Message Title: Knowing the Ascension
Song of Songs 4:8 Come with me from Lebanon, my bride; / With me from Lebanon come. / Look from the top of Amana, / From the top of Senir and Hermon, / From the lions’ dens, / From the leopards’ mountains.
this is a call from the Lord to be one with Him in His ascension. this is not an elementary thing. but the call will come. the Lord is in ascension, and He is calling His lovers to be where He is.
II. we need to see the objective aspect of the Lord's ascension
the Lord is now carrying out His heavenly ministry non-stop. He has the names of all of us on His heart. He is interceding for us, praying for us, and shepherding us.
1. the Lord's ascension caused Him to be crowned with glory and honor
Hebrews 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little inferior to the angels because of the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death on behalf of everything.
glory is the splendor related to Jesus's person; honor is the preciousness related to Jesus' worth. Christ is glorious in state and honorable in rank; He is above all kings and rulers; this is His honor.
2. the Lord's ascension caused Him to be enthroned for God's administration; Hebrews 12:2 says that Christ is now seated on the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2 Looking away unto Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down on the right hand of the throne of God.
Christ is now on the throne to administrate the entire universe; He is the unique Administrator, the King of kings and the Lord of lords; He is the Ruler of the kings of the earth.
3. in His ascension God inaugurated Christ into His heavenly ministry:
Acts 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you have crucified.
the word"made" in this verse actually means "inaugurated". in His inauguration, Christ has been made the Lord to possess all, and the Christ as God's anointed.
Ephesians 2:6 And raised us up together with Him and seated us together with Him in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus,
we are now one with Christ in His resurrection and ascension; as a result, we have life and power inresurrection and also authority in ascension. when we contact our Lord, we need to have a realization of what He is, a realization of His status, position, and office.
III. we need to see the subjective aspect of the Lord's ascension
1. Christ in His all-transcending ascension transcended Hades, the earth, the air, and all the heavens.
2. in His ascension, Christ passed through the heavens so that now He is not only in heaven but also higher than the heavens.
3. Ephesians 1:19-23 reveals that there is a transmission from the ascended Christ to us. verse 22 says that God gave Christ "to be Head over all things to the church". the phrase "to the church" indicates a transmission from the ascended Christ to the church, His Body. this transmission is not to individuals, but to the church.
4. in His ascension Christ was made the Head of the church, His Body, to express God in His fullness.
5. in His ascension Christ was also made the High Priest in the heavens to bear us in the presence of God to care for all our needs. in His ascension He was inaugurated into His prestly office.
Hebrews 2:17 Hence He should have been made like His brothers in all things that He might become a merciful and faithful High Priest in the things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
Hebrews 2:18 For being tempted in that which He Himself has suffered, He is able to help those who are being tempted.
judgement is coming. but as the High Priest, He understands the source of our weaknesses, and He is ministering Himself to us. He is the One walking in the midst of all the churches. He is praying and caring for all the churches.
IV. we need to see that we are in the Lord's ascension
Christ is in ascension, and Christ is also in us, which means that the ascension is within us. in His ascension, Christ is living, dwelling, staying, ministering, serving, working and acting in His ascension.
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