John, chapter 20. We're going
to read, picking up where we left off. John 20, verse 1. All that we read in John 19 occurred
on Friday. Now verse 1, chapter 20, the
first day of the week, Sunday. The first day of the week cometh
Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre. And she saw the stone was taken
away from the sepulchre. And then she runneth and cometh
to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved. That's John. John never uses
his name in his epistle. Nowhere does he. Say, I John. But he talks about, he identifies
himself the disciple whom Jesus loved, who leaned on his breast
at the Last Supper. And she said to them, they've
taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where
they have laid him. Peter therefore went forth and
that other disciple, and they came to the sepulchre. So they
ran, both of them together, And the other disciple, John, did
outrun Peter. He came first to the sepulchre.
And here's his nature. And he stooped down, looked in,
saw the linen clothes, but he didn't go in. That's John. Peter's
different. Here he comes. Then comes Simon
Peter following him and went right into the sepulchre and
see if the linen clothes lie. And the napkin that was about
his head, not lined with the linen clothes, but wrapped together
in a place by itself. Our Lord didn't leave that tomb
in haste. He laid everything aside neatly. Wrapped together in a place by
itself. Then went he in also the other disciple, which came
first to the sepulchre, and he saw and he believed. He believed. The Lord's risen. That's what
he believed. For as yet they knew not the
scripture that he must rise again from the dead, but John believed.
Then the disciples went away again into their own home. But
Mary stood without a sepulchre weeping, and as she wept, she
stooped down and looked into the sepulchre, and seeing two
angels in white sitting, one at the head, the other at the
feet. where the body of Jesus had lain. And this angel said
unto her woman, Why weepest thou? She said unto them, Because they
have taken away my Lord, I know not where they have laid him.
They have stolen his body. When she had thus said, she turned
herself back and saw Jesus standing. But she knew not that it was
Jesus, whatever the problem. Her eyes might have been just
clouded with tears because she was weeping. Then again, seeing
a man standing there, she may not have lifted her head. But
then again, he might have kept her from knowing who he is. But
nevertheless, she didn't know it was the Lord Jesus. And he
said to her, Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? And
she's supposing him to be the gardener. And if she'd looked
very closely, she'd have known it wasn't the gardener, you know.
He's in glorified body here. But she didn't look that closely.
But she said to him, Sir, if you have borne him hence, you
tell me where you've taken him, where you've laid him, and I'll
take him away. Jesus spoke to her. Mary, she turned then. She turned herself, and she knew
who it is. She knows who it is now. She
said, Rabboni. Master, master. And Jesus saith unto her, now
here's my text. And Jesus saith unto her, touch
me not, don't cling to me. Most of the writers believe that
when she turned and he, when he spoke her name she turned
and saw him and knew who it was, my master. She fatted his feet. and embraced his feet. And he
said, don't cling to me. I'm not yet ascended to my father.
I'm not yet ascended. He's going to ascend. That's
what my subject is today. The ascension of Christ. Just
touch me not. Don't cling to me. He's going
to appear to them over and over and over again. He appeared to
over 500 of them after he rose from the grave. He stayed there
40 days before he ascended. But you do this. You do this. Now listen to whom the message
is sent. You go to my brethren. Go to my brethren. That's a term
of compassion and love. You go to my brethren. You know,
when Joseph revealed himself to his brethren, He had compassion. His compassion
is impressive. Joseph, after all those years,
he was mistreated because of them. And when he revealed himself
to them, he said, don't be afraid. I'm Joseph, your brother, comma. But he added something, whom
you sold into Egypt. He reminded them what they'd
done. But when our Lord tells this
woman to take this message to his disciples, He didn't say
to those fellows who denied me, who forsook me, who didn't believe
me, and who don't believe me now. He just said, go to my bread. Our Lord doesn't remember our
sins. Aren't you glad? Aren't you thankful? Just go
to my brethren. My brethren. One of the angels who talked
to the women said, go and tell his disciples and be sure you
tell Peter. And Peter. Because Peter sat
there three times beside that fire and said, I don't know the
man. But all forgiven, all forgotten. Go to my brethren. Our gracious
Lord makes no mention of their denial, unbelief, forsaking Him,
just my brethren. Go to my brethren. All right.
