So Then...

Q: What does the Bible say about the ascension of Jesus?

The Bible teaches that after His resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God, signifying His authority and completed work of redemption. The ascension of Jesus is a crucial event that emphasizes His divine authority and the completion of His redemptive work. In Mark 16:19, we learn that after Jesus spoke to His disciples, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. This act symbolizes not only His return to divine glory but also His role as our mediator and high priest. Jesus, in His ascended state, represents humanity before the Father, bearing our names as He intercedes for us, proving that He is both fully God and fully man.

Q: How do we know that Jesus is God?

The Scriptures affirm the divinity of Jesus, stating that He is the Word who was with God and was God, as expressed in John 1. The divinity of Jesus is established in Scripture through both direct statements and implications of His identity. In John 1:1-14, we see that 'the Word was with God, and the Word was God.' This is a clear declaration of the preexistence and divine nature of Jesus Christ. The passage maintains that all things were made through Him, further affirming His sovereignty over creation. Importantly, His incarnation as a man does not diminish His divine essence; rather, it reveals God to humanity in a way that gives us access to understanding His nature, as He exegetes God to us through His life and work.

Q: Why is the resurrection of Jesus significant for Christians?

The resurrection of Jesus is significant as it confirms His victory over sin and death, providing believers with hope for eternal life. The resurrection of Jesus is foundational to the Christian faith, as it validates His claims of being the Son of God and the Savior of humanity. Romans 8:34 emphasizes that Christ, who died, was raised and now sits at the right hand of God, making intercession for us. This assures believers that they are justified and secure in their relationship with God. Furthermore, the resurrection offers tangible hope for all who trust in Christ, assuring them that just as He was raised, they too will experience resurrection and eternal life. This hope comforts and strengthens believers in their walk amidst a world marked by sin and suffering.

Q: What does it mean that Jesus is our mediator?

Jesus as our mediator means that He intercedes for us before God the Father, representing us due to His sacrifice and righteousness. In the context of Christian doctrine, Jesus serves as our mediator between God and humanity, fulfilling the role of the great high priest. This is articulated in Hebrews 4:14-16, where we are reminded that He can sympathize with our weaknesses. His mediatorial role is essential as it assures us that our prayers are presented to God, covered by His righteousness. This is rooted in His redemptive work; as our advocate, He stands before God bearing the marks of His sacrifice, demonstrating His qualification to intercede on our behalf. Therefore, His ministry as mediator brings profound comfort to believers, knowing that their standing with God is secured through Christ's ongoing intercession.

Q: Why should we preach the gospel?

Preaching the gospel is essential because it is the means by which God draws His elect to Himself and establishes His kingdom on earth. Preaching the gospel serves as the primary method through which God furthers His kingdom and calls His elect to salvation. As seen in Mark 16:15-20, Jesus commissions His followers to preach the gospel to all creation, emphasizing its importance in fulfilling the Great Commission. The act of preaching is not merely a human endeavor but is divinely orchestrated, with God working through His servants to confirm His word with signs. As believers, proclaiming the gospel is our obligation and privilege, ensuring that others hear of the grace available through Christ's finished work, which ultimately leads to salvation and transformation in countless lives. This marks the essence of the church's mission and the believers' duty in every generation.

Now every word in these two verses is of immense importance. We ought to read them with great care, praying that God the Holy Spirit will both teach us what they mean and seal the words to our hearts. Rather than giving you an outline to follow this evening, I want us to just look at this text word by word Phrase by phrase, line by line, and I want to seek by the help of God's Spirit to open to you that which is here taught for our hearts good, for the glory of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. All right? So then, so then, what a good way to wrap this thing up. And Mark is here drawing his gospel narrative to its close. He's wrapping up his message. He's bringing his story to its final conclusion.

He has talked to us about the Lord's incarnation, his birth, his coming into this world as a man, his life, his miracles, his ministry. He talked to us about his temptations, his trials, his sufferings and his death and his resurrection. And now he's saying to us, this is the conclusion of the story of the earthly life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. What will his conclusion be? How's he going to wrap it up? Lead on. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them. Now notice how Mark speaks of the master, the risen Christ.

While he was upon the earth, our Lord Jesus wore his name of humiliation, Jesus, all the time. He is called Jesus because he came here to save his people from their sins. But rarely in the New Testament, even during the age when our Lord walked upon the earth, very rarely did you find anyone speaking of him merely as Jesus. Everyone today does, because most everyone these days has a terribly low concept of who he is. Everyone today speaks of him in a buddy-buddy sort of familiarity. Now, I'm not saying that it's always wrong simply to speak of the Lord Jesus Christ as Jesus, but I am saying this.

