I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY GHOST

An eleven year old girl went to church for the first time. After the service she wanted to know why the west coast was included in the worship service. When they asked her what she meant she said, "You know, in the name of the Father, the Son and the whole west coast."

She was confused. And many others are confused too. There are some parts of our faith that are hard to understand or explain. The hardest is the Trinity.

The term "Holy Trinity" is not found in scripture. The early church used that phrase to account for and teach biblically about God. The Bible speaks of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in ways that make it clear that all three are God and there is only one God. You say you can't understand that? Don't worry if you don’t understand.

The Trinity is not a theoretical problem to solve but a reality to worship in faith. It began quite simply and intuitively when believers discovered they could not say all they meant for God’s actions by the word "God" until they added, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

God is more than a Creator above us, He is also Jesus with us in history and the comforting Spirit in us in daily life. He is one God in three persons.

The Apostles' Creed declares, "I believe in the Holy Spirit." The Holy Spirit has always seemed to have a public relations problem. Some Christians tend to say so little about Him that we tend to forget there is a Holy Spirit. Other Christians say so much so badly that sensitive people get nervous even at the mention of his name.

It reminds me what native New Englanders say of the fog in Cape Cod. It gets so thick that a farmer shingling his roof might shingle off into it. There is no subject in Christian faith in greater danger of shingling off into the fog.

WHAT OR WHO (WHOM?) IS THE HOLY SPIRIT?
The Holy Spirit seems to be the most intangible, mysterious, and unreal part of the Trinity. God the Father is described in familiar terms relating to our experience and understanding of fatherhood. God the Son became a man corresponding to our experience of humanity. But God the Spirit is not so easily presented, because it’s the purely supernatural and spiritual aspect of God we can’t see.

Trying to see the Spirit is like trying to see your own eye. The instrument of perception is not itself perceived. The eye doesn't see itself, and the Spirit doesn't show himself.

The Holy Spirit shows us the Father and the Son (John 15: 26; 16: 14).

The Holy Spirit functions on his own time and in ways that are uniquely His. He doesn't announce his schedule in advance. We must be constantly alert for his appearance in a human face, event, institution, or dream. By every means except coercion the Holy Spirit works to bring us to God.

God the Father created the world and rested on the seventh day. God the Son redeemed the world and sat down at the right hand of the Father. God the Spirit never rests. He is always at work through believers.

A glove can do nothing by itself, but with my hand inside it can do many things. True, it's not the glove, but my hand in the glove, that works. The Christian is a glove. The Holy Spirit is the hand that does the work of the Father. We must make room for the hand so that every finger is filled.

WHAT IS THE HOLY SPIRIT LIKE? 
He is like a dove. At Jesus' baptism the Spirit descended on him like a dove. (Matthew 3: 16; Mark 1: 16; Luke 3: 22; John 1: 32).

Doves and pigeons look a lot alike and often are confused, but there is one important difference. Doves are migratory and pigeons aren't. Pigeons make a home and stay there. Pigeons were the first birds to be domesticated (long before chickens, ducks, geese and swans). But doves could never be tamed or controlled, and neither can the Holy Spirit.

We would like to domesticate the Holy Spirit, have him come and go at our bidding (See Acts 8: 18-23). Snake handlers have often called upon the spirit to protect them from bites but they still happen; God’s Word and Spirit will not be mocked or used for personal boasting.

Doves have been a sign of peace from ancient times. Even today we speak of hawks and doves in reference to military policy. The earliest association of the dove with peace occurred after the great flood when Noah sent a dove out of the ark to look for dry land. The dove returned with an olive leaf for its young (Genesis 8: 10) giving us an unforgettable picture of peace on earth.

Jesus also referred to this characteristic of doves when he asked his disciples to be "wise as serpents and harmless as doves" (Matthew 10: 16).The Holy Spirit is as free and peaceful as a dove.

BUT The Holy Spirit is NOT a dove.

First and foremost, the Holy Spirit is not some created bird. The most popular depiction of the Holy Spirit is the symbol of the dove. The Spirit of God was seen by the apostles. Luke 3: 22 says, “And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, "You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased."

The Spirit of God is NOT a dove. He is a person and not a creature. The Apostles are only describing the movement of the Spirit as being similar to the way a dove gracefully flies. The depictions of the Holy Spirit as a dove can be idolatrous and very deceiving if not remembered as a symbol. It’s also the reason why some are not comfortable using “Holy Ghost,” as He is not much like the cartoon Casper the Friendly Ghost either.

The Holy Spirit is like the wind. In Greek the word for wind, breath and spirit is the same word: pneuma. We get our English words, pneumatic tires and pneumonia, from it. It is a power nobody sees except in its effects. Those effects can be as benign as a refreshing breeze on a hot day or as destructive as a tornado.

You can't see the wind, but you can see what it does. Likewise you can't see the Holy Spirit, but you can see what the Holy Spirit does. Jesus said, "The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." (John 3: 8).

The Holy Spirit can be as unpredictable and powerful as the wind.

