Dear congregation, goodbyes are often very hard to say, especially when we're expecting to be separated from someone for a long time. Thinking about how much we will miss someone causes pain, and sometimes goodbyes are even tearful occasions. Today we are commemorating that first ascension day, the day when the Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven and he was leaving his disciples. But children, do you think that this was a tearful day for the disciples? For the disciples loved the Lord Jesus so very much and wanted to be with him, didn't they? And yet we don't read of a single tear being shed. In fact, We read that after the ascension, the disciples returned to Jerusalem, to the temple, praising and blessing God, and they did so with great joy. Isn't this surprising and unusual from a certain perspective? How can we understand that when Jesus goes from his disciples physically, that yet the disciples can have such great joy in their hearts? Well, to help answer that question, we turn for our text to Ephesians 4. Ephesians 4, and let us read verse 8, which will take in connection with the story of the ascension. Ephesians 4, verse 8, where we read, therefore, he saith, when he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive. and gave gifts unto men. Thus far our text. Our theme with the Lord's help for this evening is he led or Christ led captivity captive. We'll see first of all, a glorious ascension. Secondly, a comforting triumph. And thirdly, a gracious blessing. Christ led captivity captive. A glorious ascension, because our text says, he ascended up on high. A comforting triumph, our text says, he led captivity captive. And a gracious blessing, for our text says, and he gave gifts unto men. He ascended up on high. Children, the word ascend simply means to go up. And that's what the Lord Jesus Christ did 40 days after his resurrection on a Thursday. He gathered his disciples together and from out of Jerusalem he went for a walk. A walk that would be his last walk on the earth. And To the top of the Mount of Olives from Jerusalem is about a 20 or 30 minute walk. And no doubt the disciples and the Lord Jesus were speaking excitedly together, at least so the disciples, asking all kinds of questions about the kingdom and would it be now that the kingdom would come with power and things like that. And as they were assembled there on the top of the Mount of Olives, suddenly the feet of the Lord Jesus lifted up from off the ground as the disciples looked on, and he went higher. and higher and higher and their heads no doubt followed the Lord Jesus as long as they could and then we read that a cloud came and took him out of their sight and even then the disciples looked no doubt open-mouthed into heaven so suddenly so silently so serenely Their precious Lord Jesus Christ was removed from their presence and removed from their sight. No choirs of angels, no trumpet blasts for the world to see or hear. You see, the miracle of the ascension was for the church. It was for the disciples. It wasn't for the world. It was for all those who follow after Christ and who listen to the Lord Jesus Christ. And though our physical eyes must rest content with this, the Bible gives to the eyes of faith so much more. The Bible tells us what we can't see with our physical eyes beyond that cloud. But the Bible tells us what happened that day. and what is happening even today. And both the Old Testament and the New Testament together tell us so much about the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ, what happened and what it means. And our first point is he ascended up on high. It was a glorious ascension. He ascended up on high. Children, you can read in the Old Testament, in 2 Chronicles 9, that Solomon, when he built the temple that God wanted him to build, he made this very tall staircase, which was called an ascent. We don't know how many steps there were, but no doubt this was very grand and very stunning. And we read that when the Queen of Sheba, when she came and visited Solomon and asked him so many questions and saw his glory, that one of the things that took her breath away, you can read this in 2 Chronicles 9 verse 4, was Solomon's ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lord. And when she saw it, there was no more spirit in her. And so he must have, in his royal garments, he must have climbed those stairs. How many there were, we don't know. But no doubt this was impressive. There he's going up to the house of God. And this took her breath away. But what do 50 or so steps compare to the Lord Jesus Christ ascending up on high. He ascended up on high. You see, congregation, the Lord Jesus Christ deserves the highest place. He didn't just ascend to the highest hall of human government. He ascended up into heaven. to the very throne of the universe, to the very throne room of God. Now we need to know that this Lord Jesus Christ who ascended, Paul talks about this in the context, is the one who descended first, right? God could not ascend any higher than he was. The son of God, could not ascend any higher than he was in his divine nature. But he first descended, and he did that when he took to himself our flesh and blood of the Virgin Mary. He came, the Bible says, into the lower parts of this earth. He came upon this soil. He came into the womb of the Virgin Mary. He came so very low the God of gods, the light of lights. It was in his heart. It was his desire to stoop as low as he possibly could. And in his suffering and in his death, he stooped even lower. He descended into deep waters where we read that none can stand. He went to the cross. He went into outer darkness. He descended all the way into the forsakenness of hell. And it was because he descended that low and that far that the Father could and did highly exalt him. and he could ascend up on high. What gladness there must