We ought to take great care when we speak of the Son of God, when we speak of God, our Father, when we speak of God, the Holy Spirit, when we speak of the triune God, we ought to take great care that our intention in using the name of God in speaking of him is to honor him, exalt him, bring others to worship him and worship him ourselves. I stress that, because in this day, me and everywhere, on television, on the streets, in schools, everywhere, little kids, from the time they're just little kids, they use words like, oh Lord, or God, or gosh, or golly, or gee, and that's kind of, all those things are taking God's name in vain. Don't, even when we come here, Even when we come here, let's not speak lightly. Let's take great care, especially when we come here, when we speak of our God. Lend you to speak reverently of him. The songs you pick out, man, I like them. I'm thankful. It takes care to pick them out, exalting his name. Now notice how Mark speaks of him.

After the Lord had spoken. Now this word, Lord, is a word that's commonly used simply as a title of respect, much like We just were in Mexico, they use the word senor to speak of the Lord Jesus all the time. They use the word senor, that's the Mexican word for Lord. But in the New Testament, it's more than just a title of respect. This is a title of respect which identifies our Lord Jesus Christ as the Lord.

Now notice, Mark does not say here that he is a Lord. He does not describe him as one Lord among many. but rather he calls him the Lord. And there is a definite article both in the Greek and in the English. Then he proceeds to describe our Savior's Lordship. He describes what it is for him to be the Lord.

Now, I must not get ahead of myself, but let's always recognize that as we come together to speak of our master, let's speak of him with reverence, because holy and reverend is his name. Let's recognize him as Lord, Lord over all things, all events and all people. Now, what does Mark mean when he says after the Lord had spoken to them? But we know, of course, that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the eternal word, the logos in whom and by whom God reveals himself.

Turn to John, chapter one, John, the first chapter. There are many passages We could look at, but we'll just look at John chapter 1 and maybe one other text. Without Christ, apart from Christ, the God-man, Christ Jesus, God cannot be known by man. Man's quest for God, his search after God, is like a blind man groping about in a dark, empty void. No man knows God. until God reveals himself in the person and work of his dear son.

I recall some years ago, Brother Farrell Griswold was preaching for me when I was pastoring at Lookout West Virginia. And Farrell, for those of you who knew him, you knew him. He was distinctly a southern gentleman and looked like it and talked like it. But he was a little upset.

He had heard some modern liberal talking about God and said, said you know everybody sees God in his own way. And it's sort of like the story about the blind men who all came up and they felt an elephant and they all described the elephant in a different way. And Pharaoh said there's just two things wrong with that. He said I'm not blind and God's not an elephant.

And I'm telling you that men groping about in their quest for God in the darkness and depravity of their minds may come up with any notion that falls into their minds about who and what God is. Go through history. Look at the various statues, the idols, the pictures that men have made for themselves of what they conjured up God to be. Everybody's got an idea about God, but nobody knows God. until God makes himself known. You understand that? Nobody understands who God is. Nobody can see him. Nobody can perceive the things of God until God makes himself known.

Here in John chapter 1, God makes himself known. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. Now that's stated exactly as it should be. Jesus Christ, who is himself the Word, is also himself God. Not a God, not a creature of God, but God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made. That kind of eliminates the possibility of him being a creature of God, doesn't it? Look at verse 14. And the Word, he who is God, was made flesh. Made flesh. and dwelt among us. We saw it right down here. And we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Look at verse 16.

And of his fullness, his fullness as God His fullness as the God-made mediator, His fullness as our covenant surety and substitute, the fullness of His grace, the fullness of His merit, the fullness of His righteousness, the fullness of Him who is God the Son, of His fullness.

Have we all received grace for grace? Now that shouldn't be too complicated. What do they mean grace for grace? Grace on top of grace, on top of grace, on top of grace, on top of grace, on top of grace. What do we receive from him? Grace, grace, super abounding grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

Look at verse 18. No man has seen God at any time. Nobody. Nobody. But I saw God. No, you didn't. But I had a dream. I grant that. But you didn't see God. But I saw God come to me in a vision. You didn't see God. No man's ever seen God. No man. God's a spirit. God's a spirit. How can I say that in such a way that folks understand what I'm talking about? God's a spirit. And you can't see a spirit. It's not like Casper the Ghost. God's a spirit. He has no parts, no body, no limitation. You can't see him. God is spirit. They that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. No man's seen God at any time. The only begotten Son.

