky.  Our zip code is 42101.  Please join us again next 
Sunday morning at 8 a.m. right here on your radio dial.  Until then, may 
God grant each of you a very joyous, safe, and sin free holiday.  God 
bless you and keep you; good bye.
Radio Sermon No. 159, Page 1