have been in the heart of the Savior. What happiness there must have been among the angels to see this darling of heaven, who had gone so low, now ascend back up on high. Not just halfway, not just three quarters of the way, but he ascended up on high. Do you see the Lord Jesus Christ high and lifted up in the gospel? You know, the people of God do see him like that. Not all the time, and often there's clouds, and we see through a glass darkly, but in principle, they've come to see Jesus. If you are a child of God, you say with Hebrews, we do not yet see all things under his feet. But we see Jesus high and lifted up, crowned with glory and honor. And the apostle Paul knew what it was to see the Lord Jesus Christ high and lifted up. And he prayed for it in Ephesians. Ephesians one, he prays. He prays for that church. And we should pray this for ourselves, and we should pray this for one another. Ephesians 1 verse 17 through 21, listen to this. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened. that you may know the exceeding greatness of His power, which He wrought in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and set Him at His own 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 world, but also in that which is to come." In other words, Paul is praying that the clouds would be taken away, and that by faith we would gaze upon the Lord Jesus Christ in the gospel, highly exalted, for to give repentance and remission of sins. Are you seeing that way today? Are you straining the eyes of your soul to see Him? Because when you see Him, there's rest. When you see Him, there's joy. When you see Him, there is adoration. When you see Him, there is a way forward. In congregation, He deserves the highest place. Not just the highest place of the universe, He deserves the highest place in your and my heart. Does He have it? Does He have the highest place in your and my heart? If that's so, then the idols have had to go. They had to topple like Dagon and fall flat on their face. And the Lord makes room in our hearts for himself like that. And he's not content until he is on the highest throne of your and my life. And then he makes us to rest in his finished work. And what happens in your and my life is we don't try to ascend anymore. We don't try to climb a ladder, as it were, into heaven by way of a broken covenant of works as if we somehow might scale the heavens ourselves. But instead we fall before him and we worship him because he is everything. And if he has the preeminence in our lives, there is nothing better. There's nothing more that is needed. And then we learn to bow before God and to rejoice in God, my Savior, for he has looked down upon my lowest state, Mary says, and he has exalted me in himself. And then our honor is to lie in the dust But we say with the psalmist, whom have I in heaven but thee, Jesus. And so the first thing that gives joy to the people of God is the glorious ascension of our Lord and Master, the Lord Jesus Christ. But there is more. There's more reason for joy. And that is, secondly, a comforting triumph Because we read in our text, Ephesians 4 verse 8, when he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive. What does that mean? Let me explain. In ancient times, children, when a general or a king would fight a battle against an enemy, and he would defeat that enemy, then he would return home to the capital city and there would be a victory parade there into the capital city. And there would be this general or this king in all his splendor and in all his glory and there he would come and people would line the streets and there he would come. And behind him there would be his defeated enemies. who would be chained and they would be there in tattered clothes with dust on their heads and their robes torn to sackcloth and there they would come behind this king of glory or this honored general. And people would see this and they would see that truly this man, this general, had conquered the enemy. I mean, you could come back from a faraway country and say, you know, the enemy is defeated and everything's good, but unless you had proof, unless you came with proof, they lived in different times, obviously, then how did you know? And so they would take the spoils, and they would take their enemies, and they would parade them through the streets there in chains and in fetters. and it would be a victory parade. And this is the idea that is behind our text. And actually, Ephesians 4 verse 8 quotes Psalm 68 and verse 18. And Psalm 68 is a glorious psalm of victory, praising Jehovah, praising God for the deliverance He performed in Egypt, first of all, when he took captivity captive, when he defeated Israel's foes, their captors, and he displayed his victory over Pharaoh and his hosts. And that became the pattern of all God's redemptive works. And that's, of course, what Messiah was expected to do in the fullness of time. And so it was said when a general or a king would do this, they would say of him, he led captivity captive. And that's what happened in Egypt with Pharaoh and his hosts. And that's what happened again and again. So that's the picture here in our text. And so what Paul is saying, based on Psalm 68, is that when the Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven, he did the same thing. He led captivity captive. No, we can't see that with our physical eyes, but with spiritual eyes, we can see it, and we must see it. Because the Bible tells us that the Lord Jesus Christ came to defeat the great enemies of his people. And what are those enemies? Children, what are the enemies of the people of God? Well, there's sin, isn't there? And there's Satan. And there is the world that fights against God and rages against God. And there is so much else, hell. and other forces inside of us and outside of us that are at war with God and against his Christ. And many of these