It's always a joy to be with
you. I've been here a few times before
and I've enjoyed every time I've been. I appreciate you people. I'm thankful for you and your
pastor who's been a blessing to me over the years. And he
was reared in Winston-Salem about 25-30 miles from my home. I'm just glad to be with you
this morning. I want to make a statement that
I've been making for about 38 years. And that is that every Sunday,
the first day of the week is a memorial to the resurrection. To set aside one day is man-made. And I could have stopped many
places yesterday and had an Easter egg hunt on the way over here.
There's this going on all the way over here out of every church
or two I'd see is having an Easter egg hunt. But I am interested
in the resurrection. Christ's resurrection. This past
year I laid my dear mother, planted her in the grave along with my
father. It was a few years before. And
last night I got a call, and my 92-year-old uncle passed away
last night, and he'll be laid in a grave this week. And also,
I think about myself. If the Lord doesn't come, I'll
be laid in a grave, and you will too. So I'm interested in this. But I'm interested in this also,
the exaltation of the Lord Jesus Christ. And I want to give you
the title of the message today is Three Steps in His Exaltation. So turn with me to the book of
Matthew, chapter number 28 and verse number 6. And here's the
first step. As you know, the Lord, as He
came to this earth, as He lived here, As He went to the cross,
as He suffered, all of this, His birth, His life, the cross,
His death, is called humiliation. The Son of God, coming from glory
to this world. So, now, here's the first step
of His exaltation, here in the book of Matthew 28, verse number
6. He is not here, for He is risen. And He said, Come, see the place
where the Lord lay. So you see this humiliation of
His coming and His life as He lived here upon earth. And now
here is the first step of His exaltation. He's risen. We see the angel in verse number
2, Behold, there was a great earthquake, and the angel of
the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the
stone from the door and sat upon it. And his countenance was like
lightning, and his raiment white as snow. And for fear of him,
the keepers did shake and became as dead men. And the angel answered
and said unto the woman, Fear not. Here's Mary and the other
Mary. Fear not, for I know whom ye
seek, Jesus, which was crucified. So the angel gave this good tidings. He is risen. And this speaks
of his finished his course, that his work is finished, that glorious
work, and it's a seal to the great redemption that He came
into this world for. So we have the declaration and
confirmation. The negative part is He is not
here. And the positive part, He is
risen. This word risen, it speaks of
an active power. It speaks of self-quickening.
And didn't He say, I lay down my life and I can take it up
again? Our Lord did. He also said, I am the resurrection
and the life, didn't He? And what has all been foretold
is now declared. And He is risen. Now the whole
weight of faith, hope and salvation is upon this. As the brother
read there in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, if He's not risen, Faith is vain. It says if he's not risen, you're
still in your sins. What a thought that would be. If we're still in our sins. We're
thankful that he is risen. He's raised again. It also says
the dead perish if he's not risen. It was a day of the great earthquake. If you had noticed in verse 52
of the 27th chapter, the graves were opened and many bodies of
the saints which slept arose and came out of the graves after
His resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared unto
many. That is a pledge of our resurrection. that these saints came for, that
one day all the saints is going to come for. It was a day that Jesus Christ
was declared the very Son of God by resurrection from the
dead. It's called a day of the firstfruits. And our resurrection is secured
by the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. There's going to
be a happy and a blessed day that's going to come forth the
whole harvest. The elect in the scriptures is
called the children of the resurrection. The Bible says we die in Adam,
we rise in Christ. It's the day of that of the firstborn
from the dead that he dieth no more. He came forth as a firstborn. He always has the preeminence.
Have you noticed that in the scriptures? Always He has the
preeminence, the Lord Jesus Christ does. So Christ's resurrection
is a type of that of His believing people. The pattern of the saints
is resurrection. He's the efficient cause of it.