The Holy Spirit is like fire. John the Baptist said of Jesus, "He will baptize you with the fire of the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 3: 11) Fire has long been a sign of God's presence. He manifested himself to ancient Israel as a pillar of fire in the wilderness (Exodus 40: 38) and to the church as tongues of fire on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2: 3). The disciples saw the fire on each other's head, but nobody saw his or her own flame. It is often easier to discern the Spirit in somebody else's life than in your own.

Fire burns away what is perishable. When the Holy Spirit gets through with you only what is eternal and imperishable will remain. John said, "His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." (Matthew 3: 12).

Fire is contagious. Mrs. O'Leary's cow kicked the lantern and burned down Chicago. Even so, the Holy Spirit ignites us that we might ignite others with a burning passion for Christ and his work.

Apathy and self-centeredness is a sure sign of the Spirit's absence. The Holy Spirit is as contagious and consuming as fire.

The Holy Spirit is like water. Jesus said, "Let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, 'Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water.' Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive." (John 7: 38-39).

"Those who drink of the water that I will give them," Jesus said, "will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life." (John 4: 14).

The Holy Spirit perpetually satisfies the deep thirst of our soul. Of every other substitute, it may be said, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again" (John 4: 13). The Holy Spirit is as satisfying and refreshing as spring water.

"What could be worse than drink?" cried the preacher at a temperance rally in 1915. "Thirst!" came a voice from the back row. The agonizing thirst of the human soul may attempt to substitute spirits for the Spirit. To all miserable imitations the Apostle declares, "Do not get drunk with wine, which will only ruin you; instead, be filled with the Spirit." (Ephesians 5: 18).

When somebody asked the great nineteenth century evangelist, D. L. Moody, why he urged people to be filled with the Holy Spirit, he said, "Because they leak so badly."

We receive a full measure of the Grace of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit and use that to live every day. But as Moody reminds us, that as imperfect sinful vessels we leak, so that fluid level must be replenished. The Holy Spirit is God’s mechanic responsible to keep us running and our maintenance schedule up to date.

You have been hearing about the Holy Spirit. Learning about him is no substitute for knowing him.

Whether or not you have any clearer understanding of the Holy Spirit, if you have not encountered him personally, you have missed the best God has to offer and the only way to keep your Holy Spirit Fluid Level High.

That’s why we believe in the Holy Spirit! Amen.

COMING AGAIN: John 14:1-3; II Peter 3: 3-10

Charles Dickens wrote this opening for his novel written in 1859 but based on the French Revolution of 1775: 

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.”

Friends, with whatever discernment I have at this point in my life, it seems to me that these days we live in are the best of times and the worst of times. The best of times, because God’s true church is alive and aware and the Spirit is using some unexpected ways to get the attention of the lost people all around us.

I think of what Wycliff Bible Translators is doing, and what the peoples of the world are doing with God’s Word and I am amazed. American Indians are in the midst of revival, muslins are converting, and occasional God stories are around.

But it is also the worst of times because never in the history of our country has the stability of the family, especially marriage, been threatened as it is now. It is my hope and prayer that there will be a movement back to Christian values and to an acknowledgment of God in society in general. But I fear it is too late for that. I think that God is still pouring out his grace upon us in these last days before he will pour out his wrath in the Tribulation period. He is not willing that any should perish but all come to repentance.

When I read what I had wrote I said to myself, “You have the whole thing right there.” The best of times, the worst of times, the last days, the Tribulation, and God is not willing that any should perish. I’d like to follow those thoughts a little deeper and see where they lead.

It was the best of times – President Obama and Candidate Clinton are saying it is the best of times since so many things have changed “for the good” since since 2008 – the economy, human rights, political policies, financial stability and wealth, jobs, and the like. I don’t know what they are smoking – but many seem to agree – wealth and prosperity, big houses, big banks accounts, big cars, big social media, $ 800 I-phones, big vacations, lots of designer drugs, the list is endless.

What kind of legacy are we leaving?

But it’s all empty window coating and idol making: It is said that 43 million Americans move each year, we say “We work harder than any other people on the face of the earth. What on earth are we looking for? And I think the answer is that we’re looking for heaven. We’re looking for paradise, but no one recognizes it.”

We keep moving from place to place because we cannot find the happiness we seek. We’re hoping to find heaven—even though we wouldn’t say it in those words. Instead we say it in empty situational TV comedies, that are nothing more than politically and socially correct noisy and rude attempts to portray lifestyles desperately seeking happiness and stability and always failing.

I am reminded of Ecclesiastes 3:11 that says “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.” We were made to know God, to love him and to serve him. In the words of Augustine, “O Lord, our hearts were made for you, and we will not find rest until we find rest in you.” There is no greater time in history to make God’s word available.

BUT It was the worst of times. It is not difficult to find evidence on the negative side of the ledger. Perhaps the most obvious example is the attack on marriage and family. Suppose we roll back the clock just 2 years. Who would have believed how fast our nation has allowed and now embraced Gay marriage?

My concern at this point is not with the people on the other side of this issue. After all, they are only acting on their presuppositions. Why should we be surprised when lost people act like lost people? Gay marriage, like the current buzz over “gender-free restrooms,” are just the latest manifestation of humanity in full-throttle rebellion against its Creator.