things, they are fearful and they're threatening. When we think about death by ourselves, who cannot but be scared? When we think of Satan, he is a terrible enemy. When we think of sin and how much damage it does and how much bondage it brings, how many captives sin makes, we can be really frightened. And yet, the gospel of the ascension is he led captivity captive. He took all of these captors of God's people, and when they thought they had Christ as their captive, then he captured them. Children, do you remember when the Lord Jesus Christ was in the garden, and this band of soldiers came by night, and they came to capture the Lord Jesus? Then first they fell back by the words of Jesus, and that proved the might of the Lord Jesus. And then they stood up again and Jesus said, whom seek ye? And if you seek me, then let these go their way. And do you know what the Lord Jesus did? He gave his hands to these captors. And you can read in the gospel that they bound him. They took chains and they bound my Savior. And he was bound willingly. He was bound. in order that He might free you, child of God. He took it in order that He might take it away. And in those moments, and in all that ensued, the Lord Jesus Christ was binding Satan. He was binding sin. He was binding every enemy of God's church and people. And in His resurrection, He proved it. because death could not hold him. And he robbed, if I may say so, Satan of his keys. He has the keys of death and of hell. And in his ascension, the picture that the Bible gives us of that is that the Lord Jesus Christ rides into heaven. He makes the clouds his chariot, the Bible says. He rides into heaven and who is behind him? in chains with shame covering their head, but Satan and death and sin and hell and this world as it fights against the Lord. He led captivity captive. Do you hear that, child of God? So often you see your enemy and he stares you down and there you are in fear. And you remember the bondage, you feel that again, whatever it was, that fear that crippled you, that addiction that had hold of you, that shame that paralyzed you, that fear, of people or that doubt that shackled you all these whispers of satan these threats that held you captive that were so strong what does the bible say he led captivity captive you see nothing is too strong for the lord jesus christ Oh yes, the people of God may still fear and do fear many things, not least of all death. When we think of death, we think of leaving this world and standing before God, we can really sometimes be terrified. But when we take the word of God, this word, he led captivity captive. And when you see things Jesus way, When you see what is behind him, his enemies in tow, the train of all his defeated foes, then you learn with the Apostle Paul to say, who can lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies. Who is he who condemns? Who shall separate us? From the love of God which is in Christ Jesus shall death shall life, shall principalities and powers, things to come, whatever they are that loom so large, nay, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ who loved us. You see, when Paul says that, he sees that train. He sees the Lord Jesus Christ at the head of it all, and he can stare death down, and he can stare sin in the face, And he knows, because he lives, I can live. Because he's on the throne, I will make it one day to be with him in the throne. And whatever weapon that is formed against me, it cannot prosper. You see, congregation, that is ascension perspective. And that's what the eyes of faith give us, how needful it is to see things from the perspective of the conquering King, from the perspective of the Lord Jesus Christ, that glorious King of heaven. You're struggling tonight. Lift up your eyes, struggling soul. Look beyond the clouds. Hear what the Bible says. He ascended up on high. He led captivity captive. It's not you who must lead captivity captive. It is Him. It is He who has done so. And looking to Him, fear can be gone. Congregation, how we should look to the Lord Jesus Christ, the sinless surety of all his people. He is there in heaven, and nothing can undo his reign. He is crowned with glory and honor. All enemies are under his feet. They don't appear that way all the time, and yet Christ has defeated them. Do you ever wonder why it is that the disciples could go back to Jerusalem with great joy? How they could go back to these people who were waiting to sneer at them, to imprison them, the Sanhedrin and their compatriots. And for many of them, there was the sword and the execution block. How could they do that? How could they go into that even with joy? He ascended on high. He led captivity captive. They had courage because of Christ to face the frowns of people, even the sword and the fire, because He led captivity captive. What a comforting What a comforting triumph this is for the church and for the people of God. And not only so, but as we see in our final point, we have in the ascension of Christ a gracious blessing. here we come to Luke 24 verse 53. Did you notice when we were reading Luke 24 verse 53 that when the Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven he stretched out his hands over his disciples And like a high priest would do after the great day of atonement, he blessed his people. We don't read of him saying anything, but he himself was the blessing, wasn't he? And he would bless them with every spiritual blessing in himself. And he would fill them with himself, who is the blessing. He had offered himself as the final sacrifice, and as he is about to enter the heavenly sanctuary with his own blood, his nail-pierced hands stretch out over his church of all ages, and he blesses them. No curse upon you, child of God. only blessing because of Him. He took the curse that He might be a blessing. Well, what a powerful picture this is here of this