Over in the book of Philippians, if you turn with me there to
Philippians chapter 3 and verse number 21, it says, Who shall
change this, change our vile bodies, that it may fashion like
unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby
He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself. He's the first. He's the best. He's raised and He's glorified. Now, I'd like for you to notice
this. In studying this past week, I
come across, I'm not sure who I read, but it said that our
bodies, it's a state of humiliation for our bodies too, as we live
here. Christ lived here in a state
of humiliation glorified. You live here in a state of humiliation
in your bodies, you'll be glorified too. I thought that was a pretty
good thought this morning, or when I read that thought. Notice
also in this that it says they change our body, that it's not
another but it's the same. Now Christ, we look at Him as
He came forth And our bodies, it says here that who shall change
our vile body, that is, we look at it and this corruption as
he read awhile ago in chapter 15 of the first chapter of Corinthians,
this corruption must put on incorruption. This mortal, immortality. So
it's called a resurrection, not a creation. And our bodies, It
is going to be improved in that of the resurrection as they fail
in weakness. They are going to be raised in
power. No more capable of that of sorrow and pain and dishonor,
but raised in glory. The Scripture says, sown a natural
body and raised spiritual bodies. There will be no flaws and defects
and deformity. And as Christ is raised to die,
no more. We'll be raised to die no more.
It tells us also as we look at Christ, that He's raised to be
glorified, crowned with that honor, and God's children's going
to be raised. Their glorified body is going
to be in heaven. There their souls go and there's
going to be that reunion one day. who shall change our vile
minds. Job made this statement, and
let me just read this to you if I can find it right quickly
in the book of Job. He said, If a man die, shall
he live again? All the days of my appointed
time will I wait till my change comes. You know, Job said also, I know
my Redeemer liveth, didn't he? You know what he's speaking of
there? The resurrection of Christ. When he says, I know my Redeemer
liveth. So all because Christ is victorious. And the angel said, He's not
here but risen. We arise also. Turn with me to
John now, the 20th chapter of the book of John. Here's the
second step of that of exaltation. of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ. John 20, verse number 17. Jesus said unto her, touch me
not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father, but go to my brethren
and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father, and
to my God, and your God. Here it is. I sinned. I'm going back to heaven. I'm
going back to glory. I'm going back to the Father.
And it's interesting to note here, he told Murray, he says,
touch me not. But in the next chapter, he told
Thomas to touch him, didn't he? Told him to touch him. There's
going to be a time of embracing. to Mary. He said, I ascend to
my Father, your Father, my God, your God. He's a father to the
Lord Jesus Christ, an eternal generation. One time a brother of mine, we
was discussing the Lord Jesus Christ as the eternal Son, and
some have denied that in history. But I went to Philpott, and Philpott
made one statement. And I've always remembered this
statement, and this just solves it all. If God's the Eternal
Father, Christ is the Eternal Son. I mean, that just solves
everything. He's the Eternal Father. He is
the Eternal Father. And he said, Our Father also.
It's different, isn't it? We are children by adoption. We are children by that of the
regeneration. And so that ascended now says,
I ascend that same person, that whole person. And He goes to
the most holy place within that of the veil. And He ascends there
as a forerunner. He goes there to enter for us. He enters into that of His own
very name On our account, He enters. And here again is how
the Old Testament saints got to heaven and went to heaven. They entered in His name and
on His account. That's how all people get to
heaven. I don't care who they are. I had a discussion about
a year or so ago. And they was trying to tell me
about the Old Testament. I said, everybody said what the
heavens went the same way. They went by the blood of the
Lord Jesus Christ. They went by His suffering, His
death, His resurrection. They go there that way. So He
ascended. Now, let me give you some reasons
necessary for that of His ascension. If He had not ascended, would
we have had an interceder in heaven? I'm glad That's what
he does in heaven, he's an advocate. The Bible says, and I'm glad
of this verse, if any man sin, we have an advocate with the
Father. If any man sin, we are sinners. But we have an advocate in the
Father. We have a friend in heaven. We have a surety in heaven. We have there one for us, and
here He ascends. Here's His exaltation. He comes
forth from the grave, and now He ascends to the Father. He goes there to prepare a place
for us. He said, if I go, I come again
and receive you, didn't He? He makes way for our very coming.
