Our scripture text this morning comes from the Gospel of Luke.
We're in the last verses of Luke, if you can believe it, Luke, 24 beginning in verse 50 reading through verse 53 and let me pray, Father, we thank you that you are not silent, but that you speak to us through the power of your word, Lord, it is even a more sure thing than if we have been there and seen it with our own eyes. We have your word, and Your word is truth. I pray that you will help us to receive it as such, that you will take away any doubting, that you will take away any fear, that you'll take away any anxiety. And let us look to Jesus, Christ, the one who blesses us beyond all blessing.
Lord, give us understanding of your word. Give us understanding of who you are. Give us understanding of Christ and spirit. Open up our eyes to see and behold it and believe it, to receive it by faith, and it's in Jesus's name we pray, Amen, if you would stand for the reading of God's Word. Luke, chapter 24 verse 50 to the end. Then he led them out as far as Bethany and lifted up his hands. He blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven, and they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple, blessing God. He was ears. Let him hear the Word of God. Please be seated. I If you remember in the Apostles Creed, and we've said that here a number of times before, but there's a number of things in that creed that we profess to be true. We talk about how we profess that Jesus, Christ is the only begotten Son of God. We also then say that he was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. And we looked at that. It's been a while since we've looked at that, but we looked at that in the Gospel of Luke. Then goes on to say that he suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried, and He descended into hell, that he suffered the hellish torment that you and I deserved, and that happened, and we looked at that. And then on the third day, he rose again from the dead, and that happened as well. And he's been revealing Himself to His disciples and many others, individually and in groups, and he has been opening up their minds to understand the scriptures and how all the scriptures concern him and give testimony that he must suffer and now enter into his glory.
And then 40 days Jesus, after Jesus's resurrection, where he's been revealing himself to others, many others, we come to our text and the part in the creed that we often don't actually think a lot about, or significance that he ascended into heaven. And this is how all the Gospels conclude with this important doctrine, that he ascended into heaven, that Jesus here enters into his glory and is worshiped. He has been worshiped before. Remember, at his birth he is worshiped, even in his resurrection, He is worshiped, but his something different happens here. He goes away and he is no longer seen, but yet he continues to be worshiped, because his disciples and those who follow Christ knows that even though they might not be able to see him now physically, he sees them, he hears them, and he's with them by His Spirit, and we too are to worship Jesus, even as this gospel ends, that is our call.
If we are to leave with anything. This is what Jesus is calling us to do, to worship him. This is the message that God is calling us to believe and to hold fast to and understand that we must worship the living and ascended King, the Lord Jesus Christ, in verse 50, it begins Jesus doing the same thing he did when he arrived, blessing his people. He blessed the people at His coming.
Remember Zechariah saying, he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant, David. Even before his coming, he is blessing us out of His coming, he is blessing us.
And now he even at the end, he is blessing his people in verse 50, and he led them out as far as Bethany and lifted up his hands. He blessed them, and that's reflected in our service from beginning to end, Jesus blessing his people. Remember what happened at the beginning of the service? Grace to You, and peace from God, from the son, empowered by the Spirit, and it hasn't happened yet. But at the end, hands are lifted, and Christ blesses His people.
And here we see that Jesus at the end, blessing his people.
And this is important for us to remember where blessing is coming from. It's coming from Christ and Christ alone. And this is important for us to remember, because we, like the disciples and like Israel, are always seeking blessing in the wrong places. We seek blessing from everything else under the sun, apart from the Lord Jesus Christ. We often feel that, well, if I only got more stuff with more people liked me, or if I was just more free from discomforts, then I know I'm blessed by God. But did the disciples get more stuff after Jesus blesses them here? No. Did they have more people like them after Jesus blesses them here?
No. In fact, the opposite. Do they face less discomforts because Jesus blesses them here?
