Sunday, April 8, 2018 - The Ascension of Jesus Christ!
Pastor Roger Marcos
April 8, 2018
The sermon I delivered the past Sundays focused on God’s great love for humankind. The life of Jesus Christ demonstrates four great miracles in the eyes of the unbelieving world: HIS INCARNATION, RESURRECTION, ASCENSION, and the Second Advent, which I believe the last miracle tells OUR FINAL VERDICT by Jesus as being SAVED OR NOT.
To be honest, it was the Holy Spirit. Brought God’s truth to man. It was the Holy Spirit. Who taught the prophets what to say; It was the Holy Spirit. Who taught men of God what to do; it was the Holy Spirit. Who throughout the ages, and the generations BROUGHT God’s TRUTH to men.
Jesus is the one person who brings God’s truth to men. Jesus is the one who can tell us WHAT GOD IS LIKE and what God means us to be.
In Jesus alone we see WHAT GOD IS LIKE and we see what man ought to be like.
In Jesus, we see the love, the compassion, and the mercy.
Today, I will speak about the ASCENSION in which Christ departed visibly and returned where He came from,.called HEAVEN.
Remember: He came to earth as a humble baby, fragile, full of grace and love. Before else, He left the splendor of heaven knowing His destiny. After accomplishing all His missions, indeed it was time for Him to leave the earth as the exalted conqueror and the Alpha and the Omega he is.
Fellow brethren, in His short period of time, working hard in order to complete his work, He entered into His heavenly ministry OF PREPARING THE MANSIONS for those who remain Faithful Until He Is Coming Back.
8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth."
And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven. Acts1:9-11
The Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ is described in our text from the Acts of the Apostles, and is also noted in Mark 16:19 and Luke 24:50-53. Jesus refers to his Ascension in the Gospel of John when he tells Mary Magdalene, "Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father, but go to my brothers and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God" (John 20:17). Before his Ascension, Christ spent forty days teaching the Apostles and disciples about the Kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). The Lord informed them that they would receive power from the Holy Spirit to be his witnesses to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).
The Ascension occurred at Bethany on the Mount of Olives (Luke 19:29). Christ's work of redemption has become known as the Paschal Mystery of Christ and was accomplished principally by his Passion, death, Resurrection, and Glorious Ascension into Heaven. The Paschal Mystery of Christ constitutes one action for the salvation of mankind, for Jesus “was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification” (Romans 4:25).
Forty days after the resurrection, Jesus and His disciples went to Mount Olivet, near Jerusalem. There, Jesus promised His followers that they would soon receive the Holy Spirit, and He instructed them to remain in Jerusalem until the Spirit had come. Then Jesus blessed them, and as He gave the blessing, He began to ascend into heaven. The account of Jesus' ascension is found in Luke 24:50-51 and Acts 1:9-11.
The Ascension of Jesus Christ Is:
• Signaled the End of His Earthly Ministry. God the Father had lovingly sent His Son into the world at Bethlehem, and now the Son was returning to the Father. The period of human limitation was at an end. 9And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, Why do you Stand Looking Into Heaven? Acts 1:9-11
• Signified Success in His Earthly Work. All that He had come to do, He had accomplished.
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on them. Jn.3:36
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23
• Symbolized His exaltation by the Father (Ephesians 1:20-23). The One with whom the Father is well pleased (Matthew 17:5) was received up in honor and given a name above all names (Philippians 2:9).
20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above be very name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
5 He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him. Mat. 17:5
9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,
The ascension had a profound impact on the disciples. Up to the moment that Jesus ascended to heaven, the disciples seemed to be puzzled, trying to figure it all out. But after the ascension, they worshiped Him. They traveled back to Jerusalem with great joy. They maintained a regular presence in the temple-worshiping God.
• It allowed Him to prepare a place for us John 14:2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?
• It Set the Pattern for His Return. When Jesus comes to set up the Kingdom, He will return just as He left-literally, bodily, and visibly in the clouds (Acts 1:11; Matthew 24:30; Revelation 1:7
Jesus Is Coming Back!
"Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. Rev. 22:12
I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God's throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. Rev. 20:12
Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. Rev.20:15