Look at it now. Which is in the bosom of the Father. He's standing here on the earth. But John says it's in the bosom of the Father. How can that be? Because he's God. God, though he's a man. The only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. Now this is exactly the word that's used. He hath exegeted him.

What does that mean? That's a word used mostly by preachers and theologians. It means to take a passage and dig into the passage, get what's there, and then bring it out and show it to folks. This is what I'm doing with Mark 16, 19, and 29. I'm trying to show you what the text says.

Now, this is what the Son of God did. He came into this world. He who alone, he who alone as a man is God and has seen God and knows God because he is God. He comes in human flesh, the Word of God and opens to us who and what God is. And that's all the way you know.

Man cannot know God until God reveals himself, and God does not reveal himself except by his son, Jesus Christ, as he's revealed in this book. Christ is the living word of whom the written word speaks. Jesus Christ is God, and he alone is the revelation of God. God does not speak to man, nor will he be spoken to by man except by the God-man, Christ our mediator. All right?

But John, in this text, Mark, rather, in Mark 16, is specifically talking to us about our Lord and what he had spoken just before his ascension and his exaltation. He's talking to us about our Lord's commission to his church to go into all the world and preach the gospel.

He's talking about our Lord's promise to confirm his word with his servants. and confirm his servants as his servants. His promise to give success to their labors as well as his own unceasing companionship unto the end of time. You remember in that commission our Lord promised us his presence. He promised us his unfailing unceasing protection. He promised us his power, all powers given unto me in heaven and in earth. Now I'm sending you out in that power, with that authority, with that power, with that strength.

We don't have to guess about this because the Holy Spirit says exactly the same thing in Acts chapter 1. Just listen as I read it to you. All that Jesus began both to do and to teach until the day when he was taken up after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen. to whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. Now that's what Mark's talking about here, when he says, So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, he was received up into heaven, and sat down on the right hand of God.

Oh, I can't begin to tell you how that thrills my soul. What's so thrilling about this? He who is my Savior, he who came here, Bob, to redeem us and put away our sins, who came here, pledged to save us from our sins, he who died in our stead at Calvary, who gave his lifeblood for us, now sits upon the throne of absolute monarchy, Lord of Oh, if we could ever get a hold of that, if we could ever get a hold of that, what peace and joy give to our souls. There is a man in glory. I recall listening to a brother down in Ashland several years ago preach on this subject. He said there's a man in glory.

And how thrilling that is. What does that mean? Well, that means that men are welcome in glory. If one man has entered into the holy place, perhaps another can. If there is a man in glory, perhaps maybe even this man shall be found there. Now look at what he says here word by word. I don't want us to miss a thing. He was received up into heaven. This one, a man. A man who walked on this earth. A man who came here to live for other men, to die for other men. to put away the sins of other men. Now, he's received up in heaven. Received. Welcome back to heaven. Received as the God-man, our mediator.

Not as just a private person. He's always been there as God the Son. That's not a matter of question. He who is co-equal with God never left heaven's glory. That language is used just to describe for us our Lord's humiliation. He came down here, but it never left there. He's always been God on the throne.

But now, as our mediator, as a public man, as a representative man, he has been received up into heaven. Received as Jehovah Sedkinu, the Lord our Righteousness. Received as our sin-atoning sacrifice and substitute. Received as our great high priest and all-prevailing advocate. Received with our names like Aaron was received in the holy place with the blood of sacrifice on the day of atonement. So Jesus Christ our high priest has been received up into heaven wearing our names on his breastplate. Received as our forerunner. This is what the scripture says.

The last word of Luke is The Lord Jesus lifted his hands and blessed his disciples, and that came to pass while he blessed them. He was parted from them and carried up to heaven. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. When our Lord Jesus was received up into heaven, the angels of God watched him. You remember the Apostle Paul said when he was justified in spirit that he was seen of angels. The angels of God watched as he who had come down from heaven, who had lived here in righteousness, who had fulfilled righteousness for us, who had finished his work. Now he was sick and dead. They watched him. Satan and the devils of hell were led into captivity by him. And God the Father placed on him the crown of universal monarchy. He was received up into heaven.

Now look at the next line. and sat down on the right hand of God. What a word! Granted, the Father said, Set thou on my right hand until I make thy foes thy footstool. But as it is worded here and as it is commonly worded in the New Testament, he sat down, not as a guest, but as a possessor. He sat down not because he was invited to sit, but because he had the right to sit down on the right hand of God. What on earth does that mean? He sat down because he didn't have anything else to do. His work is over. Just a little while, I'm going to sit down right there. Sit down. Because my work for this hour will be ended. I'm going to sit down. The work's finished.