No, quite the opposite. And as you know, many of them, in fact, will be put to death and die terrible deaths, painful deaths, but yet they are blessed by Christ. You know, Israel looked for these things of comfort and power and people as well. And God actually laments the fact that that's what they are looking for, for their blessing.
He says in Jeremiah chapter two, My people have committed two evils. They have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and have hewn out his cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water. There's no blessing, no true blessing in any of these things under the sun, but true blessing here is coming from Christ, and Christ alone is the one who can bless and save His people. Now why does Jesus lift up his hands?
Well, the disciples would have known that's what the high priest does all the way back in Leviticus, chapter nine, we see Aaron do that. He lifts up his hands to bless the people of Israel. But Aaron only does that after something important happens. He only lifts up his hands to bless the people after we're told there he has offered a sacrifice of sin for the people that the shedding of blood was necessary because the people don't deserve to be blessed at all. The wages of sin is death, and that is what the people of Israel deserved and they needed an atonement. They needed a washing away of their sin. And we like Israel, we have been unfaithful, we have been forgetful, we have been grumbling, we have been complaining, and we're like the disciples too, who were afraid, asleep, rather than in prayer, slinking away, rather than being bold for their master. Do you remember Jesus shows up in the upper room, and he very well could have cursed them and said, Where were you at? I needed you.
Why are you so afraid? Where?
Where have you been this whole time. But what does Jesus do when he shows up in the upper room, as we looked last week, he blesses them, He gives them peace. And why does Jesus do that? Why does he speak peace to them, and why does he now lift up his hands and bless these men well? Because there was another time that Jesus lifted up his hands. It was when they were nailed to the cross for their sins and for ours, and he lifted up his hands and all of your sins, not in part, but the whole are placed upon him, and he takes your curse that now he lifts up his hands now and forever and blesses His people.
Christ brings blessing because he is the sacrifice who takes our sins and drinks the very dregs of the wrath of God. So that Paul says, There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. If you are in Jesus, you get blessing, blessing, blessing in Jesus. Now. Now that's yours, not then now in Christ, because Jesus is the blessing. Jesus really is the benediction that you are perfectly kept in Christ, remember, there's, there's nothing in all of creation that can separate you from the love of God in Christ, because you are in Christ, the Lord's face shines upon you and pours out grace upon grace, upon grace upon grace. Forever because of Christ, Jesus and our countenance, our faces now lifted and we have peace with God because of Jesus, He is the same savior, yesterday, today and forever, a Savior who blesses His people. Jesus's blessing here his disciples was not only a Reminder, that's what he came to do, and that's what he accomplished, but it's a reminder to them, as it is for us, that is what he continues to do now and forever. Is bless His people. Why does Jesus have to go though? Why doesn't he just stay? Why is the one who descended now the one who must ascend in verse 51 we read while he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And remember, in the Gospel of John, chapter 16, Jesus said, I tell you the truth, it's for your advantage that I go away. You know, there's some things in scripture that we confess, but we really have a difficult time believing.
You know, for example, it's hard for us to believe what Peter says, that we actually have a more sure word in the Scriptures than if we had been there to see it with our bare eyes. We often think it probably would have been better Peter if I was there to see it and to touch like Thomas did, but Peter says, No, you have the word of God, and it is a more sure thing. That's a hard truth for us to believe, isn't it? It's a hard truth for us to to believe that all things work for good for those that love God, really, even the evil things that we see happening, the things we see in God's working for those for good.
