“Jesus: Lifted Up!”
Luke 24:50-53, Mark 16:19-20, Acts 1:1-11
Were you ever at an outdoor gathering speaking with a group of friends, when one of them suddenly began to lift off of the ground and slowly ascend into the sky until they disappeared into the skies? I’m not talking about a levitation act that you can view at a magic show (or online on you tube); Those ARE TRICKS. But Jesus’ ascension was NOT a trick:
Forty days after Jesus had made many appearances after His resurrection, listen to what happened in Luke 24:50: “When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them;”
(Two things: 1. “Blessed them” in the Gr. is “Eulogeo”- speak good words, eulogy- God is THE BLESSED ONE; when you are BLESSED BY God, you are truly BLESSED! 2. Our text says they went to the area of Bethany (Acts 1 says they were on the Mount of Olives) which is a small village located 1.5-2.0 miles outside of Jerusalem on the south-eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, named for the olive groves that once covered its slopes. The Mount has been used as a Jewish cemetery for over 3,000 years, and holds approximately 150,000 graves, making it central in the tradition of Jewish cemeteries. It’s the place where Jesus stood and taught, prophesied, where he went and wept over Jerusalem, and where he went to pray on the night of His betrayal.)
Jesus was lifted up to Heaven to Display VISIBLY Christ’s personal ascendancy
Luke 24:51 “While he was blessing them, (Gr. Eulogeo) he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52 THEN they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed CONTINUALLY at the temple, praising God.”
I can imagine the disciples telling everyone: JESUS IS NOT DEAD! HE IS RISEN and we have SEEN HIM over the last 40 days, and now we witnessed HIM ASCENDED into heaven, way up there, until a cloud took Him from our sight!” What a contrast! Jesus had descended INTO this world as a baby, hidden microscopically within the womb of Mary, but HE ASCENDS as exalted HEAVENLY King.
“Jesus’ Ascension was THE Father’s act of withdrawing Him from His disciples’ gaze upward (a sign of exaltation) into a cloud (a sign of God’s presence). This wasn’t a form of space travel, but the next step following the Resurrection of Jesus’ return from death to the height of Glory.” (Geneva Study Bible note, p. 1655) Jesus was lifted up to heaven to display clearly and VISIBLY Christ’s personal ascendancy. No SECRET: OUR KING is on display publicly, witnessed by those who personally saw Him, and witnessed by those who believe on HIM!
Jesus’ Ascension accomplished more than just fulfilling prophecy: Ascendancy is the occupation of a position of dominant power or influence. Christ’s ascendance means His ACCESSION, the attainment or acquisition to a position of rank or POWER, typically that of monarch or president. Jesus rises to power and accesses the position of ultimate power! WHAT POWER! LORD OVER ALL. Why? Because Jesus IS THE KING, descended to the earth in order to ascend to the cross, only to descend to the grave, to ascend over death and the power of sin: Jesus has the supreme right to ascend to the throne of Heaven and to reign as King over ALL Kings and Lord above ALL LORDs. Jesus was lifted up to heaven to demonstrate that HE ALONE is to be exalted! NO ONE ELSE has ever done it!
Ephesians 1 gives us this description from Paul’s prayer for the congregation in Ephesus: 18 “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church.” He has ascended to HEAVEN and but yet dwells in our hearts!
Jesus was Lifted Up to Heaven to Signify Christ’s Omnipresence; Jesus is God
Jesus was Lifted Up to Heaven to ALSO Signify Christ’s SPIRITUAL Omnipresence, and actually all of His Godly characteristics. Jesus reigns in the heavenly sanctuary of the heavenly Zion (Heb. 9:24, 12:22-24). He is forever accessible to anyone, anywhere who calls upon His name, and He is powerful to help them. The writer of Hebrews 4:16 says: Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” That is, ANY TIME!
This is one of the attributes of God and no one else, so Jesus IS God. Let these Old and New Testament references IMPACT YOU from God’s Word: Hebrews 13:8 (N.T.) says: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” O.T. Isaiah 44:6-7: "This is what the LORD says-- Israel's King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. 7 Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and lay out before me what has happened since I established my ancient people, and what is yet to come-- yes, let him foretell what will come.” Jesus says in N.T. Rev. 22: 12 "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
O.T. Isaiah 43:15: “I am the LORD, your Holy One, Israel's Creator, your King." Mark 1:23 N.T.: “Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, 24 "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!" In John 6: 67 "You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve. 68 Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."
