CHRIST ASCENDED TO THE FATHER

CHRIST ASCENDED TO THE FATHER

 

    I serve a Risen Savior!

    “Christ's bodily Ascension foreshadows our own entrance into Heaven not simply as souls, after our death, but as glorified bodies, after the resurrection of the dead at the Final Judgment. In redeeming mankind, Christ not only offered salvation to our souls but began the restoration of the material world itself to the glory that God intended before Adam's fall.”

    “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.  Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.  And one cried to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!"  And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.”  Isaiah 6:1-4 (NKJV)

    “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.  For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.  For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.”  Romans 8:18-21 (NKJV)

    "On the third day He arose from the dead, with the same body in which He suffered, with which also he ascended into heaven, and there sits at the right hand of His Father, making intercession, and shall return, to judge men and angels, at the end of the world.”  Westminster    [His body was glorified.]

    The Risen Christ spent forty days with His disciples.  More than 500 are mentioned by Paul (1 Cor 15:6).  Then He ascended back to Heaven ten days before Pentecost (Acts 1:1-3).  He told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came with power.  There were 120 in the Upper Room, the Jerusalem church.

    “One thing is proved by this, that the Lord Jesus had many more disciples than is generally supposed. If there were five hundred who could be assembled at once in a single part of the land where he had preached, there is every reason to suppose that there were many more in other parts of Judea.” —Barnes' Notes on the New Testament

 

    The Ascension.

    “And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them.  Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen.”  Luke 24:50-53 (NKJV)

    “Luke alone records the events of the Ascension (see also Acts 1:9).  The Ascension signifies Jesus’ full glorification and lordship over all.  He is Pantokrator, the All-ruling Christ, sharing equal glory, authority, and honor with the Father.  The Ascension is as great a mystery as the Resurrection, and should not be understood simply in terms of time and space.  The risen Lord Jesus Christ is now enthroned, sharing fully the ruling power of the Father together with the all-Holy Spirit.  The disciples worshipped Him (v 52) because His Resurrection and Ascension fully reveal His divine nature.  They also continue to meet together, praising and blessing God (v 53) for all the gifts of salvation in the Son.  Joy (v 52) dominates their lives through the renewing experience of His Resurrection.”  Wallerstedt

 

    Wait for the Power.

    “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.  And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven."  Acts 1:8-11 (NKJV)

 

    Coming Again!

    “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."  Rev 1:7-8 (NKJV)