Well, another truth I think that's really difficult for us to believe, is that it was good that Jesus ascended and went to heaven and isn't with us in body right now. If I were to ask, would you rather have Jesus in the flesh here, right now, or the Holy Spirit, I think about all of us would say I'd rather have Jesus right here now, in the flesh, right which shows we actually don't believe Jesus, because Jesus says it's actually better for me if I go it shows that we don't really trust what Jesus was saying to His disciples. We want Jesus in the body now, but he says, No, it's better that I go and I give you the spirit. Why is it good that Jesus ascended? Then, how is it better? Well, let's think about these things. See, even, even in the Heidelberg, we confess some of these things. Jesus is going he's returning home, and he wants to be with the Father. He wants to be in heaven. He's returning in victory to his coronation. The King is ascending to his his ceremony will, he will be crowned and seated on his throne, and he will sit at the right hand of the Father, and all authority in heaven on earth will be given to him, and he will have a name higher than any name, and all will bow to Jesus. And so Jesus is ascending to his coronation, that Jesus will ascend, and he will be enthroned in heaven, and he's also there now, even as the head of the church. And you think that you know powerful people or influential people, but it's nothing compared to our Lord Jesus Christ, His power and greatness cannot be measured.
You know a president, great. You know their power is limited. You know a judge, you know a businessman, great. Their power is very, very limited. But if you know the Lord Jesus Christ, he is seated on his throne, and His power is limitless, as Ephesians, four tells us, He who descended is the one who also ascends far above all the heavens. What's above all the heavens? I don't know, but Ephesians is telling us Jesus is over at all. Now he's not only above the Earth, he's over the heavens and far above the heavens. And we don't even he's over everything. And he he's going up and he's seated on his throne. To show us that he is over all things, every hair, every raindrop, every disaster, every pain, every death, every disease, there is nothing outside the power of the Lord Jesus Christ. Nothing happens apart from his sovereign will.
If you feel weak, you are but we have Christ, who has all power and authority, and he's with us and for us, and so we don't have to worry. Are you worried? You don't have to Christ is enthroned. He has ascended. He is seated at the right hand of the Father in His coronation.
Jesus also then takes an eternal inheritance and a glorious kingdom for himself, which also is beneficial for you. He is our forerunner. He is preparing it for you. He's preparing heaven for you. His inheritance. He gives to His people his inheritance. He gives to us.
He's a good older brother.
Remember this, the prodigal son, the parable The prodigal son, and he goes off, but in order for him to be restored back home, the older brother gets pretty grumpy. Hey, that fatted calf, those robes, those rings, that's all mine, and you're giving it to him, not Jesus.
He's the true older brother, and he's here. It's yours, it's all mine, but I give it to you, and he's preparing it for us, and he's keeping it for us. Why is it that robbers can't come in and steal or walls come in and eat because he's protecting it, and nothing will snatch it out of his hands. Nothing will snatch you out of his hands.
He's preparing it for you, keeping it for you. His inheritance is our inheritance.
His resurrection is our resurrection, and His ascension is our ascension, that we too will rise with him, and he's also our Great High Priest, who is gone into the True Holy of Holies, into the very presence of God, not only as God, but as very man, into the presence of God. And is ever interceding for us. He's our advocate before the Father, pleading eternally for mercy on us, and the father eternally giving and granting mercy to us. He has secured grace. He has secured peace for us. JC riles said, the grand secret of the perseverance, or the preservation of the saints, the secret of you getting to heaven, that is what Ryle was saying. The secret of your perseverance of the saints is Christ's appeals for you in heaven. They have an everlasting you have an everlasting advocate with the Father, and therefore you are never cast away. He also gives us His Spirit, as he just said in the previous verse, in verse 49 you can see, and behold, I'm sending you the Promise of My Father upon you.
But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high, given power by the Holy Spirit. Now, Jesus has a true resurrected body. Jesus remains both God and man, not only now, but forever. And he has a true resurrected body. And so he can't be all places at all times bodily. We want Jesus here, right? You said that we we wish we would have Jesus here bodily.
But what about up in Gainesville? You know, they really need Jesus up there too well if he's up there and then he can't be here. If Jesus was here bodily, I bet there's going to be a line. I'm probably going to be at the back of that line.
But He gives us His Spirit. And with His Spirit, we have Christ at any time and anywhere and always, in many ways, the ascension of Jesus brings Jesus closer to us, because now the Spirit indwells within us. We have the very spirit of Christ within us. He's with us always.