1 John 2:20: “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. 21 I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. 22 Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist--he denies the Father and the Son.”
Speaking of Jesus in Revelation 17:14: “They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings--and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers." Rev. 19:16: On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”
Jesus is at the “right hand of God”. He IS THE POWER and authority of God. He is the Salvation of our God. He is the Holy One. There is none who is Holy except God. Jesus IS God who descended in the FLESH, lived a perfect life, ascended to the cross, descended to the grave, ascended to Life again and to Heaven again to reign supreme. Praise His Holy Name.
Jesus was lifted back to His Heaven To Commence CHRIST’S Heavenly Ministry.
Jesus was lifted back to His Heaven To Commence CHRIST’S Heavenly Ministry. Jesus IS God, but in Heaven, as on Earth, Jesus possesses different functions and responsibilities than the Father or Spirit. His earthly purposes had been fulfilled, but now in Heaven, Christ functions as King, ruling with power, (demonstrating His omnipotence, sovereignty, omnipresence, and more) and also as High Priest, and also as the Mediator of the New Covenant, always interceding, always there for anyone, anywhere who calls upon HIS NAME to be saved. Romans 8:34 says: “Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.”
He is also the Mediator of the New Covenant. What is the New Covenant? The new covenant established by Christ is through His shed blood for the remission of sins (Matthew 26:28). “The amazing thing about such examples of divine covenant is that they are the gracious means of relationship with God for a people who deserve to be removed from His presence forever, by a God who has no need whatsoever, in and of Himself, for such relationship. The heart of covenant…is that expression of intimate relationship (e.g. Jeremiah 30:22): "you will be my people, and I will be your God" (from theopedia.com) (spoken by God Himself!) Jesus doesn’t NEED us; He Loves Us. We desperately need Him!
Hebrews 9:15: “For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance--now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.” The old covenant was written in stone, but the new covenant is written on our hearts, made possible by the miracle of faith in Christ, who shed His own blood for our sins. He continues to pour out grace upon grace to those who are IN HIM, every moment TRUSTING JESUS for all things.
Jesus said He is preparing a place for those whom He loves and who trust in Him so that “you also may be where I am.” Acts 1:11: "Men of Galilee," they said, "Why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."
Jesus was lifted to Heaven To Set the Pattern of His Return
Lifted up on the cross, raised from the dead…and now lifted up to Heaven sets the pattern for Christ’s return. Under the reign of our ETERNAL KING, we are called to live life to the fullest SERVING Him. Christ’s physical body ascended to Heaven and He is building His Spiritual House on Earth and in Heaven, HIS PRECIOUS Church for whom He died. Jesus loves you so much that He died for you in order to make you part of His Body. What a glorious TRUTH! Jesus IS RETURNING Bodily and Visibly (and unexpectedly!) in order to take HIS BODY, His Holy BRIDE back to the Home He is preparing.
That’s why Jesus included Mark 13:35-36 in His instructions concerning His Kingdom: "Therefore, be on the alert-- for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning-- in case he should come suddenly and find you asleep. 37 What I say to you I say to all, 'Be on the alert!'"
I Love the response of the disciples in verses 52 in our text: “Then they worshiped Him (only God is to be worshiped!) and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.” Jesus set the pattern for His Return someday, and the disciples set the pattern for LIVING UNTIL He returns!
Rev 1:7: Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.
OUTLINE: Jesus was Lifted Up to Heaven-
1) To VISIBLY Display Christ’s personal ascendancy. Christ’s ascendance means His accession, the attainment or acquisition to a position of rank or power, (1 Cor. 15:27, Eph. 1:20-22, 1 Peter 3:22, Matt 17:1-9, Phil 2:9)
2) To Signify Christ’s Spiritual Omnipresence: Jesus is God and shares equally in all of the attributes of God. (Hebrews 13:8, 9:24, 12:22-24, Rev. 17:14, 19:16, 22: 12, Isaiah 44:6-7, 43:15, Mark 1:23, John 6:67-69, 1 John 2:20)
3). To Commence CHRIST’S Heavenly Ministry. Now in Heaven, Christ functions as King, ruling with power, but also As High Priest and Mediator of the New Covenant. (Hebrews 4:14-16, 7:25, 9:1-19, Romans 8:34, John 14:2)
4) To Set the pattern for Christ’s return:
He will return literally, bodily, and visibly in the clouds for His Blessed Body, His Bride.
(Acts 1:11; Dan 7:13-14; Matthew 24:30; Rev 1:7).