Here's the message. Now you say to them. You say
to them. Now you tell them this right
here. Here it is. I sin to my Father. God is Father, Christ
is Son. There's an eternal Father and
an eternal Son. There can't be an eternal Father
who doesn't have a Son. And there can't be an eternal
son who doesn't have a father. The scripture is so clear on
this. In the beginning was the Word, Christ, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God. And all things were made by Him.
Without Him was not anything made that was made. And the Word
was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory,
the glory of the only begotten of the Father. He's the Son of
God as no one else is the Son of God. There are three that
by record in heaven, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost,
and these three are one. Now you say to the disciples,
my disciples, my brethren, I go to the Father. I came from the
Father, I go back to the Father. I go to the Father. He that has
seen me has seen the Father. But now listen, I go to my Father
and to your Father. We're not sons of God as He is. He's the eternal Son of God.
He's the Son of God in essence, in nature, in being. But we're
sons of God by adoption. By adoption. Let's turn to Romans
8 and read that. By adoption. And a son that's
a son by adoption is an heir just like any other son who's
natural born. In Romans 8, verse 14, Romans
8, 14, as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they're sons
of God. You've not received the spirit
of bondage again to fear, you've received the spirit of adoption,
whereby you cry, Father, Father, you're adopted. And the Spirit
bears witness with our spirit with children of God. I go to
my father, But I go to your Father. He's your Father by adoption. And if your children, your heirs,
your heirs of God and your joint heirs with Christ through the
eternal covenant that God Almighty made with Christ on our behalf
by spiritual union with Christ, we have the same relationship
as Christ. with sons of God. And that's
what he prayed for us in his priestly prayer. He said, The
glory which you gave me, I have given them, that they may be
one as we are one. I in them, thou in me, that they
may be made perfect and one, and the world may know that you
sent me, and you love them as you love me. I go to my father. And oh, what a thrilling statement.
And your father. And your father. But now look
at the next line. You say to my brethren, I send
to my father and your father, to my God and to your God. Why does he differentiate here?
To my God. As the man Christ Jesus. Now
he had a mother. I go to my father. I don't have
a father down here. I have a mother down here because
I was born like you're born. As a man, Jesus Christ addressed
God as my God. That's right. Many times he said,
my father. Father, I know you always hear
me. Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. Holy Father, glorify
me with the glory which I had with thee before the world was."
But as our substitute, as the man Christ Jesus, he called the
Father God. Turn to Hebrews chapter 10. I
go to my God. Hebrews chapter 10, verse 7.
Here he's talking as the man Jesus Christ, as the Messiah. As a man, he was born. As a man,
he was circumcised. As a man, he worshipped God just
like you are this morning. As a man, he kept the feast days.
As a man, he obeyed God. As a man, he loved God. As a
man, he glorified God as no other man as I represented him. And this is how he's speaking
here in Hebrews 10, verse 7. Then said I, Lo, I come in the
volume of the book that is written of me to do thy will, O God. This is the man. I come to do
your will, O God. He's not a private man here.
He's a representative man. The first Adam didn't do his
will. The second Adam says, I come to do your will, God. I come
to glorify you on earth, God. All right, look at verse 9. He
said it again. Then said I. Thank God we have
him. Aren't you glad? Then said our
Lord, I come to do thy will, O God. You take away the first,
first priesthood, first tabernacle, first mercy seat, first atonement,
first covenant, first Adam, first nature, first heaven, first earth.
You take away the first, and on me, through me, by me, you
establish the second. the new covenant. I go to my
God, and my God satisfies. But now wait a minute, and I
go to your God. I go to your God. He's every
man's God by creation. That's right. He's everybody's
God by creation. It said over there in Psalm 100,
Make a joyful noise unto the Lord thy God. Come before his
presence with thanksgiving. Know ye not that the Lord, he
is God? It's he that made us. He's our God by creation. He's everybody's God by creation.
He hath made us, not we ourselves. What does he say in Psalm 24?