He ascended also to enjoy glory forever. The Scripture says,
Ought not Christ to suffer and enter into glory? We look at
Him on earth and how He was treated. But now He says, I have sinned. He goes back to heaven. Goes
back there. As He says, I sin, it means this
morning also that He's paid all. I sort of like that song, Jesus
paid it all. All to Him I owe. He made full
satisfaction this morning because He ascended and paid all. There's
nothing against us. What a blessing. I'd hate to think I had to come
up with something, wouldn't you? But He's paid it all. The dear
Lamb of God has paid it all in His person and His Word. He also ascended to send a comforter. He said, I'll send another to
abide with us. that takes the things of Christ,
the Holy Spirit, and He shows us Christ, His work. He shows us His death, His resurrection,
His ascension, His intercession, the Blessed Spirit. His ascension also sets forth
That He's fulfilled all the types and the prophecies of the Old
Testament. He's set forth His death and His burial and His
resurrection. He's ascending it. Now it's all
fulfilled. What's been foretold is fulfilled. So He says, I sinned. Exaltation. Now let me give you
the third step. found in the book of Hebrews.
Turn with me to the book of Hebrews, chapter number 1. Look at this
step of exaltation. Who be in the brightness of His
glory, and the express image of His person, and upholdeth
all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself
purged our sins, Now notice, sat down on the right hand of
the majesty on high. That's exaltation, isn't it?
Christ returned to the Father. Having finished that of His work
here, that whole work, now He's bid to sit on the right hand
of the Father. This is a seat of honor. A seat
prepared for Him. Oh, how things has changed. We look at His life. The groanings. The Bible says He wept. He labored. There is His suffering,
sweating, no rest. But now look at it. He has entered
into His rest. on the highest throne. Notice this, when He hath by
Himself purged our sins. I like that, don't you? I like
the purging, and I like when it says our sins, my sins. He hath by Himself done it. He's the only one He can do it.
And it speaks emphatically. That's what He's done! That's
what He's done! Our very sin purged Him. And it's only a work that He
could do. He came in this humble state
to do this glorious work. And now, He has the highest honor. and the highest authority, supreme, that of dominion. The book of Psalms says, sit
on my right hand until I make thy enemies thy footstool. So we understand this is a favorite
place. We understand it's a place of
the greatest of honor and that of power. and also of nearness. See, it's written that we might
understand right here, the right hand. It's a place that is highly esteemed. You know, He didn't say that
any angels sit on my right hand, did He? It's a place of exaltation, of
that of the very highest. And He says all things is going
to be put under His feet. He is the enthroned King. He
is sovereign. He is supreme. He has all power. Matthew says, Hereafter ye shall
see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power. And
also it tells us how near He is to the Father. It implies some things for us. And that is that he has perfectly
and completely finished his work and ended it. Look over in the
10th chapter of the book of Hebrews, verse number 11 and 12 of the
10th chapter. Every priest standeth daily ministering
and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices which can never take
away sins. But this man, after he has offered
one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of
God. The priest stands. Christ sits. The priest did it daily. Christ
was. And once for all. The priest
could not take away sin. But Christ takes away our sins. It also implies the Father's
satisfaction in Christ Jesus. Can you imagine in your minds
the welcome back to heaven of the Son after completing that
of His work that He came to do? You know, the Old Testament says
before He came, daily He is a Father's delight. Now He comes back and sits at
the right hand, it's like congratulations to the work performed, the work
fully done. Your accomplishment of this great
work. He is an able and faithful servant
when He is here, Christ was. And here He goes back to the
Father. And the highest glory is not too high for our Savior. Look what He accomplished. Now,
what He accomplished was set out in eternity. And now He's fulfilled it, and
He's exalted back to the right hand of the Father. It also implies this morning,
now the advancement of the Lord Jesus Christ, His human nature
is a God-man. As He came into this world, here
He's mediator, the God-man, and He goes back to heaven. He carries with Him the marks
of the cross, doesn't He? He carries that with Him back.
Adoration is due Him. Honor is due Him as a God-man. This also shows why a lot of
people is wrong. The Scripture says, He that honoreth
not the Son honoreth not the Father that sent Him. Christ
is to be honored. The Father is to be honored.
The epistles They wrote like this, it says, ask grace, mercy
and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
So he's to be honored. It implies this morning the sovereignty
of Christ and the supremacy of Christ over both worlds, that
of heaven and earth. And the scripture says he must
reign, that he reigns. He talks about all things in
subjection to that of His feet. He is over the church. He is
the absolute Lord. He is over here's spiritual kingdom.