My greater concern is with the people inside the church who ought to know better. Too many Christians either don’t see this as a big deal (“Let them do what they want. It doesn’t affect me.”) or they don’t want to get involved (“I don’t like controversy.”). But this is a battle where Christians ought to be leading the fight for moral values in our society. Too many of us have been silent for too long.

Then we have issues over abortion, legalized drugs, pornography on television, the internet, and in music – where will it stop? We use to have pornography in our head, now we have it our heart. How many celebrities are dying weekly?

The worst issue is the prevailing intentional theological confusion over salvation: Is Jesus really the only way to heaven?  

Erwin Lutzer predicted this would be the dominant issue of the early 21st century. Events since then have proved him correct. Praying in Jesus’ name has been banned at many public gatherings. Now we are told that Islam, Christianity and Judaism all worship the same God, and those who say Jesus is the only way are called bigots.

We are an angry, edgy, nervous nation. Our usual self-assurance has been replaced by a critical impatience. I see it every day when I drive in traffic. In the old days if you paused for a second when the light turned green, people waited patiently. Now they hit the horn and then they hit it again. We get angry quicker, and when we get angry, we really get angry. I confess that I see the change in myself as well.

The Apostles’ Creed. “I believe … he will come again to judge the living and the dead.” These simple words consist of two complementary truths:

1) Jesus is coming again.

2) Jesus is coming again to judge the living and the dead.

The New Testament refers to the second coming of Christ in over 300 verses. That means one of every 13 verses deals with some aspect of our Lord’s return to the earth. It is so central to the New Testament that Christians everywhere have always believed that Jesus will return someday. Jesus said in John 14: 3, “I will come again.”

The Scriptures clearly indicate He will return two times (one at the Rapture and one before the millennial reign on earth). Here are five words that help us understand what that means. His second coming will be …

Personal (It will be Jesus and not some substitute)

Literal (Not a vision or a dream)

Visible (“Every eye will see him”)

Sudden (Not a gradual return)

Unexpected (Like a thief in the night).

Acts 1: 11 makes it clear that Jesus himself will one day return to the earth. It will be “this same Jesus” who is coming again. Twice in one verse Luke uses the word “same” to tell us something crucial about the Second Coming.

The same Jesus who left will one day return. And he will return the same way that he left. If plain English can have any meaning at all, those words teach us that Jesus is coming back personally, literally, visibly and bodily.

We might also add that his coming will be sudden and unexpected. Luke 24: 50-52 informs us that as Jesus reached out his hands to bless his disciples, he began to rise from the face of the earth—evidently without any warning whatsoever. We can assume that his return to the earth will be no less astonishing and no less surprising.

This Same Jesus. This is truly an astounding thought.

The same Jesus who was born in Bethlehem is coming again.

The same Jesus who grew up in Nazareth is coming again.

The same Jesus who turned water into wine is coming again.

The same Jesus who walked on water is coming again.

The same Jesus who healed the nobleman’s son is coming again.

The same Jesus who raised Lazarus is coming again.

The same Jesus who entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday is coming again.

The same Jesus who was betrayed by Judas is coming again.

The same Jesus who was whipped, beaten, scourged, mocked, and condemned to death is coming again.

The same Jesus who died on Skull Hill is coming again.

The same Jesus who rose from the dead on Easter Sunday morning is coming again.

The same Jesus who ascended into heaven is coming again.

That’s what we mean when we say that Jesus is coming again. The actual, historical figure that lived 2,000 years ago on the other side of the world is returning to the earth one more time.

Kind of blows your mind, doesn’t it? There awaits in the future an event more marvelous, more startling, more amazing, and more blessed than anything that has happened in the last 2,000 years. I speak of the literal, visible, bodily return of Christ to the earth. No event may seem less likely to modern men and women; no event is more certain in the light of inspired Scripture.

The final great act of human history will take place—not in Tokyo, New York or London—but in Jerusalem, and in the nations surrounding Israel. Are we living in the last days? No one knows for sure. But consider these facts:

1. There is a clear pattern of events laid out in the Bible concerning the last days. If you put together the various strands of prophetic teaching from the Old and New Testaments, you discover a fairly detailed picture of the end-time landscape—morally, politically, spiritually, militarily and economically.

2. There is an amazing similarity between our world and the world the Bible describes at the end of time. If you doubt that, take your Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other. See how well they fit together.

3. If that is true, then we may indeed be the generation privileged to see the coming of Jesus Christ.

4. Every sign points in one direction—it won’t be long now.

A Word from Peter - But before we sell our houses and move to the mountains to await the Lord’s return, as some misguided souls have done in the past, let us heed the words of II Peter 3: 3-10. In this passage Peter addresses a puzzling question—one that bothered believers in the first century and troubles thoughtful people today. Why hasn’t the Lord returned already? What is he waiting for? Does the 2,000-year delay mean that he isn’t coming at all? Should we give up our Christian hope? Listen to Peter’s answer:

“First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”

But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.”

