THE GUARANTEES OF THE ASCENSION

THE GUARANTEES OF THE ASCENSION

For Christ Himself

Guarantees the Truth of His Claims

Matt. 26:63-64 "But Jesus held His peace. And the high priest answered and said unto Him, I adjure Thee by the living God, that Thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.
64  Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven."
Caiaphas had no legal right to ask this question, but Jesus answered it anyway. When asked if He were the Messiah and the Son of God, He said yes. However, He persisted in calling Himself the Son of man.

Guarantees That Christ was Righteous

Psalm 24:3 "Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?"
John 6:62 "What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?"
John 16:10 "Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;"
Righteousness would now have a new interpretation, and a new potentiality, because He was going back to the Father. There was the Cross. That is the way He was going. It was in His mind all through these intimate conversations and discourses. He was going that way, and because of that, because He was going through to the Father, victorious, righteousness would be made possible.

Guarantees His Final Triumph Over all His Enemies

Acts 2:33-35 "Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, He hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool."
The Jews understood the meaning! cf. 37 - what shall we do? "Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?"

For Us as Believers

Guarantees That we Have an Advocate at the Right Hand of God

Heb. 4:14-16 "Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."
Heb. 9:24 "For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:"

Guarantees a Greater Ministry for Us in the World

John 14:12 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father."

Guarantees an Entrance for Us into Heaven Itself at Last

Heb. 6:20 "Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec."

cf. Eph. 2:6 -- so certain that God counts it as done. "And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:"
“raised up,” and “made [to] sit” together. These great truths are so certain to be accomplished that they are expressed in the past tense. Humanity was in the purpose of God from eternity past, in His eternal thought, and that man was created to share the eternal life of God, that man is to last while God Himself shall last, and so He has exalted man to His own right hand.