And our Lord Jesus Christ did what no priest had ever done before. He did what no priest could lawfully do. He did what no priest even had a picture or representative of. In the Holy of Holies, when the high priest went in there, there was only one article of furniture in there. That was the Ark of the Covenant.

And all the time that priest was in there, he was busy sprinkling the mercy seat with blood, getting out as quick as he could, because he knew his sacrifices could never take away sin. But this man, After he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of the majesty oh high, because on Merlehart he had put away our sins forever. Done. All that God required of him, all that was stipulated in the covenant of grace for the saving of our souls, everything that God Almighty could require of man, he has now finished and fulfilled.

Righteousness and redemption. And he sat down. But notice this also. He sat down on the right hand of God. The right hand. Right hand. Back in the days when monarchs were all over the world, if a monarch really wanted you to have honor, I mean, he really wanted you to have honor, he'd set you right at his right hand. This is the place of honor. I can't do any better than this except to abdicate the throne and give it to you. He sets you at his right hand.

God Almighty sat his son at his right hand in human flesh and he sat in there giving him the place of highest honor, highest dignity, highest power, sat down with the right hand of the majesty on high. He sits today upon the throne of grace. Oh, what a blessed word. The throne of God. through which, by which, upon which God rules everything, is a throne of grace, sprinkled with the blood of the Lamb of God, who put away our sins.

He sat down. All right, let's look at the scripture and see what it says. Turn to Romans chapter 8. Buddy read it back there in the office. Romans chapter 8, verse 31. I was looking at this just before the service this evening, and I thought for you preachers, if you get to it before I do, here's a good outline. Three who's and a what. Romans chapter 8 verse 31.

What shall we say to these things? Paul's been talking about us being free from condemnation. He's been talking about Christ fulfilling the law for us. He's been talking about God sending his spirit into our hearts, giving us life. He's been talking about God's purpose of grace and God's providence. God's sacrifice of his son. Now look at what he said. What's the conclusion of this? What shall we then say to these things? Romans 8 31.

If God be for us. who can be against us. Everybody may try to be, but buddy, nobody can successfully be. Over the course of my lifetime, and especially my lifetime as a believer, and more particularly my lifetime as a gospel preacher, Gary, I've run into a few folks who were against me. I've never run into anybody who did me any harm in any circumstance. Sometimes I thought they did. Sometimes they'd hurt my feelings and hurt my foolish pride, but they didn't do me any harm. God's for me. Is he for you? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how? How shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

I've told you this before, but I don't know a better way to illustrate it. When Doug and Faith were married, First time they came back home, I just took them out to the garage, showed them around. Got all the papers I have, whatever, what little bit that is, and showed them where everything was kept. Gave them keys to everything. I said, now you just make yourself at home. This is yours.

Oh, I wouldn't do that with my son. Why not? I gave him my daughter. I gave him my daughter. And I gave him my daughter willingly. That means, buddy, I've given you the best I've got. I've given you the apple of my eye. Now, you need never worry about me giving you anything. Listen to me. God Almighty gave us ears. What do you reckon He won't give us? You know what He said to David? When David took Bathsheba and had Uriah killed, God said, I've given you anything you asked for. You didn't have to do this. I wouldn't have withheld anything from you. I gave my son for you. All right, read on.

Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? A lot of folks try, but nobody can, because it's God that justifies. Verse 34, who is he that condemneth? A lot of folks would if they could, but nobody can. How come? Because Christ died. Yea, rather that it's risen again, who's even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Children of God, here is a blessed cordial for our hearts and our souls. in this world of sorrow and woe. Jesus Christ the Lord, our Savior, sits upon the throne of absolute monarchy. He who loved us and gave himself for us is the absolute Lord of the universe.

We live in this world of wickedness and sin and evil. in this world of trouble and care and heartache. And we're often cast down by everything around us and in us. We live in this world of sin and death, knowing that we are decaying. Our bodies as well as our minds are wearing away as they must.

My hair's getting a little bit long. A little past time for a haircut. Shelby ain't had time to cut it and I ain't had time to get it cut. She said something, I said something to her this morning. I just don't want it to look like I'm doing a cover-up job. She said, you don't have to worry.

