If you have your copy of God's Word, turn with me to the New Testament book of Mark. We'll put a finger there and also look at the book of Ephesians. On the back of your bulletin for tonight. There are two questions as we continue the journey through the Catechism. This is the 1693 Baptist Catechism. It mirrors in many ways the Westminster Catechism of Faith. And we're using it as sort of a lesson plan to walk through the doctrines of Scripture. And in God's providence, Where we arrive tonight also lines up wonderfully with the resurrection celebration of every Lord's Day, but particularly on this day when many are focused even more upon the resurrection. But turn with me to Mark's gospel, chapter 16. Mark chapter 16 and verse 19. March 16 and verse 19. Here now the word, the living God. So then after the Lord had spoken to them, he was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And then turn over with me, if you will, to Ephesians chapter one, Ephesians chapter 1. Ephesians chapter 1 verse 19. Following on a prayer that the eyes of the Ephesian saints would be opened, Paul writes these words, And what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe? according to the working of His mighty power, which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is to come." Let's pray. Almighty God, now we ask Your blessing upon the preaching of Your Word. We pray that it would be to us, a balm to our souls, that You would, by Your Spirit, give us aid in both the preaching and in the hearing of the Word. Help us to be attentive to the voice of our Shepherd. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. The Catechism rightly points out the two-fold aspect of the ministry of Christ. When you think about the ministry of Christ, there are many elements. You could think about healing. You could think about teaching. You could think about miracles, encounters that He had with this person or that person. You could think of the virgin birth. You could think of His perfect law-keeping. His death on the cross. There are many components to the life and work of Jesus Christ. But down through the ages, theologians and pastors alike have sought to explain the two-fold aspect of the ministry of Christ. His humiliation and His exaltation. That if we look at the life of Jesus, you could put most everything neatly within the categories of humiliation and exaltation. Let's look at the catechism briefly, it's on the back of your bulletin, and then we'll look at our two texts for this evening. The first question, wherein did Christ's humiliation consist? In other words, where did he embrace a humble posture? Where was there a humility that marked His work. The answer. Christ's humiliation consisted in His being born, and that in a low condition, made under the law, undergoing the miseries of this life, the wrath of God, and the cursed death of the cross, in being buried and continuing under the power of death for a time. Those components are the humbling, the humiliation of Christ. Question 31 rightly points us to three other aspects that we need to consider when we consider Jesus Christ. The God-man. The Redeemer. Wherein consisteth, boys and girls, that means consists. Wherein consists Christ's exaltation. Answer. Christ's exaltation consists in His rising again from the dead on the third day, in ascending up into heaven, in sitting at the right hand of God the Father, and in coming to judge the world at the last day. So let's walk through these two catechism questions, and I want us to focus particularly tonight on the exaltation of Jesus. The exaltation of Jesus. As we walk through the humiliation, I just want to point out the verses that are listed here and encourage you to think about how all of these things were part of the humiliation of Jesus Christ. Now, when we say humiliation, we are specifically meaning that the God of glory, the second person of the Trinity, who was not created, who has always been the Eternal One, the Son of God, who has always been the Son of the Father, who shares in every single attribute with the Father and the Spirit. It is this One who took on the form of a servant and was made flesh. That's what we mean by humiliation. For you and I to be born in the likeness of man, it's not humiliation for us. It is our station. But for the Christ who occupies the throne of heaven, who needed not To become man, save to accomplish the work of redemption. There is a sense in which there is a humiliation in his various acts prior to the resurrection. Let's look at them briefly. I'm just going to list them as the catechism does. Where does his humiliation consist? Number one, it consists in his being born and that in a low condition. Let's just read Luke chapter 2. Luke chapter 2 and verse 7. There the word of the Lord says this, And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Early within church history, an argument broke out. There were some who wanted to call Mary, the mother of Jesus, the God-bearer. There were others who said, you cannot call Mary the God-bearer. It is impossible for a finite woman to bear God. But orthodoxy has held. Right belief has held. That indeed, Mary gave birth to Jesus, fully man and fully God. And in that sense, she is the God-bearer. Where did she lay her baby? The five-star Hilton, you would presume. The greatest resort that Judea had to offer. From the beginning, meek, lowly, Humiliation. Christ's humiliation consists in His being born and that in a low condition. But Galatians 4 tells us that Christ was born under the law. Look at Galatians chapter 4. Galatians chapter 4. And we're doing this quickly because we want to focus on His exaltation. Galatians 4. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law. The law which is a reflection of God's character. The law which Christ teaches on. Which Christ is seen within. He was born of a woman under the law to redeem those who were under the law that we might receive the adoption as sons. Born in a lowly condition. Born under the law. Undergoing miseries of this life. This morning we heard one of our brothers read Isaiah 53 verses 2 and 3. It's one of the texts here in the Catechism. That the Savior would be acquainted with sorrows and griefs. Isaiah 52. We often think about Jesus' suffering being the cross. But Jesus was a man acquainted with sorrows and griefs. Acquainted with temptation from without. He was born among men and women who were fallen. And so we are right to look at the pages of Scripture and see that Jesus was acquainted with griefs and sorrows, not just at the cross, but his whole life long. But how else did his humiliation consist? But the wrath of God. The wrath of God. Look at Matthew's Gospel, chapter 27. Matthew chapter 27 and verse 46. Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour, there was darkness over all the land. And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani, that is, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Now, without preaching another sermon on this passage in Matthew, you need to understand, boys and girls, that this is not Jesus, the Son, and God the Father, the Father, being separate according to the divine nature. This is not a division in divinity. This is the God-Man, Jesus Christ, as the Redeemer, being separate from God, bearing God's wrath. In just a few passages prior to our text, Jesus would pray, if it's possible, let this cup pass for me. Why cup? The Old Testament used the cup as a symbol of wrath. Part of Jesus's humiliation, quite frankly, brothers and sisters, Yes, it was his painful death. Yes, it was his hanging naked in humiliation for six hours. But, as we sang this morning, the deepest stroke was that he bore the wrath and judgment of God. He bore infinite hell as the Redeemer. The continuation of the question, not only did he bear the wrath of God, but that he was cursed. That his death on the cross was a curse turned to Philippians chapter two, verse eight, and being found in the appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death. So this idea of humiliation of humbling, it's a biblical term. He humbled himself. became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross." This humiliation continues in his burial. 1 Corinthians 15 verses 3 and 4. We read it this morning. But it speaks to the idea that Jesus really died. As a man, He suffered and He died and He was buried. And notice the last part of his humiliation, continuing under the power of death for a time. Continuing under the power of death for a time. Turn over to Acts chapter two. Acts chapter two. Acts chapter two and verse. 22, men of Israel, says Peter preaching, hear these words, Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did through him in your midst, as you yourself also know, him being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified and put to death. whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it." As an aside, that last phrase would be a wonderful phrase if in God's providence you know that your own death is approaching. What I mean by that is if you're in a hospital bed, if the doctor says you have six months, you have three hours, Why Acts 2 24b? It was not possible that he should be held by it. Because this is you in your union with Christ. Death will not be able to hold you. But I'm jumping into exaltation, aren't I? You see, it's important that we understand what Jesus's humiliation was, his suffering, his birth in a lowly state, his death, his bearing of the wrath of God, his burial. The fact that death had a hold on him for those three days. In order that we might understand his exaltation. So let us end with his exaltation. Jesus' life and work could be boiled down to periods of humiliation, giving way to triumphant exaltation. Wherein consists Christ's exaltation? Three things, brothers and sisters. His resurrection, His ascension, and Session, His seating at the right hand of God, and His coming again. Let's look at these. First then, let's go back to our text for this evening, Mark's Gospel, chapter 16 and verse 19. All four Gospels proclaim the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In one way or another, with various details, they all proclaim Jesus' resurrection. And in Mark's Gospel, chapter 16, verse 19, we read of this, So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, he was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. We are right on this day to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. But the exaltation of Jesus Christ is His resurrection, and His ascension into heaven, and His being seated at the right hand of God. Now in Mark's Gospel we read of the resurrection. Verse 9, Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe. After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went in the country." We can read of that in Luke's account. And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either. Later, He appeared to the eleven as they sat at table, and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved. He who does not believe will be condemned. Jesus' resurrection is the beginning of His exaltation. And so, the writer picks up on that in verse 19 and says, So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, Jesus was received up into heaven. and sat down at the right hand of God. We looked this morning at Romans chapter 1 and verse 4 that the resurrection is the declaration of the powerful Son of God. Jesus did not stay dead. He did not stay under death's hold. Even more importantly, Jesus's resurrection is our resurrection as we'll see in just a moment. And as I mentioned, all four Gospels end with Jesus being raised from the dead. Jesus' resurrection, however, also moves us to His ascension. We often think of Jesus' perfect law-keeping. We think of His death on the cross. We think of His resurrection. But for us, the story ends there. But the Gospel writers as well as the New Testament writers of letters, continue it. And they move to the ascension. Jesus' ascension is just as much for us as His resurrection. Mark's Gospel points to it, but let's look at Paul's description of it. In Ephesians, turn over with me to Ephesians. Chapter 1, the text we read just a moment ago. We can say all that we want to say about the exaltation of Christ. We can boldly say He's raised from the dead, that He's ascended, that He's seated at the right hand of the Father, that He's coming again. But we need to understand what that means for the believer. Look at Ephesians 1, verse 19. Again, we're jumping into the middle of a discussion of Paul praying for the saints at Ephesus, that their eyes, verse 18, might be opened, that they may know what is the hope of their calling, what is the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. And then picking up in verse 19, and what is the greatness of his power toward us who believe? Don't miss that. "...toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places." Did you catch that? Power toward us when God raised Jesus from the dead and seated Him. Power toward us that God worked for us when he raised Jesus from the dead and seated him in the heavenly places. The ascension of Jesus means that he takes with him. Yes, the declaration that he is king of kings and lord of lords. Yes, the vindication that God has fully accepted his work. But in union with Him, His ascension and His being seated at the right hand of God is God working in power for us. Let's walk through the text. raised him from the dead, verse 20, and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the age which is to come." Jesus' ascension is the proclamation that Jesus has absolute rule and authority over all things now. Now many of you who have journeyed in our church for quite a while know that we have said this in many ways through many different books. And there is a sense in which we're waiting to see it in its full consummation. But let there be no mistake, Jesus is ruling and reigning now. We do not have a time where we're waiting for Jesus to rule and to reign. He is ruling and reigning as Lord and King now. There is more to see. There is more to be revealed when he returns. But Jesus has absolute authority over, and then look what the writer Paul says, over all principality, over all power, over all might and dominion, and every name that is named. There is not a single name that has any kind of power that can compare to our Christ. And then notice the phrase, verse 21, not only in this age, now. but in that which is to come, the then. The ascension of Jesus is indeed the second part of his exaltation, that he was raised from the dead, he conquered death with one breath, and then he was ascended and seated, seated as our Redeemer at the right hand of the Father. He is the chief exaltee of all times. There will not be a single coronation, there will not be a celebration, there will not be an inauguration or any kind of otheration that can compare to this exaltation. Seated far above all rule, power, principality and name. Not only in this age, but in the age to come. So Jesus is ruling and reigning. Now he is exalted. He is king of kings and lord of lords. Acts 1731 points us to the age that is to come. Look there, Acts 1731. 1731. Paul this time is preaching and he says this, truly these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent. Because he has appointed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising him from the dead. There is an age and a judgment to come. So what does Christ's exaltation consist of? His resurrection on the third day. His ascension into heaven, in being seated at the right hand of God the Father, and in coming to judge the world at the last day. Brothers and sisters, within the last 24 hours, there have been bombs and bullets that have gone off and have been fired at those who gather to worship. There have been people who have raised their fists At the very mention of Christ, there are many who lazily ignore the fact that today is a day when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. There