This passage is full of important truth that deserves close consideration. Here are three points to ponder:

1) Despite what the scoffers think, the Second Coming is certain because God promised it.

2) The Second Coming will usher in a day of judgment for the ungodly.

3) The Second Coming is delayed to give people a chance to come to Christ.

Here is the good news. The “delay” the scoffers talk about is actually God’s gift to them. He purposely delays the Lord’s return in order to give men and women more time to repent.

Verse 9 reveals God’s tender heart toward the lost. He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. He does not enjoy sending people to hell. Contrary to popular opinion, he is not some crazed old man in a white beard, laughing while he hurls lightning bolts to the earth. For 2000 years he has held back the final judgment in order to give rebellious men and women a chance to surrender their arms and yield allegiance to Jesus Christ.

As the Creed says, Christ will eventually judge the living and the dead. All must stand before him and give an account. No one can escape that day. We need not fear God, nor the future of Jesus’ return.

But our problem as a country and as a church is clear: We have the leaders and church members to share the gospel and God’s word but it’s the people hearing it that are the problem - They are afraid to die. I am talking about America and the church as a nation. We’re afraid to die because we are so prosperous that this world has become like heaven to us. We love our wealth so much that we can’t bear to let it go.

Are You Ready? I know of several Christians who meet new people in their lives with these words: “Jesus is coming. Are you ready?” One even wears a little pin on his lapel with the words “Are you ready?” to remind himself that he won’t be here forever. What about you? Are you ready? Are you living in the blessed hope of His return?

This is why I think these are the best of times; these are the worst of times. And I think the situation for believers will get simultaneously better and worse as we march toward the climax of human history.

Let me say plainly that I don’t know when Jesus will return. I don’t know and I won’t set a date. I hope he comes soon. He might come today. I do know this: Jesus will return when everything is ready in God’s plan. Not a moment earlier, not a second later.

But until then we live in the promise of His return as told in the Apostle’s Creed.

Amen.

He ascended into Heaven -Various

Question: What’s the difference between a piano, a tuna and glue?

You can tune a piano but you can’t piano a tuna. At which point someone will ask (hopefully): What about the glue?

To which the reply will come: “Ahh, I knew you’d get stuck on that.”

This is a good example of logical thinking and logical outcomes conspire to logically end in a certain way. In fact if it doesn’t we get worried.

So shouldn’t it be logical (and a natural) outcome of Jesus who came from Heaven to earth, and then dying and being resurrected, of then returning to Heaven?

Among many of the most remarkable statements in the Apostles’ Creed the ascension is also one of the most neglected areas of Christian doctrine. Even though we (along with all Christians) believe in the ascension of Christ, we tend not to think about it very much, at least when compared to the death and resurrection of our Lord.

Although we would never say it this way, perhaps it doesn’t seem quite as important to us. We know that Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead for our salvation, and we know that we couldn’t be saved without Good Friday or Easter Sunday but where does the Ascension fit in?

To many people it seems like a P.S. to the main message of the gospel—perhaps a convenient way for Christ to go back to heaven. The event itself is only briefly mentioned in Mark, Luke and Acts.

By contrast both the crucifixion and the resurrection are described by all four gospel writers in detail. And because the event itself is so unusual, it is difficult for us to visualize exactly what happened. Yet it is rare to find someone who doubts the ascension of Christ.

Vigorous apologetic debates have raged around the resurrection, but the ascension is not a topic of much discussion. Perhaps most people don’t think about it enough either to doubt it or to debate it.

But a quick glance at church history tells us that there is more here than meets the eye. For one thing, every major Christian creed includes the ascension of Christ. You find it in the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed.

The liturgical calendar always includes Ascension Day—always on a Thursday—always 40 days after Easter. This year Ascension Day fell on May 5^th.

Here are just a few verses about the ascension to consider:

>Luke 24: 50-52 “When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.”

>Acts 1: 9 “After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.”

>John 3: 13 “No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.”

>John 16: 10 “I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer.”

>John 16: 28 “I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”

>Ephesians 4: 10 “He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.”

>I Timothy 3: 16 “He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.”

>Hebrews 4: 14 “We have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God.”

>Hebrews 7: 24-26 "Because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Such a high priest meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.”

I Peter 3: 21-22 “Jesus Christ has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.”

There are many other verses that speak of Christ’s exaltation at the Father’s right hand in heaven, and what this truth means for believers. I find it striking that the Creed gives as much space to the ascension as it does to the cross/resurrection.

The earliest Christians believed that the ascension stood on an equal basis with the events of Good Friday and Easter. The truth of Christ’s ascension answers three important questions:

What happened to Jesus?  

Where did he go?                

What is he doing now?

FIRST: He Ascended into Heaven. We can state what we know about the event itself in very simple terms. While Jesus is speaking to his disciples in Bethany (several miles east of Jerusalem), he blesses them, and is taken up into heaven before their eyes. They were there, they saw it, it really happened.

We can summarize the life of our Lord this way: In Heaven; On Earth; and In Heaven once again. By means of the ascension, Jesus’ triumphant return to heaven signaled that the days of his suffering were over at last.

