The Ascension Ends The Momentous Easter Period – Explaining The Ascension Series

THE ASCENSION ENDS THE MOMENTOUS EASTER PERIOD – EXPLAINING THE ASCENSION

[A]. THE INTRODUCTION FOR OUR MESSAGE TODAY ON THE ASCENSION

The days after the Lord’s resurrection were understandably happy ones for the disciples, probably tinged with uncertainty. They were not sure what was ahead. Would Jesus be staying with them or leaving?

Jesus did not stay constantly with the disciples as He used to do. The incident spoken of here took place at the Sea of Tiberius – {{John 21:14 “This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples after He was raised from the dead.”}} That meeting was a very important one because an issue with Peter had to be dealt with, and the Lord did it openly because Peter had denied the Lord openly. Also the Lord revealed the method of Peter’s death.

It was at the Sea that Peter asked two questions, one about what happens to John and the other is this – {{John 21:20 Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back on His breast at the supper, and said, “LORD, WHO IS THE ONE WHO BETRAYS YOU?”}} It is interesting that even then the disciples did not know who this betrayer was even after Judas had died.

There is a very valid point in that. If it was us who was in the Lord’s position, then our behaviour would have given it away that Judas was the betrayer; something would have slipped. BUT the Lord loved His disciples even though one of them was the son of perdition. Jesus treated all in the fairest way. If only we could do that.

On the resurrection morning Mary Magdelene remained at the tomb in devotion and grief and the Lord appeared to her. This is the NASB translation – {{John 20:17 Jesus said to her, “STOP CLINGING TO ME, FOR I HAVE NOT YET ASCENDED TO THE FATHER, but go to My brethren and say to them, I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’”}} Two special notes come from this.

The first was Jesus’ words, “Stop clinging to Me.” The AV has it wrongly translated as “Don’t touch me,” which gives the very opposite meaning to the Greek, and destroys Mary’s sincere devotion, her clinging on to Him not wanting to lose Him. The second, is the mention of ascension (I have not yet ascended). There are many interpretations about what the “not yet ascended to the Father” means, and I won’t add to that here.

When we come to Acts we learn the most about the lead up to the Ascension. This was the time of direct and serious teaching about what lay ahead. {{Acts 1:3 “To these He also presented Himself alive, after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days, and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God”}} Luke points out that the Lord’s appearances were convincing during those 40 days and He taught about “the kingdom of God”.

[B]. JESUS’ VERY LAST WORDS SPOKEN ON EARTH

The Lord requested the disciples must stay in Jerusalem until the promise takes place. {{Acts 1:4 and gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “WHICH,” HE SAID, “YOU HEARD OF FROM ME,”}} Jesus was speaking about the Holy Spirit and He did tell the disciples about this, those ones hard of hearing. {{John 14:16-18 “and I will ask the Father, and HE WILL GIVE YOU ANOTHER HELPER that He may be with you forever - that is, the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you.”}}

{{ John 16:6-7 “Because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart, but I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, THE HELPER shall not come to you, but if I go I will send Him to you,”}} (The Comforter, the Paraclete, the Advocate, the Holy Spirit).

I think it is a most lamentable thing that some followers of Reformation teaching known as Covenant Theology or Replacement Theology or Supersessionism have written off Israel and followed the Roman Catholic line on this going right back to Augustine. God has not written Israel off and ALL the Old Testament prophecies regarding Israel and the Jews will be fulfilled exactly as the Old Testament teaches. One of these facts that will happen is the setting up of the Millennial kingdom where all is peace and productivity, and where the lion lays down with the ox and a young child can play with a cobra, and Messiah reigns as King over all the earth, and the plowman catches up with the reaper because of huge productivity. {{Amos 9:13-15 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when THE PLOWMAN SHALL OVERTAKE THE REAPER and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed; the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it.”}}