Where Is Jesus Today? Series

Where is Jesus today? (Location and position)

Today we are back of the topic of questions that people have about Jesus.

The questions is, Where is Jesus today?

Let me say that the answer to that can vary widely depending on who you ask.

If you were to ask a Baha’ (A religion that originated from Muslim roots and is a fast growing faith in the Middle East.) They would say that his bones are in the ground around Jerusalem but his soul is with God like any holy prophet of God.

If you were to ask a Mormon where Jesus is today they would say that He and his wife are watching over a planet somewhere out there in space. That Jesus became God by his actions on earth and earned this new role.

If you asked a Jehovah Witness - they would say that Jesus died and did not rise from the dead physically – only spiritually. His spirit went to heaven and returned in 1914 and is in control of the watch tower society based in Pittsburg PA. So Jesus lives in some form in Pittsburg. Not my idea of a heavenly kingdom.

Muslims have several differing views of Jesus, but the one hat seems most accepted is that Jesus never died on the cross that he like Enoch to Elijah was raised as a living person directly into heaven.

If you ask a Jew – the answer is that today Jesus is in the ground his bones are lost some place near Jerusalem.

If you asked a person that would call themselves agnostic or atheist it is likely that most would say that if the man Jesus existed he died and was buried long ago.

There is a group of scholars that are called the Jesus Seminar that study the scriptures decided what is valid and not in the bible by votes. They publish a translation of the Bible using different colors in the text to indicate a scale of what is accurate based on their votes.

They ultimately have come to the conclusion that Jesus was not divine and he did not rise form the dead.

-- Now that we have looked at a brief survey of what other groups believe about where Jesus is today, we will look at how Christians answer that question?

So let me ask any of you, Where is Jesus today?

(Would anyone here like to share where Christians believe Jesus is today?)

Heaven, in our hearts….

-- I can’t tell you with any real certainty how any of the other groups I mentioned came to their views of where Jesus is today actually came about.

-- But what about Christian beliefs about where Jesus comes from?

Where do you/we get our information?

(mom, dad, preacher, radio show, tv special, Bible)

Let me say that the best answer to that question is The Bible. We see the word of God as being our primary source and there are several scriptures that tell us the same answer to the where is Jesus question.

The Gospel of John tells us 6 different times where Jesus went.

John 16:28 Jesus said –“I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father."

Matthew 26:64 Jesus is being questioned by the Sanhedrin, "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."

Ok according to the Bible Jesus left the earth in Acts 1 and ascended into heaven.

So the short answer – Jesus is in Heaven..Jesus is with the father.

He is seated on a thrown at the right hand side of God.

Is anyone here thinking, “Hey, I knew that one?” Every Christian knows that answer so obviously today’s sermon is going to be a complete waste of time!”

-- Have you ever noticed how some statements have a double meaning?

Phrases like (I could not recommend him more highly.) I will say that again so it can sink in, (I could not recommend him more highly.)

My question today has more that one meaning or interpretation. Although I will guess that the majority of you would have had a similar response; in heaven, with the father , perhaps in our heart.

That made me consider something: Why would most of us jump to that interpretation of the question…I believe that it is because most of us identify with the same image of Jesus. Most of us identify with humble, approachable, friendly Jesus.

- A Loving representative that would never harm a hair on any person’s head.

- A Jesus that was marginalized and poor and had a load of issues with powerful religious people.