SECOND: The “Unlimited” Christ. Because Jesus has returned to heaven, he is now liberated from all time and space limitations. As long as Jesus stayed on earth, he was bound by the limitations of time and space.

THIRD: He Sits at the Father’s Right Hand The New Testament uses three words to describe Jesus’ status in heaven: He is exalted. He is glorified. He is enthroned. Now at last Jesus receives what he truly deserves.

He did not deserve to be mistreated.
He did not deserve to be mocked and humiliated.
He did not deserve to be betrayed.
He did not deserve to be beaten and savagely scourged.
He did not deserve the hammer and the nails.
He did not deserve a criminal’s death.
He did not deserve to be buried in a borrowed tomb.

But now at last, our Lord receives what he deserves—glory, laud and honor.

Philippians 2: 5-7 tells us that Christ “emptied himself” of the outward trappings of deity in order to take on the form of a man. He humbled himself by leaving the palaces of heaven to be born in a stable in Bethlehem. He veiled his glory and lived a life of humiliation.

All of us feel it was unfair for the King of Kings to be treated so rudely by those he came to save. Do you recall that as he hung on the cross, onlookers jeered as his life ebbed away? They laughed at his pain and cried, “If you are the Son of God, save yourself” (Mark 15: 29-30).

The ascension means that Jesus has been vindicated in all that he came to do and his days of humiliation are over forever.

In 1871 Frances Ridley Havergal wrote an ascension hymn called “Golden Harps are Sounding” that captures this truth:

Golden harps are sounding, angels voices sing,
Pearly gates are opened, opened for the King;
Jesus, King of glory, Jesus, King of love,
Is gone up in triumph, to His throne above.

He Who came to save us, He Who bled and died,
Now is crowned with glory at His Father’s side.
From the grave arisen, nevermore to die;
Jesus, King of glory, is gone up on high.

Pleading for His children in that blessed place,
Calling them to glory, sending them His grace;
His bright home preparing, faithful ones, for you;
Jesus ever liveth, ever loveth, too.

All His suffering ended, joyfully we sing,
Jesus hath ascended! Glory to our King!

FOURTH: He Intercedes for the Saints. The most significant truth of Christ’s ascension touches everyday life.

First, because he lived on the earth and endured deep suffering, he knows what we are going through. Second, because he is now in heaven, he intercedes for us with the Father. The word “intercede” means to speak up on behalf of someone else.

Christ is now in heaven praying for us. What a marvelous thought this is—and what a balm for troubled souls.

When I am down in the dumps, Jesus prays for me.

When I falter under the load, Jesus prays for me.

When my faith gives way, Jesus prays for me.

When I fight a losing battle against temptation, Jesus prays for me.

There’s even more than that. Often when I am asked to pray for someone, I can’t seem to find the appropriate words and I feel as if my prayers are in vain. Jesus in heaven comes alongside, takes my pitiful prayers and transforms them into powerful petitions before the throne of God.

FIFTH: Our Man in Heaven. Hebrews 4: 14-16 calls Christ a great high priest who has gone into heaven. Because he walked on earth with us, he knows what we are going through and he is able to sympathize with us in our struggles. Because he is now in heaven, he can help in all our troubles.

When we go to the throne of grace, we don’t have to worry about being turned away because Christ himself is there to meet us. He has grace to help in the time of need. “Who do I know who can help me out?” If you know someone at City Hall, suddenly your problems begin to vanish. Or you may know someone who knows someone, and if your friend will make a phone call, everything will be OK.

In order to survive in today’s world, you need some friends in high places—a man on the inside, someone who knows you and is willing to help you out. Just try doing business in Baltimore without a few friends in high places. You’ll drown in a sea of red tape.

Let me mention one final aspect of this truth you may not have considered. When Jesus ascended into heaven, he took his glorified humanity with him. The physical body of Christ is now in heaven, which means that someday when we are raised from the dead, we won’t be raised as spirits but as real people with our physical bodies glorified just like Jesus.

He not only redeemed your soul, he also redeemed your body. If you are in Christ, you have His promise that your flesh will be renewed and gloriously raised in the resurrection. Then we all shall see him as he is, and we will be with him forever.

The ascension guarantees our Christian destiny. Because he was raised, we too will be raised. Because he ascended, we too will ascend. Because he is in heaven, we will join him there someday. We will be where he is, and we know where he is because he ascended into heaven.

At the moment of death the children of God can rest assured that the Christ who ascended bodily into heaven will take them to be with him—and will one day raise their bodies immortal and incorruptible 

(see I Corinthians 15: 52-53).

LAST: The Tug of Heaven. Let me close with this thought. Because of the ascension, we may rest assured that the religion of Christ is true. God has accepted him and because God accepted him, he will accept all those who trust in him. Because he is safe in heaven, we will someday be safe in heaven. We will be where he now is.

The ascension shows us how we should spend our life—looking up.

The story is told of a little boy who went outside on a windy spring day to fly his new kite. As the wind blew, the kite flew higher and higher until it finally disappeared from view in the clouds far above.

After a few minutes a bystander asked, “How do you know the kite is still attached to the string?” “I can feel it tugging on the string,” the boy replied.

