REFORMED CHURCH BELLVILLE: ASCENSION
DAY SERMON 20 MAY 2004
Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
Beloved grace and peace be to you from God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ, through the mighty working of God the Holy Spirit.
Amen
Psalm of praise: 2:4
Prayer
Hymn: 18:1v4
Scripture: Revelation 5
Text: Revelation 5:13
"Then
I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth
and in the sea and all that is in them, singing: "To him who sits on
the Throne and to the Lamb be praise and honour and glory and power,
for ever and ever! "
On the island of Patmos John is in the Spirit in heaven.
- He sees and hears unimaginable things.
- He sees the Lord Jesus Christ who ascended from
earth in His Glory.
- He also sees how the work of Jesus Christ is
fulfilled.
In this sermon we consider two issues:
1. Our Eternal
King's departure from earth.
2. Our Eternal King
reigns from heaven.
1. Our Eternal
King's departure from earth
In heaven there is more than what the people could see during Jesus'
ascension because it was a simple event.
- He ascended before the eyes of His disciples.
- A cloud moved in between Him and them.
We also know of terrible events that the people could not see, that the
devil and his cohorts attacked Jesus after the cloud hid him from the
disciples but that Michael and his angels routed the devil.
- Psalm 47:5+6 prophesied that God ascended amid
shouts of joy, the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets.
- In the Old Testament the trumpet was sounded to
announce the arrival of a king but also to order the charge in battle
and warn of the enemy and in Psalm 47 both are mentioned.
- The battle was between the Archangel Michael, and
the devil while the Greatest King arrived in heaven where the angels
and spirits shouted with joy for His victory.
With this the Bible reveals how the suffering of Jesus ended in
victory. From the derision of the Cross He departed to take His place
as the eternal God and Judge who is to judge everything and everybody.
- Before He comes as Judge He first does something
else – in His Kingdom He prepares a place for all those for whom He
obtained eternal life on the cross.
- That is why our confession of faith says that Jesus
is in heaven for our good.
In the kingdom of God the blessing of Jesus Christ for us is completely
fulfilled.
- During His earthly life parts of it were shown.
- He continuously pronounced His blessings over the
believers and with it over the church.
- Remember what Jesus said – "Blessed are they who
believe" and "Your sins are forgiven."
Luke closes his gospel with a description of the ascension where he
writes:
"…
he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was
blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven" (Luke
24:50+51)
- Christ's blessing is that we like Him, shall be
resurrected from death and at His coming shall enter His kingdom with
our body and soul.
We are living in a time when people want to explain everything
scientifically. Every miracle worked by the Lord as described in the
Bible is to be scientifically explained. What cannot be so explained is
rejected as untrue or impossible. Hence many aspects concerning Jesus
are questioned in our day.
- The immaculate conception is rejected.
- The resurrection is rejected.
- The ascension and Jesus' destiny is a scientific
problem – hence there is an increasing rejection of it.
It is clear that the resurrection and ascension of Christ is a matter
of faith.
- Accordingly these only have meaning for the
believers.
- It is only for believers important to know what
shall happen to them after death.
- Their bodies will be resurrected just as that of
Jesus.
- They will in body and soul enter the kingdom of God
– just as Jesus did.
The ascension is proof of God's omnipotence.
- Before the eyes of the people He departed in body
from the earth to heaven.
- That is proof that He will cause all bodies, ours
too, to go likewise from earth to heaven.
The fact that Jesus departed in body does not mean that henceforth He
left us completely.
- We must remember that Jesus and the Father and the
Holy Spirit are One Being. One God.
- Because He and the Holy Spirit are One, Jesus as
the Holy Spirit is with us.
- Accordingly it is written in our confession:
"… that He sends us His Spirit as an
earnest by
whose power we seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated
on the right hand of God, and not the things that are on earth!"
(Heidelberg Catechism, Sunday 18 Question 49)
2. Our Eternal King
reigns from heaven
John sees a remarkable scroll in the right hand of God.
- Ordinary scrolls have writing only on the inside.
- This scroll is covered with writing on both the
inside and the outside.
- In this scroll is written down God's disposition of
the world.
- The significance of the writing on both sides of
the scroll is that it shows that everything is dealt with completely in
time and space.
This scroll causes concern in heaven as no one is able to open it. Not
even one of the mightiest angels could do so. John knows the
significance of this.
- If the seals of this scroll are not broken the
world cannot go forward.
- Then the Glory of God cannot be revealed to us.
- And no eternal life after death on a new earth and
in a new heaven can come about.
One of the elders drew John's attention to the person who could break
the seals.
- The Lion of the tribe of Judah (verse 5).
- When John looked up he did not see a lion but a
Lamb looking as if it had been slain standing in the centre of the
throne.
- It shows that this Lamb carried the signs of a
violent death.
- In addition He carried remarkable attributes.
- He had seven horns.
- These symbolize perfect godly power.
It signifies that Jesus Christ has the Godliness and power to rule over
everything in time and eternity. Therefore all fell down on their faces
when He took the scroll to open it.
They also sang a hymn in which the power of the Lamb is confirmed:
"You
are worthy to take the scroll
and to open the seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood
you purchased men for God
from every tribe and language
and people and nation.
You have made them
to be a kingdom and priests
to serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth"
(Rev 5 v 9+10)
And a choir of angels and living creatures in heaven and earth added
their voices to it singing:
"Worthy
is the Lamb
who was slain
to receive power and wealth
and wisdom and strength
and honour and glory and praise!
To Him who sits on the throne
and to the Lamb
be praise and honour and glory and
power
for ever and ever!" (Rev 5:
11+13)
All these events in heaven encompass the victory of Jesus Christ.
- The fact that Jesus laid down His life, was
resurrected and ascended to heaven.
- The Lamb was slain on earth but ascended to heaven
where He is a Lion ruling with strength and power.
- From Heaven He rules the world.
- His omnipotence is unequivocally and clearly
demonstrated by the fact that all in heaven worship Him and praise and
honour Him as God.
Let us for a moment reconsider the passage we have read. What are we to
make of the symbols of the Lion and the Lamb?
- The Lion comes to destroy as the time of grace is
past.
- When Christ returns on the clouds He comes to judge.
- Then He pronounces the last judgment and brings the
final division between all powers in heaven and on earth.
The Lamb came to bring salvation.
- He brought grace to all who believed.
- He prays for us each day and prepares a place for
us where He is to receive us in the hereafter.
We no longer await the Lamb. He has completed His work. We now await
the Lion who will bring life eternal to us.
Amen
Closing prayer
Closing Psalm: 68:15
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God the Father and
the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Amen
Dr MJ du Plessis, Reformed Church
Bellville.
20 May 2004
Scripture NIV