SEE THE ASCENDED JESUS WITH THE EYES OF YOUR HEART
1. He Rules Over All Things
2. He Rules for the Church
Years ago in a small town a man received a permit to open a tavern in that town. The members of the local church were strongly opposed to the bar, and so they began praying, asking God to intervene. Well, a few days before the tavern was scheduled to open, lightning hit the building and burned it to the ground. The people of the church were shocked, yet pleased. But then, a few days later they received notice that the owner of the tavern was suing them. He contended that their prayers were responsible for the burning of his bar. The members of the church denied the charge and said it had nothing to do with their prayers. At the conclusion of the preliminary hearing in court, the judge remarked, “At this time I don’t know what my decision will be. However, it seems to me that the tavern owner believes in the power of prayer but you church people don’t.”
Dear church people, the almighty power of God, do you believe in it? The sovereign rule and reign of our ascended Savior, do you believe in it? This is the question before us today as we remember the ascension of our Lord Jesus into heaven and what his ascension means. And here this Word of God says to me as it says to you: SEE THE ASCENDED JESUS WITH THE EYES OF YOUR HEART. Yes, through faith in him, see that (1) He Rules Over All Things, and see that (2) He Rules for the Church.
Our God reigns! Not simply, God will reign, in the future. Yes, God will reign, and he will reign forevermore, as we are told in the book of Revelation, “and he will reign for ever and ever” (Rev 11:15). But right now also, at this present time, our ascended Jesus reigns over all things! And at the end of this sermon we will confess that we believe this truth in the words of the Nicene Creed: “He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.” What does this mean – “and is seated at the right hand of the Father”? It means that Jesus reigns and rules over all things.
But we know all too well, don’t we, that we can’t simply say this without proof? After all, how can we say that Jesus is ruling over this world when terrorists fly planes into buildings, killing thousands of people? How can we say that Jesus reigns when war and civil unrest rages in the Middle East, when four million unborn babies are being slaughtered every year in our country, when seventeen million children in this world die every year from starvation and poverty induced diseases, when children in churches are being abused and sexually molested by men who are supposed to be their spiritual leaders, when businessmen steal from those less fortunate to pad their own pockets, when immorality, sex and crime are the norm for TV shows and movies? How can we say that Jesus reigns when our eyes would tell us just the opposite, that evil reigns?
Our God reigns? How? When? Where? Certainly you’ve had your doubts about this, now haven’t you? And certainly in your own life, when problems pile up one right after the other, you begin to question where God is, where is his rule over your life.
The easy way around this question is to say that eventually God will reign, that someday he’ll finally overcome evil and then there will be total peace. No, that’s not what this Word of God says. Without hesitation, without questioning it, without a problem at all, the Lord’s apostle says that Jesus reigns. “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.”
Look at the four words from our text on the readings insert that are underlined: power, working, mighty, and strength. The first word in the Greek is the word dunamis. In English we have the word dynamite from this word. This is God’s explosive power, his almighty power, his power to do whatever he wants whenever he wants. The second word in the Greek is the word energeia, from which we have the word energy. God’s power never runs out because God’s energy never runs out. And he’s using and working his energy and power at all times as he rules over this world. The third word in the Greek is the word kratos, and it refers to the power to be able to overcome obstacles. Nothing is too big for God, nothing too insurmountable for him. The fourth word in the Greek is the word ischuos, and refers to God’s power to function efficiently. God’s power isn’t out of control, but is in complete control.
So, put these all together and what do you have? You have a God who knows how and when and where to use his energy and strength to overcome each and every obstacle. Yes, there is evil in this world – and a lot of it – but God knows how to use this evil to serve his purposes. God knows exactly how to allow for this evil to happen or for that evil to happen so that by his grace, which sacrificed his own Son on the cross for the sins of the world, he can bring souls to faith in Christ and receive them into the Christian Church.
I just love this expression here, “the eyes of your heart.” The eyes of our heads allow us to see the facts – evil, sin, death, violence, crime, immorality, as so on – but the eyes of our hearts cause us to see the truth. Our ascended Jesus Christ is in control and will use his power to work all things out for the good of those who love him. And it is only by faith in Christ that you will ever believe this truth. So SEE THE ASCENDED JESUS WITH THE EYES OF YOUR HEART. See that he rules over all things, and he rules over all things For The Church.
This is one of my favorite passages in the Bible: “And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church.” Do you hear what these words are saying to us? Dear people, this earth keeps on spinning not so that evil can have its day, not so that people can pursue fame and fortune, but for one reason: for the purpose of the Church. I want you to really think about that this coming week: Jesus rules over this world as only he can and this universe remains for the sake of the church.
But just what is the church? Actually, the better question is: Who is the church? The church is not a building. No, the church is people; it’s you and me, the believers in Christ! This earth exists for us. This world keeps on going for us and for every other believe in Christ. This world isn’t here for unbelievers, for those who will be lost eternally. No, this world is here for you and for every other soul that will believe in Jesus and be saved.
Back in my seminary days when I’d fly home for Christmas, I’d sit in the airport and as I watched the people go by, I’d think about this verse, that Jesus is the “head over everything for the church.” And then, I’d assume that the airplane pilots and the flight attendants and the majority of the people on the plane weren’t Christians and they would be lost eternally. So why were they still here on earth? What was their purpose for being here? One reason, according to this passage, is that they were here for me. You see, even though they didn’t know it or believe it, Jesus was ruling over them and allowing them to do what they were doing with their lives, for my benefit, for the benefit of his church.
Look at all the advances in medicine, technology, machinery, and so on. People are making millions of dollars off of these things. And it’s the unbelievers who seem to be reaping all the benefits, don’t they? No, the bottom line reason why all of this is here is for the benefit of the church – to assist and bless Christ’s people as they do the most important work of all, taking the good news of salvation in Jesus throughout the world so that more people can be brought into his Church.
When I think of the importance of Jesus’ ascension into heaven, there are two key points I keep in mind. One, Jesus ascended into heaven so that he can reign over all things for the benefit of you and me, his church. And he does just that as he knows best to bring us to his eternal home! And two, Jesus ascended into heaven so that, as he said, he can be with us always to the very end of the age. While Jesus walked this earth as a man to win for us our salvation and to go to the cross to die for our sins, he could only be in one place at one time. Just as we can only be in one place at one time. But not anymore! Our ascended Jesus is the ever-present God. And no matter how far apart I am from you, he is with us both at the same time. No wonder why the disciples, when Jesus ascended into heaven, they didn’t hang their head in sadness, but they returned to Jerusalem with great joy. Yes, Jesus could and Jesus would be with each of them no matter where they were in the world doing his work.
Dear people, see the ascended Jesus with the eyes of your heart. Wow! It’s an incredible sight to see Jesus this way, isn’t it? Our Jesus reigns over all things, and he reigns over all things for the Church – for our good, for our sakes, for our eternity. So see him with the eyes of your heart. Amen.