The same is true for us today. Christ is pulling us toward heaven. He is pulling us away from the earth toward our eternal home. We may not see him with our eyes but we feel his tug in our hearts. We know where he is and we know that where he is, we will someday be.

Every day Jesus tugs on our hearts, pulling us up toward heaven so that when we finally get there, we won’t feel like strangers. One day soon the Lord will give us one final tug and we’ll end up in heaven forever.

Until then, let the people of God rejoice. Christ has conquered! He has won the victory and defeated every foe. This is what we mean when we say, “He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.” Amen.

ON THE THIRD DAY HE AROSE FROM THE DEAD

Three old mountain men die and go to Heaven, but are stopped at the Pearly Gates by St. Peter. St. Peter questions the authenticity of these three men's religious beliefs, so he decides to put them to the test.

"Tell me, what is the meaning of Easter, my children?" he asks. "If you can explain this to me, your passageway into Heaven is secured. If not, well..."

The first mountaineer confidently approaches St. Peter. "Well sir, isn't that the one with the pilgrims and the turkeys and the giving thanks for things and..." "No, no, no," St. Peter interjects. "Wrong holiday, sorry, you're not allowed in." The first is sent away."

The second approaches. "Easter... hm. Is that the holiday at the end of the year with the presents and the trees and that Santy Claus, where..." "No, not Christmas," St. Peter interjects again. "I am disappointed, my child." And the second mountaineer is sent away along with the first.

Finally the third approaches, a bit more apprehensive than the first two... but a quiet confidence exudes from him. "Oh yes, Easter. This is the story of the death of Jesus Christ, the son of god. He gets sent to Earth to save the humans, but he is betrayed by his own people and sentenced to death. He is hung up on a cross and suffers and dies, and is then buried away in a tomb."

St. Peter, for the first time, looks a bit hopeful. “… so he is in this tomb, dead, with a boulder covering the entrance. But then something happens! On the third day, the boulder is gone, and Jesus emerges from the hole alive! And then, if he sees his shadow..."

We sing the hymn, “Up from the Grave He arose,” to celebrate Easter and the resurrection. Jesus’ resurrection is the ultimate capstone of Christianity.

I Corinthians 15: 12-14 says,

“Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.”

Dr. Billy Graham once told Time magazine, “If I were an enemy of Christianity, I would aim right at the Resurrection, because that is the heart of Christianity.”

The founder of the Jesus seminar, a group of “Bible Scholars” targeting the truth of scriptures lead by Dr. Robert Funk, offers a perfect example of what Billy Graham was talking about. This is how Dr. Funk explains what happened to Jesus’ body after his crucifixion:

“The tales of entombment and resurrection were latter-day wishful thinking. Instead, Jesus’ corpse went the way of all abandoned criminals’ bodies: it was probably barely covered with dirt, vulnerable to the wild dogs that roamed the wasteland of the execution grounds.”

When Thomas Jefferson wrote his version of the life of Christ, he removed all mention of the supernatural, including the miracles of Christ, the Virgin Birth, and the Resurrection. This is how the “Jefferson Bible” ends:

“Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. There laid they Jesus, and rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulcher, and departed.”

That’s it. The end. He died and they buried him. No mention of the Resurrection.

Even some professing Christians say it doesn’t matter. One man put this way: “Without a doubt, Jesus was raised from the dead. It does not matter at all to me if He was ‘physically’ raised from the dead.”

Another writer put the matter this way: “I think the resurrection of Jesus really happened, but I have no idea if it involves anything happening to his corpse, and, therefore, I have no idea whether it involves an empty tomb … so I would have no problem whatsoever with archaeologists finding the corpse of Jesus for me. That would not be a discrediting of the Christian faith or the Christian tradition.”

Someone believing this is saying that Jesus was a great teacher, philosopher, and moral leader who appealed to people thru reason and emotion, not spirituality and eternity.

This raises a profound question. What would happen to your faith if tomorrow morning the Herald Mail carried this headline: “Body of Jesus Found near Jerusalem"?

Suppose the newspaper printed that headline because someone really did find the bones of Jesus in a box in the Holy Land. What would be left of our Christian faith? Would it matter at all? Or would we go on as if nothing had happened? 

A few years ago they told us they found Jesus’ brother in a box – and Jesus, too.

But it isn’t true and can’t be proven because the Apostles’ Creed offers an unambiguous affirmation: “The third day he rose again from the dead.” No ifs, ands or buts about it. Jesus died on Friday; on Sunday morning he came back from the dead.

So What Does It Mean?

When we say that Jesus rose from the dead on the third day, we mean something like this: Jesus truly died on Friday afternoon, and on Sunday morning he personally, bodily, physically, actually, literally rose from the dead, never to die again.

He rose personally—it was Jesus himself, not some substitute.

He rose bodily—meaning that it was his crucified body that was raised from the dead.

He rose physically—meaning that he wasn’t a ghost or a phantom or a figment of someone’s imagination.

To say that he rose actually and literally means that it really happened. The word “resurrection” means that he was raised immortal and incorruptible, never to die again.