The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof. Because he
founded it upon the seas. He created it. So he's everybody's
God by creation, but he's our God by revelation. Christ said, you go to my brethren,
you tell them, I sinned to my father and your father. Same
relationship. And I go to my God, a satisfied
God, a reconciled God, a redeeming God. I go to my God and your
God. And He's your God not just by
creation, but by revelation. For the Son of God has come and
given us an understanding that we may know God. This is the
true God. This is eternal life. Christ
prayed in John 17. He said, Father, you've given
me power over all flesh that I might give eternal life to
as many as you've given me. And this is life eternal. that
they might know thee, that they might actually know God. And
Jesus Christ whom he has sent, and that's how we, he's our God,
we know him. By revelation. We know him by
faith. Abraham believed God. And God
said, he's my friend. He called God friend, and God
called him friend. Abraham believed him. And Paul
said, I know whom I have believed. And I'm persuaded he's able to
keep that which I've surrendered, committed to him against that
day of judgment. He's my God, by revelation, by
faith. He's my God by confession. I
confess before him and the world. He's my God. He appeared to the
disciples and he said, Thomas, Thomas, reach hither your hand,
touch my hands and my feet and my side. And don't be faithless,
but believing. And Thomas fell at his feet and
confessed, My Lord, my God. He's my God. I go, You're God.
And He's our God by covenant mercy. Now listen, here's the
basis of all of it. Turn to Ephesians 1. Here's the
basis of the whole thing, right here. He's my God, He's my Father,
He's my God, as He is the Savior's Father and God. I, Father, and
Your Father, my God, and Your God. Ephesians 1, verse 3, Blessed
be the God and Father. See that? Ephesians 1, 3, Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed
us. with all spiritual blessings
in heavenly places in Christ, according as he has chosen us
in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestinated
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself. according to the good pleasure
of His will, not our will, His will, to the praise of the glory
of His grace, wherein He made us accept Him. We didn't accept
Him. He accepted us. We believed Him. We received Him. We submitted
to Him. But He accepted us. He accepted
us. I go to my brethren. I go to
my brethren, my brethren whom I love, the children that God
gave me, my family, my children, and say to them, I send to my
Father, your Father, I send to my God a satisfied, reconciled
God. He'd reconcile us to God by Himself. of the blood of his cross. You're
God. And watch this now. I sinned. What does this mean? Well, there
are three words that will help us here. One is, I'm going away.
I turn to John 16. Back just to John 16. I'm going
away. Verse 5 of John 16. But now,
you see it, John 16, verse 5, But now I go my way to him that
sent me. And none of you ask me whither
goest thou, but because I have said these things to you, that
I go away, sorrow hath filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell
you, it is expedient for you that I go away. If I don't go away, the Comforter
won't come. unto you. But if I go away, I'll
send him to you." And when he's come, he'll convince the world
of sin. He'll take the things of mine
and show them to you. That's right. When he comes,
if Christ doesn't go away, no Holy Spirit comes down here.
See, Christ is in the body. And though his mind is in other
places at the same time, his body is in one place. Jesus, what I'm saying, the Spirit
is every place. The Lord Jesus Christ were here
this morning in the body. He wouldn't be down at Danville
in the body. He wouldn't be down at Albany
in the body. He wouldn't be over at Rocky
Mountain in the body. He wouldn't be in Florida in
the body. He'd be here. So I go away. He's the man Christ Jesus. He's
still the man Christ Jesus. There's one God, one Mediator
between God and me, and that's the man Christ Jesus, who's at
the right hand of God, who's our Advocate, Mediator, and Assessor. But the Spirit of God is in every
place, in every believer. And if I don't go away, He doesn't
come. That's right. And you have no
comfort there. That's right. His ascending is going away for
that purpose, and then his ascending is his exaltation. Turn to Acts
chapter 2 and let Peter tell us about this. Acts chapter 2,
Peter at Pentecost. Acts 2, verse 32. Acts 2, 32. This is Peter speaking
at Pentecost. He says, verse 32, As God raised up wherever we
are witnesses, we saw him, touched him. Therefore being by the right
hand of God exalted and having received of the Father the promise
of the Holy Ghost, he has shed forth this which you now see
and hear. He's exalted at the right hand
of God. He's exalted. And we're seated
with him in the heavenlies. And thirdly, he has entered the