He is over also the providential kingdom. He is over the whole
world. And He orders and He rules. He
is at the right hand of the Father. It also implies this morning
that He has conquered all. His enemies, and they're at His
feet. He has opposition, but He's totally
above them. He can do what He wants to. They'll
fall before Him when He wants them to fall before Him. When
He came in the garden, He just spoke a word, and they all fell
backward, didn't they? He has all power. He can strike
His enemies just at any time, and He can strike the enemies
of the church at any time He wants to. It also shows to us
this morning the state of change. As He came into this world, He
lived, He died, He ascended, and from this basement we see
His exaltation. Think this morning about Him
being born in a stable. Now He reigns in the highest, laid in a manger. Now He sits
at the right hand of the Father. Oh, glory to the Son. There was oxen, the animals round
about Him. Now there's the saints and the
angels worshiping Him. Here He is called the Carpenter's
Son. Now, He has the most excellent
name of all, doesn't He? Angels worship Him. He spoke and He said He had no
place to lay His head. But Scripture says now He is
hired to all things. By the way, it says you join
ours. Join ours. Here, Isaiah said he had no form,
comeliness, or beauty. But now his countenance is glorious. Brightness. Do you remember reading
that the place where he is needs no sun? God's the brightness. Christ is the brightness of it. Here He sweated. Now He rests. Here He groaned. Now He triumphs. He sits on the throne of glory. We look at this and we think
about His love. We think about His love to the
Father. And we also think about His love
to His people. how He loved. He passed through such woe. Now He rests. It is called the
travail in the soul. Now He rests. And it also speaks to us of the
advancement of the believer. You know, we ought to be with Him, and
here's the honor. He prays, and you know what He
prays for? We behold His glory. Now, I've heard preachers and
people speak, and I've heard them speak of heaven. And they
say some of the wild and worldly things, earthly things. Mr. Spurgeon said this, he said,
people have a blind notion, they expect a carnal heaven. The deacon of one of the churches
we laid in the grave a few weeks ago, they called me to help in
the funeral. He was a good friend of mine
all these years. And after he retired, he liked to play golf.
And he and I used to play golf together. One time, not much. Somebody told my wife, said,
well, he's now up there in heaven playing golf. Said he's having a big time playing
golf in heaven. I went to a funeral of a young
man, and all they could talk about, he's up there dancing
around heaven and having a big time. Look what Christ... Now here's
what He prayed for. This is what's going to happen.
You're going to behold His glory. That's what He prayed for. You're
going to see Him as He is. And you're going to reign with
Him. I'm glad He prayed that. You'll
behold His glory. Stephen got a glimpse of Him.
And you know what happened? His face shone. This teaches us, as He's enthroned in heaven,
that He sits on the right hand of the Father, that His interest here on earth
is not going to miscarry. He's going to manage it. And
I'm glad He's managing it today, aren't you? He's enthroned at
the right hand of the Father. He's exalted there. He's managing
His affairs here on earth. His Church. He is the enthroned
King, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. It also teaches us that as He's at the right hand
of the Father, you know, we can go to Him, but we'd go to Him
in reverence, worship. We can go to the throne of grace.
Time of need. He's enthroned there. And we just go to Him. I'm thankful
of this, that we can come to Christ. We can come boldly. We have liberty as children of
this King. Come with love and reverence. So here's the exaltation. He's
not here. He's risen. I see Him. I go back to the Father. He sits
down at the right hand of the Father. The exaltation of Christ. Let me leave one other thought
with you this morning. And that is this. It's not what kind of funeral
That we have, that's not what matters. The question is, how
shall we rise again? That's the question. Glorious or damned? Isn't that how people
are going to rise again? One way or another. Glorious or damned? It says all shall come forth. from the grave. Oh, how glorious. You know, the scripture even
says that we now sit with Christ in the heavenlies. Sit with Him. He's our representative. We're
there with Him. So, think about this, the exaltation
of the Lord Jesus Christ. victorious, triumphant Christ,
sitting at the right hand of the Father, the highest, supreme,
the highest place of honor, forever and ever. May the Lord bless
you. Our Father, we are thankful of
the exaltation of our Savior, that You've exalted Him, that
He has gone forth and sits at Thy right hand as our Advocate.
We are thankful today for this. And we just come before You with
thanksgiving in our hearts and the message of redemption, the
message of resurrection, and the message of ascension, The
message that your people will behold Christ's glory forever. Bless this people in Christ's
name. Amen.