During his earthly ministry, our Lord raised several people from the dead, most notably Lazarus. But those miracles were resuscitations, not true resurrections. Lazarus was destined to die again. But Jesus, having once experienced death and having triumphed over it, would never die again. He was raised immortal—alive from the dead—and he still lives today.

First, this is what the Bible teaches. Second, this is what really happened. Third, this is what the church has always believed. Fourth, this is the church’s message.

The resurrection of Christ has always been a fundamental truth of Christian doctrine. It’s one part of that tiny handful of things that has always been believed by all Christians everywhere.

If you do not believe in the resurrection of Jesus, you have placed yourself outside the boundaries of orthodox Christianity. If you truly don’t believe it, you are not a Christian at all—and you shouldn’t be treated as one even if you happen to be a pastor, a seminary professor, or a biblical scholar.

The Son of God had come back from the dead! Nothing like that had ever happened before. We do not worship a dead Jesus. We worship a risen Christ.

What If Jesus’ Resurrection Didn’t Happen?

We need to see that Paul does not rebuke the Corinthians for their fears and doubts, nor does he try to “prove” the resurrection of the dead in some detailed argument.

He points these erring believers back to the empty tomb and says, “Remember that God raised his Son. Everything hinges on that.” Then for a few verses, he argues the contrary case. What if Jesus has not been raised from the dead? What if his bones really are in some box in the Middle East? What then? Four conclusions follow.

>Our faith is futile.

>We are still in our sins.

> We will never see our loved ones again after we die.

>We should be pitied. “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.” (1 Corinthians 15: 19).

Lancaster Seminary was full of people who said something like this:

“Even if Christianity isn’t true, it’s still the best way to live.”

The proper theological term for that is Baloney. If it’s not true, why would anyone want to believe it or live it?

If Jesus did not rise on the third day, then the “Hallelujah Chorus” is just another piece of nice music. It’s beautiful but it’s not based on truth. If Jesus did not rise, then our prayers are empty, our preaching is in vain, our missionary work is useless, and the church itself is a danger because it stands for something that is not true. If Jesus is still in the grave, then we’re just talking nonsense on Easter Sunday morning. That’s what Paul meant—and he’s right!

It all hangs on that little word “if.” If Jesus did not rise … But what if he did?

What Difference Does It Make?

Paul now triumphantly asserts the positive truth in verse 20: “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.” He reverses all of his previous points. Now that Christ is risen …

> Our faith has meaning.      

>We have forgiveness.
>We will see our loved ones who died in Christ.
>We can be certain about our own future.

Thanks be to God for the empty tomb. As much as I marvel at the virgin birth of Jesus, as much as I wonder at the sinless life of Jesus, as much as I glory in the cross of Jesus, it is the resurrection of Jesus that makes Christianity unique among all of the world religions.

Go to the tombs of the founders of the great world religions and call the roll:

Mohammed "Here”       Buddha "Here”      Confucius "Here”   Moses "Here”
Jesus Christ  No answer … Because he is not there. The tomb is empty.

In the early church Christians greeted each other this way: One would say, “He is risen.” Another would answer, “He is risen indeed.”

I’ve made up my mind. Just as the poker player who thinks he has the winning hand in a “Texas Hold’em” poker tournament I’m going “all in” on the Resurrection of Jesus. “The third day he rose again from the dead.” Amen.

The Strangest Part of the Creed: He Descended into Hell

1 Peter 3:18-19

While walking down the street one day a US senator is tragically hit by a truck and dies. His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance. "Welcome to heaven," says St. Peter. "Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high politician around these parts, you see, so we're not sure what to do with you." "No problem, just let me in," says the man.

"Well, I'd like to, but I have orders from higher up. What we'll do is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity."

"Really, I've made up my mind. I want to be in heaven," says the senator. "I'm sorry, but we have our rules," replies St. Peter.

He is escorted to the elevator and he goes down. The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a green golf course. In the distance is a clubhouse and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him.

Everyone is very happy and in cocktail attire. They run to greet him, shake his hand, and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at the expense of the people.

He plays a friendly game of golf and then dines on lobster, caviar and champagne.

The devil is there, who really is a very friendly guy who has a good time dancing and telling jokes. They are having such a good time that before he realizes it, it is time to go.

Everyone gives him a hearty farewell and waves while the elevator rises... the elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens on heaven where St. Peter is waiting for him. "Now it's time to visit heaven."

So, 24 hours pass with the senator joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing and praising God. They have a good time and, before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter returns.

"Well, then, you've spent a day in hell and another in heaven. Now choose your eternity."

The senator reflects for a minute, then he answers: "Well, I would never have said it before, I mean heaven has been delightful, but I think I would be better off in hell."

St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down again to hell. The doors of the elevator open and he's in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage.

He sees all his friends, dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in black bags as more trash falls from above. The devil comes over to him and puts his arm around his shoulder.

"I don't understand," stammers the senator. "Yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and clubhouse, and we ate lobster and caviar, drank champagne, and danced and had a great time. Now here's just a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable. What happened?"