veil as our forerunner. Let's turn to Hebrews 9, and
I'll show you that. He's there for us. He's there
as our forerunner. Hebrews chapter 9, chapter 6,
verse 19. Hebrews 6, verse 19. We have
a hope. Hebrews 6, verse 19. We have
a hope. as an anchor of our soul, both sure and steadfast, which
entereth into that within the veil, whether the forerunner
is for us entered." Even Jesus made a high priest forever after
the order of Melchizedek. Go tell them, Bradford. I send
my Father and your Father. my God and your God, and I go
away that the Holy Spirit might come, that I might be exalted
and me and you in me exalted. Glorify them with the glory which
you gave me, and that as their representative, as their forerunner,
as their high priest, I enter within the veil and open the
veil that they might enter with boldness and come before the
throne of grace to find mercy and grace to help Now let me
answer four questions in closing. Who is this that ascended? His
name is Jesus. He's Jesus who was born in Bethlehem,
of whom the angel said to Joseph, Now Joseph, don't be afraid to
take unto you, as your wife Mary, that holy thing which is conceived
in her is the Son of God. And you call his name Jesus because
he'll save his people from their sins. And he was born in Bethlehem
and laid in a manger. And he walked the streets of
their cities. He went about doing good. And they took him and crucified
him, nailed him to a cross. We read about that a moment ago.
They took him down from that tree and Joseph of Arimathea
and Nicodemus put him in a tomb and wrapped him up in the linen.
On the third day he arose again, and he ascended back to the Father.
This same Jesus ascended. That's why, Peter, you use that
statement over and over again. Turn back to Acts again, that
same Jesus, the one born of Mary, the one crucified on a cross,
the one buried. The one risen, that same Jesus. And this is not another. That's
the reason he was buried in a tomb in which nobody had ever lain. Because when the tomb was found
empty, it wasn't someone else who'd come for it. It was Christ,
the same Jesus. Now watch these scriptures in
Acts 2. Verse 32, This Jesus, whom God raised up, whereof we
are all witnesses. Verse 36, Therefore let all the
house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same
Jesus, whom you crucified, Lord in Christ. Now back to Acts 1
verse 11. And the angel said in Acts 1
verse 11, Ye men of Galilee, Acts 1 verse 11, which also said,
Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This
same Jesus which is taken up from you shall so come in like
manner as you have seen him go. That's right. The same one, Paul
said, who descended, who came into the world, is the one who
ascended. And the angel said, that same
Jesus will come again. And that's comforting to me.
Because He's the only one who can help me and save me and redeem
me and make me accepted in Him. But it gives me this comfort
too, that this same Henry whom He redeemed, who knows and
loves you, this same Henry is going to come forward and go
to glory. That's right. The same Jesus
who saved the same people. He's the same and we're the same.
But he didn't come forth from the grave with the same body
they put in the grave. He came forth with a glorified
body that couldn't die, couldn't bleed, and couldn't suffer. That's right. And that's where
we're coming from. The same Jesus. You see, that's so important.
Who ascended? The same Jesus. And Peter was
very careful in speaking to those religious Jews to let them know
this. That same Jesus, who was born in Bethlehem, whom you crucify,
He arose and He ascended to God. He's coming back. To what place
did He ascend? That's the second question. Well,
a plenty of scriptures answer that. He said, I go to my Father. I go to my Father and your Father.
I go to my God and your God. Here's another scripture. He
said to the thief, today thou shalt be with me in paradise. And in 2 Corinthians 11, Paul
tells us where paradise is. He said, I know a man, whether
in the body or out of the body, I don't know, but he was taken
into the third heaven, into paradise. The first heaven is around here.
The second heaven is where the stars and the moon and the sun,
the third heaven is thrown to God. And that's what Christ said to
the thief. He said, today you'll be with
me in paradise. Hebrews 9 says, Jesus Christ
our Lord didn't go into the holy place made with hands, but into
heaven itself, within the veil. That's the Holy of Holies, on
the right hand of God. We have an advocate with the
Father. Who ascended? Saint Jesus. Where
did he ascend? This is the scripture that just
clinches the whole thing. Our Lord said, is this hard for
you to believe? Wait till you see the Son of
Man ascend up where he was before. Before the world was made. I
was with him in the beginning, he said, and that's where he
is now. ascend up where he was before. Before he came down here and
accomplished all this for us. Well, here's my third question.
