Where Is Jesus?

February 9, 2003

Title: Where is Jesus?

Text: “So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God” (Mark 16:19).

Scripture Reading: Mark 16:14-20

If you have a bible, turn with me to Mark 16, and let’s read verses 14-20.

14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.

15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;

18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

19 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.

20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.

Today’s church desperately needs new life; it needs to be rejuvenated and it needs to be made eager to tell the world about Jesus.

The hope of the church is Christ Himself, and He is the only one who can fix His church.

But the basic question that I want to ask you is, “Where is Jesus?”

When we find the answer to this question, it will enable us to praise Jesus Christ for His position now in God’s eternal plan.

If we were detectives, looking for Jesus, we would return to the place where He was last seen.

The very last words He spoke were to His disciples just before He ascended into heaven, which according to Luke happened near the town of Bethany.

Bethany was about two miles from Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives, and it was the home of Jesus’ friends; Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.

This is how the ascension is described in Mark, Luke and Acts.

Mark 16:19 says, “So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.”

Luke 24:50-51 says, “And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven.”

Acts 1:9-11 describes this scene again: “Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

We need to answer two questions today:

1. Where is Jesus?

2. What is Jesus doing?

Pray for lesson.

The first question is where is Jesus?

The answer is, “He is home.”

Jesus’ ascension was His homecoming.

He was coming home to His Father in heaven.

When He was on earth He was 100% God, but when he left heaven he had laid aside His glory.

Through His ascension the glory that He possessed before the creation of the world was restored.

John 17:5 says, “And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.”

Jesus longed to be there; to be with the Father.

In a parable in Matthew, He compared Himself with a landowner who traveled to a far country and later returned to reward His servants (Matt. 21:33).

In John He talked about being “lifted up” (John 12:32), He said that when He was lifted up that He would draw people to Himself; and He talked about preparing a place for us (John 14:3) and that would be our heavenly home; and He announced, “I go unto my Father” (John 14:12, 28; see also 16:5, 7), referring to His ascension.

He was beginning to prepare His disciples for the time that He must leave them; when He would ascend back to the Father.

And today Jesus is not only home, He is exalted to the Father’s right hand.

Mark 16:19 says that Jesus, “sat down at the right hand of God.”

In Acts 2:33 Peter proclaimed that Jesus is “by the right hand of God exalted.”