We're wearing away. We're wearing away as we must. And we have before us the prospect of death, judgment, and eternity. Now, here's our comfort. We lean back upon Him who is the Lord, our Savior, the King of glory. and we cast ourselves upon him, we fall into his omnipotent arms. Oh, God give us grace to do that in the face of every trial. I'm weak, but he's strong and he's my strength. I grow weary and I get weary of things both physically, God forgive me, and spiritually. And sometimes I sleep. When I ought to watch, I sleep. When I ought to be watching unto prayer, I sleep. But listen to me now. Here's my comfort. My comfort's not in my vigilance. My comfort's not in my watchfulness. Here it is.

He that keepeth Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps. I fall and I fail. But he can't. He's the king of glory. He sits at the right hand of the majesty on high. I'm dying and die I must. But he's life and I live because he lives. J.C. Ryle wrote this. Blessed indeed is this thought.

Our savior, though unseen, is a living person. We travel on towards a dwelling where our best friend has gone to prepare a place for us. The forerunner has entered in. and made all things ready. Once the Lord Jesus was received up into heaven and sat down on the right hand of God, we're told again in our text, and they went forth and preached everywhere.

They went because they were sent. How can they preach except they'd be sent? And they preached. That's the business of God's church. That's the business of God's servants. Doesn't matter whether you call them pastors, missionaries, evangelists. Those who are called and gifted and sent of God into the work of the gospel are sent of God as preachers. And that's the business they're sent to do.

And they preached what they knew. They preached the gospel. They preached Him. They didn't get sidetracked by dabbling into speculative theories, answering unanswerable questions and tracing out foolish genealogies, debating Theological issues with folks who like to debate theological issues. They just preached.

Read the Book of Acts. Mark everywhere the words preach, preached and preaching is used. Everywhere. Thirty seven times in those 28 chapters it's used. Every time, every time without exception, the subject was Jesus and the resurrection. Every time. Well, but we need to preach on the church. No, preach on Christ and the resurrection. Church takes care of itself. But we need to preach on church discipline, church government. No, no, no, no, no. Preach on Christ and the resurrection. And church discipline comes as a sideline, never the main issue.

Bob used to work on the railroad and railroad always has main line and then it's got spurs. Am I right? Go here and go there. Now, the fellow would be a nut and soon lose his job who's running that train if he always rode on the spurs because he couldn't get anywhere. He'd never get anywhere. The spur is just an auction. Everything else theologically and doctrinally is just a spur. Here's the main line. Jesus and the resurrection.

Preach Him. Preach Him everywhere. That's the sphere of our ministry. It is our responsibility to the best of our ability in the generation in which we live to preach the gospel everywhere. And look at the next line. The Lord working with them. What on earth does that mean? That doesn't mean that we're his co-laborers, though certainly that is a truth taught in scripture. It means that we're his tools. As I said before, we are his hoes and hoses with which he works out his vineyard. That's all, just tools. The Lord works with Paul and Apollos to accomplish what he pleases. Therefore, Paul's nothing and Apollos is nothing. would God we would learn this, it put an end to jealousy and envy and strife and division among God's servants.

All right, look at the next line. Confirming the word with signs following. You read the book of Acts, and you'll see that the Lord did just what he said he would. Read church history, and though popes and politicians, pagans and priests have tried to bind the word The word of God has gone from land to land, from nation to nation, from generation to generation, and God's kingdom is being established. God's calling out his elect everywhere to himself. The word of God is not bound. This word is emblazoned upon the pages of church history, and it's emblazoned upon our experience, is it not? The Lord God, our Savior, has confirmed his grace to us and his work in us with signs everywhere. We have in these 19 years never yet knocked at a door he didn't open. We've never come to a raging sea he did not divide before us. We have never met an enemy he didn't slay. And we've never had a need he didn't supply.

He confirms his word so that our labor is not in vain. His word will not return to him void. He that goeth forth weeping and bearing precious seed shall doubtless come again rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." Well, what's the conclusion of the matter? Now, a homiletics professor always said there's no sermon if there's no summons. Here's the summons. Let's cast our bread upon the waters. Just cast it on. Just preach the gospel everywhere. Just preach it everywhere. And wait. After a while, it'll return. The final word is amen. So be it. So shall it be. That's the way I want it to be. Amen.

So Then...

What does the Bible say about the ascension of Jesus?

How do we know that Jesus is God?

Why is the resurrection of Jesus significant for Christians?

What does it mean that Jesus is our mediator?

Why should we preach the gospel?

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So Then...

What does the Bible say about the ascension of Jesus?

How do we know that Jesus is God?

Why is the resurrection of Jesus significant for Christians?

What does it mean that Jesus is our mediator?

Why should we preach the gospel?

Sermon Transcript

About Don Fortner

Comments

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