How did he ascend? He ascended triumphantly. Triumphantly. Turn to Acts 1. I want to show
you this. This will bless you. Acts chapter 1. Acts 1, verse 8 through 11. How do you ascend triumphantly?
But you shall receive power after the Holy Ghost is come upon you,
and you'll be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, and all Judea,
and Samaria, to the uttermost parts of the earth." And when
he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up,
and a cloud received him out of their sights. And while they
looked steadfastly toward heaven, as he went up, behold, two men
stood by them in white apparel. The angels were present. When
he came to this earth, the angels were present. The angels appeared
out there on the Judean hillsides, and a heavenly host said unto
you this day, You are born a Savior, Christ the Lord. And when he
went to glory, he was surrounded by angels. How do you know that?
Well, turn with me. Psalm 20, to Daniel 7, Daniel
chapter 7. You'll want to write this down
and read it later again. I've already read it 12 times
in getting this message. I want you to read it over and
over again. And there's so much said here, I can't touch it.
Daniel's vision of God's kingdom. Daniel 7, 9. Oh my, listen, Daniel 7, 9, I
beheld to the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of Days
did sit, the Ancient of Days did sit, whose garment was white
as snow, and the hair of his head was like pure wool. His
throne was like a fiery flame, his wheels as burning fire. fiery
stream issued and came forth from before him, thousands, thousands,
thousands ministered unto him, ten thousand times ten thousand
stood before him. The judgment was set, the books
were opened. I beheld then, because of the
voice of the great words which the horn spake, I beheld even
till the beast was slain, his body destroyed and given to the
burning flame. As concerning the rest of the
beasts, they had their dominion taken away. yet their lives were
prolonged for a season and a time. But I saw in the night visions,
and, behold, one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of
heaven," oh, the clouds took him up, "'and came to the Ancient
of Days, and they brought him near before And it was given
him dominion and glory and a kingdom that all people and nations and
languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting
dominion which shall not pass away in his kingdom, that which
shall not be destroyed. He came with the clouds and they
gave him a kingdom. Now turn to Psalm 24 and listen
to this. Here's his entrance. on that
day when they stood gazing into heaven and beheld him taken up
in the clouds. And here's the psalm of triumph.
Listen. Psalm 24, verse 7. Lift up your
heads, O ye gates, be ye lift up your everlasting doors. Psalm
24, verse 7. The King of Glory is going to
come in. Who is this King of Glory? He's
the Lord, strong and mighty. He's the Lord Jesus Christ, mighty
and bound. Lift up your heads on your gates,
believe, and lift them up, ye everlasting doors. The King of
Glory shall come in. Who is this King of Glory? He's
the Lord of Hosts. Thousands and thousands and thousands
and billions and billions of hosts. The King of Glory is the
Lord of Hosts. How did He ascend? Triumphantly.
But wait a minute. I read it to you a while ago,
while he was doing what? Blessing them, he was taking
up. He left here blessing his church. I'll show you that in Luke 24.
Let me show you that in Luke 24. He left here, triumphantly. It's finished, he said, but he
left here blessing his church. In Luke 24, verse 50. And he led them out, Luke 24,
50, as far as Bethany, lifted up his hands and blessed them.
And he came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from
them and carried up into heaven. And they worshipped him, and
they returned to Jerusalem with great joy. He left here triumphantly
and left here blessing them. Because really, he took us with
him. The Lord of hosts was seated with him. Why did he come? Why did he die? Why did he ascend? Two words,
for us. Christ hath entered into heaven
itself now to appear in the presence of God for us. The forerunner
is for us, entered in even Jesus. He ever liveth to make intercession,
for us. He hath made him to be sin who
knew no sin. He hath made him who knew no
sin to be sin for us. That's where it is. I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go, I'll come again and receive you. Where I am,
there you may be. What a blessed hope. What a blessed,
blessed hope.