Today is Ascension Sunday, it has been just
over 40 days since Resurrection Day.
Many of the Reformers in reforming the church calendar threw out all
Rome’s saints days, but those same Reformers kept 5 holy days. Christmas, Good Friday, Easter, Ascension
day, and Pentecost. We celebrate
Pentecost next Sunday morning with
others from our presbytery.
For
today, Ascension day is on par with Christmas and Easter, notice, because it is
part of Christ’s work for us.
Christ's ascension shows us three things. First, Jesus has a unique position, at the right hand of the Father. He alone is head of the church, and we look
more at that in the sermon later.
Second, it shows His inauguration
as our king. When the apostles consider
the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, they quote Psalms 2 and 110, where
Jesus is installed as king and invited to rule.
And third, it shows His intercession
for us. The cross showed Jesus’
sacrifice for us; the resurrection showed God’s pleasure with Jesus. If Jesus has atoned for us and He pleases the
Father, and now has /returned/ to the Father, how can God be against us
anymore?
6/1/14
Acts 1:6-11
Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
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