are many who go about their merry little way, either unaware of the Lordship of Christ or hostily in rebellion fighting against it. But make no mistake. The Christ that they ignore, that they rebel against, that they fight against. He is the exalted sovereign of the universe. Let us close with this. Verse 19. What is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us? We can say with the theologians that we understand what Jesus' humiliation is. We can say with the theologians and the catechism writers that we understand what His exaltation is. I get it, preacher. Jesus was born in a lowly estate. He lived a life of suffering. He died on the cross. He bore God's wrath. He died. He was buried. The Lord of life experienced death. That's his humiliation. I see it. His exaltation. Yes, preacher, the story goes, he was raised, he ascended, he's seated, and he's coming again. We can say these things. But in Ephesians chapter 1, Paul is not content to only say them, but to say that they are about us. Verse 19 says that this is God's power toward us. But look what he says in the very next chapter. He gives our resume, doesn't he? Ephesians 2, 1-4, that's your resume, that's your story. In one way or another, you are in Ephesians 2, 1-4. And you, He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, immorality, cursing, idolatry, lust, stealing, lying, manipulation, abuse of others. You're here. We were dead in trespasses and sins, and you walked in them according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom we all once conducted ourselves. Here you are, friend. This is your old resume. In the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. Just like the others. Gloriously, Paul continues, but God. But God. who is rich in mercy. Because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ, by grace you've been saved. And raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. We've just started the book of Romans, but if we were about to start the book of Ephesians, one of the things that you need to know about Ephesians is that I think it's at least 27 times Paul says, with Christ. With, with, with. Paul can't get out of his mind the idea that we are, as believers, united to Christ. So when he kept the law, we positionally kept it. When he suffered God's full and complete and infinite wrath and judgment for sin, we positionally suffered it. When he died, we died. When he was buried, we were buried. And on that first resurrection Sunday, when the women and then the men peered into the tomb, they were looking into their own graves. Because when He was raised, we were raised. And so, some forty days after His resurrection, when He ascended, all those who are united with Him were ascended to the right hand of the Majesty on high, and even though we are here in our lowly estate, worshiping rightfully the King of kings and Lord of lords, who is exalted, we positionally are seated Ephesians 2.6, with Him. With Him. We're made alive together with Christ. We're raised up together with Christ. We're made to sit together in the heavenly places. So tomorrow, when temptation comes and you fall here, you are with Christ there. Tomorrow and the next day and the next day, when you feel spiritually dry here, Christ has already died for that. He's already been buried and been raised and been seated at the right hand of God. And even though you are currently experiencing sin that you need to repent of, positionally, you are with Christ. I think there's a little bit to celebrate here. Yes, our Christ experienced humiliation. But he also is exalted. But this is not dry theology. The story of what Jesus did and the systematic theology of the way that catechism writers can write it. Paul doesn't want us just to know that Christ is the exalted Lord. He wants us to know that if we are in union with Christ by faith, we are with Him. So that should then be a bold declaration to us that our present wrestlings with sin our lack of feeling or religious affections, our inability in our current state of sanctification to keep God's law perfectly, while all very important, and while something that the Spirit of God is working in us about, it is not the final and most ultimate word. into the empty tomb and the occupied throne of our Savior and see yourself kept vouchsafe." We are right to get excited about the resurrection and ascension of Jesus. Because even if we were never united with Him, He would be deserving of all glory for all of it. But when you celebrate the resurrection, Remember that the risen Lord and the ascended Christ that you worship, the one who's coming again, is the Christ to whom you are united. You're in him. You are with him. Where he goes, you go. And his final word over you and your eternal state is mine. Let's pray. Almighty God, as we celebrate the exaltation of the Son of God, who for us was crucified, buried, was raised and ascended and seated at the right hand of God. May we see in this also the glories of what the Scripture says, that we are united to Him by cords that cannot be broken, By the irrevocable ordination of the triune God. By an atonement which was for a particular people and was complete. And by a savior who loved us and gave himself up for us. May we worship the exalted Christ and forever crown Him with many crowns. In Jesus' name, Amen.