Apostles' Creed: Our Savior Is In Heaven Series

APOSTLES’ CREED: Our Savior Is in Heaven

In our study of the Apostles’ Creed, we began with God the Father, and then focused on God the Son coming to earth: He was born, he died, and he rose from the dead. Now we say, “He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.”

“HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN”

When we think about what that means, it raises some questions. Acts 1 tells how Jesus was taken up into a cloud, in the sight of the apostles. Does that mean heaven is “up,” or out in space? Heaven is not part of the universe; it is beyond it. J.I Packer points out that if Jesus was going to leave, the options were up, down, sideways, or vanishing. Jesus chose to go up, to signify that he would be reigning over all things.

When Jesus ascended to heaven, did God abandon the earth? God is not only in heaven; he is everywhere. (If it blows your mind to think about that, welcome to the club. A god that would fit into our puny human minds would be a god of our own creation.)

To be more specific about how God would be present on earth after Jesus ascended into heaven, Jesus told his disciples that the Holy Spirit would be taking over his role as their friend, guide, and teacher. In John 14:16-18, we read, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth…I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” This is the Trinity in 3 verses: the Son asks the Father to send the Spirit to be with them, and when the Spirit comes, Jesus himself is with them! The Holy Spirit is so closely tied to the Son that he is called the Spirit of Jesus in Acts 16:7 and Philippians 1:19.

Jesus ascended to heaven because he had completed his work on earth. What is doing in heaven, and what does that mean for us TODAY?

“HE SITS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD THE FATHER ALMIGHTY”

That is not literal, or course. The seat at the right hand of a king is the most honored and powerful. (In common English, a “right hand man” was the chief assistant of someone in authority.) Sitting at the right hand of the Father, Jesus Christ shares the glory and authority of the Father.

What does this mean for us? It is good to have friends in high places, but nothing compares to having our Savior in the highest place.

OUR SAVIOR HAS ALL AUTHORITY AND POWER.

1 Peter 3:22 says, [Jesus Christ] has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.”

Do you ever sense that there are evil spiritual forces at work in the world? We see evil dictators and political corruption, even in America. We see evil forces in our culture, where the devil’s lies become mainstream, and the influences of society can be destructive. You may see it in the business world, where the economic system does not support ethical behavior. You may see it in people caught in an evil web of drugs or pornography. You might even see it within yourself: sinful thoughts, destructive attitudes, or compulsive behavior.

Jesus has authority over every evil power, every person who might drag you down. When he lived on earth, he stood up to self-righteous Pharisees and self-dealing politicians. He defended the poor, and those victimized by others. He reached out to sinners, even releasing people from the power of demons and unclean spirits.

Yet Jesus was limited in his time on earth. He could only heal one person at a time, in whatever place he happened to be. He did not cast out demons in people far away from him, and he did not share the good news of the kingdom of God with people in China or the Americas.

Now that Jesus is in heaven, he is not limited to any particular place or time. Ephesians 1:20-22 says, “[God] seated [Christ] at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything FOR THE CHURCH…”

Christ uses his authority and power for the church, and through the church. That is why he said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20) The church goes out to make disciples with the authority of Jesus, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.