I don't have to travel to see him. He's with me now and forever. God, the whole we have the Holy Spirit, in fact, in a greater way than the Old Testament saints do, because we have a better understanding of the Scriptures. We have a better understanding of the gospel. We don't have the types and shadows anymore. In many ways, the spirit has opened up our eyes to see and understand when the Holy Spirit has enabled us to worship, to enter here to worship the living king, a clearer way, a clearer Christ to us because of the Spirit. Now, the last time Jesus told the disciples he was going away to prepare a place for them, do you remember how the disciples responded when he said he had to go away? They didn't go, yay, we get it. No, they're in distress.
When Jesus says he's actually going to go away. And when Jesus does go away in death, they are crushed. And now Jesus is leaving them again. He ascends on the glory cloud. And you would think it would say, you know, we, we didn't understand he, he left, he was dead, and now he's back, but now he's gone again. You would think it would say that they're devastated. Why does he have to go again? You'd at least expect it to say they're sad. He's not here.
But what does it say in verse 52 and they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and we're continuing the temple blessing God, they are worshiping with great joy. Why?
Why are they joyful when they Jesus just left them because they they're beginning to understand, as I hope, that we're beginning to understand that the king is going to his coordination. They understand, as Handel wrote, that he is going to sit and to reign now, forever and ever, they are seeing the scriptures more clearly and understanding the reason for Christ's humiliation that, oh, he must suffer, yes, he must suffer, and he must rise, yes, and he must ascend.
We're getting it now. They understand that Christ's ascension is not the end. In fact, it's the beginning of the end. Going back to the Apostles Creed, there's just one more thing left in the apostles creed that we state that hasn't happened yet, that Jesus is coming again to judge the living and the dead. That is the one last thing in redemptive history that waits to occur. Christ's return, and they're understanding that. And in the meantime, they wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit to come upon them, and then they will go out to do Empower what Jesus has commissioned them to do, where Jesus says, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me, Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you always to the end of the age. And that's our commission. That's our call too, and that's what we are to do now as we wait for Christ's return.
Now let me just conclude, you have now heard 96 sermons on the Gospel of Luke over the course of two years. Over that time, you have heard of Christ's birth. You have heard his numerous teachings and his many miracles. You have heard the true historical counts of Luke, who told you of His death, His resurrection and now ascension, and Luke is now done pleading with you. For some of you, you might not have another opportunity to hear the words of Luke in the Gospel. As many of you know, there are people that we love and that we care about who have unexpectedly passed away and they heard their last sermon. They did not anticipate it. They weren't expecting that.
And it's very possible that you in this room, that could be the case for you. This could be the last pleading of Luke for your soul. And you remember how Luke started. He said, lovers of God Theophilus, is it's time to make a decision. You. It's time. It's time to make a decision. No more sermons from Luke today. It's time to decide who is Jesus to you. Luke begins his book the same way he ends it with the worship of God in Christ. Will you worship Jesus? Are you sitting here in vain? Are you wasting your time? Or will you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead and be saved. He is the Christ, the Son of the living God. He is true and only blessing. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. Let's pray.
Father help us to see and understand all the things that Luke has written to us, Lord, we thank You for this gospel, but Lord, I pray that you will help us not to be foolish, Help us not to be slow of heart, but to worship Jesus this day. Open up our eyes, unstop our deaf ears, break our heart and hearts that we might receive Christ. Give us faith. Let us hold fast, let us believe. Give us the gift of your spirit, that we might know that we have Christ now and for always. We thank You that Christ has all power that he is seated, seated on his throne, that he is our Great High Priest, ever interceding for us, that He is preparing for us our place, that he will, by His power, raise us up with Him, not Only bodily, but to the heavenly thrones.
With him, Lord, let us find our blessing in Christ and then send him alone. We pray, Amen.