The devil looks at him, smiles and says, "Yesterday we were campaigning... Today you voted." Many people vote for hell but they don’t know what they are getting.

We have come to the part of the Creed that is controversial: That Jesus “went to the dead.” Some versions of the creed omit this section entirely. I believe there is one major reason for why we need to affirm these words.

Without a doubt I think you would agree with me that the Apostles Creed makes the simple point that Jesus was really dead. It was not an illusion. He died and he had a real corpse, placed in a real tomb. He was not merely unconscious --his spirit left his body and went somewhere, and then came back. Where did He go?

We must remember that the Jews did not have a fully developed doctrine of life after death and the Catholic church developed one that served its needs later on as a source of fundraising.

But God had a covenant with the Jews that addressed eternal issues, and the dead were separated into righteous and unrighteous dead.

The clause in this sequence, "He descended into hell," is the most controversial in the Apostle's Creed. Some denominations consider it optional or refuse to include it at all.

The problem with this phrase begins with what it connotes. To some, the descent into “a hell” represents the physical agony of death upon the Cross. It was hellish in its pain. To others, the word hell means Hades or Sheol, the collective abode of the dead, divided into Paradise or Abraham's Bosom--the state of God-fearing souls--and Gehenna, the state of ungodly souls.

Thus the descent into hell may suggest that the Son of God carried the sins of the world to hell; or the Son of God carried Good News of deliverance to the godly dead such as Lazarus the beggar and the repentant thief.

The Biblical concept of “hell” is a muddled one; multiple references are used to speak of it when there is only one place we considered a location of punishment:

Revelation 19:20: “Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.”

Revelation 20: 11-15: “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.  And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.

The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.
Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

A third-century Syrian Creed speaks of Jesus, "who was crucified under Pontius Pilate and departed in peace, in order to preach to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the saints concerning the end of the world and the resurrection of the dead."

Still others believe that the descent into hell account for the problem of God's justice by providing an opportunity for all mankind--in eternity as well as in time--to hear the message of redemption from the Word Himself. But whatever interpretation one accepts, the scriptural passages upon which this teaching is based must be studied closely.

Some of the texts that give us the answer to this question are:

Job 38:17 “Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Or have you seen the doors of the shadow of death?”

Matthew 12:40 “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

Acts 2: 30-32  “Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses.”

Romans 10: 6-9 “But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?' "(that is, to bring Christ down from above) or, " 'Who will descend into the abyss?' "(that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).  But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” 

1 Peter 3: 18-20 “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.

There is also an antitype which now saves us--baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.

From these and other verses “Jesus going to the dead” cannot mean:

First, it can’t mean that Jesus offered salvation to those who were already dead. Nothing in the Bible supports such a notion. There is no such thing as post-mortem salvation.

“Now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6: 1-2). “Today is the day when we must trust Christ as Savior.” “Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” (Hebrews 9: 27).

The only chance we have to accept Christ comes when we are alive. Once we die, we must stand before God in judgment. Once a person goes to hell, he stays there forever. There is no mission work in hell.

Second, this phrase cannot mean that Jesus burned in the flames of hell. The very idea is revolting and without biblical foundation. Jesus suffered the penalty for our sins when he died on the cross, not after his body was buried.

MY THOUGHT: He also went to the eternal place God has created for those who will be separated from Him in eternity. It is a place that was set aside for rebellious angels that is called the “Lake of Fire,” and its torment comes from the location and not God’s Will of punishment for His creation. People chose it and must then experience it. He went to announce His victory over death and sins.

Third, whatever else this phrase might mean, it can’t mean that Jesus did anything between his death and resurrection that added to his work on the cross. When Jesus said, “It is finished” (John 19: 30), he meant the work of salvation had been completely accomplished. The price for sin had been paid in full. Nothing else could ever be added to the value of what he did on the cross.

But regardless I think it means that Christ fully experienced death. This is the primary meaning of “he descended into hell.” In his death he entered into the human experience of dying as much as any person who has ever lived.

He knows what death is all about because he has been there, he entered the “House of Death” and he came out holding the keys in his hand (Revelation 1: 18 says

“I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.”).

As believers we can understand that there is no human aspect that Jesus didn’t experience and overcome. Jesus went to the dead, went to hell, to show us that it no longer has a hold on us. Death itself was defeated and we were restored to the life God created us for in the Garden of Eden.

Christ fully defeated the devil

Here are five ways the devil was defeated by the cross of Christ:

1. His head was crushed—Genesis 3:15
2. His works were destroyed—I John 3:8
3. His power was broken—Hebrews 2:15
4. His demons were disarmed—Colossians 2:15
5. His doom was guaranteed—John 16:11

All this happened at the cross when God struck the mighty blow that left Satan defeated, disarmed and disgraced. That’s why we like to say, “It’s Friday, but Sunday’s coming!”

What should this truth of Jesus descending to the dead/hell mean to us?

We need not fear death. The work of salvation is complete. The devil is done.

Death is like a dark room that frightens us because we don’t know what’s in there.

After this Jesus becomes the Man of Linen who will conqueror all:

Revelation 19: 14-16:

And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

Amen.