blessing High Priest. But what are the blessings that the Lord Jesus Christ gives? Well, Ephesians 4, our text, verse 8 says, He ascended on high He led captivity captive. He gave gifts for men. He showered gifts on people far and wide. Or like Psalm 68 actually literally says, he gave gifts unto men, yea, to the rebellious also, that God himself might dwell with them. And once again, children, we return to that picture of that conquering king. Remember that victory parade where that general or that king would come riding into the city. And not only behind him would be his enemies, there bound and fettered, behind him, but as he rode into the city and the people would line up and sing his praises, he would distribute gifts. He would throw coins. He would give food and other gifts to the people who had come, whoever they were. This was a day not of warfare, but of celebration. So even rebels who would come and they would acknowledge His Lordship, His victory. They too would receive all kinds of gifts and blessings. And that, again, is the picture here in a small way. But the Lord Jesus Christ, as He rides victoriously there into the Father's house, into that heavenly country, There he gives gifts. He blesses with gifts to all sorts of people. To people like you and like me. All sorts of people. Men. Not a particular class of people. Not the wealthy. Not the people of high standing men. Men and women. Just people. Mortals. And we're told Even rebels. The story is told of John Warburton, a man who went through deep waters of conviction, lost hope of ever being saved. Many times wished that he was a cow or an animal of the field because then at least he wouldn't have a soul. He found no comfort for his heart at all, so restless, so weary. One day he walked into a chapel at his wits end and he sat down. And the minister of that day, he was fumbling for a text. And it took some minutes before he seemed to know what he wanted to preach on, but he couldn't find it. And all of a sudden, he opened to Ephesians 4, and he read verse 8. He ascended up on high. He led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men. And he went on to talk about how it was for the rebellious also. And John Warburton, it was as if light burst into his life. And he says, if there's gifts for the rebellious also, then there can be a gift for rebellious John Warburton. And the man had hope because you see the ascension glory of Jesus Christ, it reached also him. Rebel John Warburton. And that's the truth still today. that he has gifts not for the good. He has gifts not for the high and mighty, not for those who have climbed halfway up to heaven. No, he has gifts for men and women, for boys and girls, for the rebellious also, that God might dwell with them. And what are those gifts? Well, certainly the Bible has a lot to say about the gifts that the Lord Jesus Christ poured out from heaven upon his church and people. He pours out his Holy Spirit. What a gift the Holy Spirit is. He's a spirit of comfort. He is a Spirit who can guide and to lead into all truth. And through the Spirit there is that gift of forgiveness of sins. That your heart which is so vile and wretched can be cleansed and washed. White as snow, what a gift of the risen and ascended Lord Jesus Christ. And there's the gift of intercession, how from heaven he intercedes, he prays for you, dear believer. You're imprinted on his hands and he can't forget you and he's there with your name before his father. And there are many other gifts and graces which he pours, as our catechism says, he pours out heavenly graces upon his people. But when you go into Ephesians 4, do you know what Paul especially highlights as the gift that the ascended Lord gives to his church and people? Look with me at Ephesians 4 verse 11. And he gave some apostles and some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. What are the gifts as Paul focuses on them here? Well, it's the gospel ministry. The Lord Jesus Christ gives all these gifts we've mentioned, all over this world, but he gives them through the gospel ministry. And the first generation of gospel ministers were the apostles and the prophets with them. And evangelists, usually people talk about that second generation, Timothy, Titus, and others who ministered. And then down through the ages, you have pastors, shepherds, and teachers who are there to tell you about this ascended Lord Jesus Christ, to spread the news. You see, it comes originally from eyewitnesses, but the news must go out and go on. Have you ever thought of our pastor, Pastor McLeod, as a gift from the ascended Lord Jesus Christ to people like you and me? That he's distributed a gift to us, even to rebels. And of course, the gospel ministry is just a gateway into all the gifts of the ascended Lord Jesus Christ. But think one more time about this picture. Because this conquering king or general, the gifts that he would give were often or usually the spoil that he had taken from this enemy country. And so he came with the booty and with the spoil from this faraway land that was now his because he had won that. And he would distribute that to people, everyday folk like you and like me. And when you think of that picture, And you think of gospel ministers, how they at one time left to themselves, they were in enemy territory. They were enemies of God and of his Christ by nature. Paul, what was he? Paul was in the service of Satan before the Lord Jesus Christ plucked him out and he became the spoil of Jesus Christ. And the Lord Jesus Christ said, Paul, you go over there and you go there and you go there. You are my gift to these people to tell them all about me. You are captured spoil. And isn't that an amazing thing? Isn't this the reason why the Apostle Paul would say, Paul, the bondservant of Jesus Christ. Once I was in the service of Satan, I was an enemy of Christ and serving the enemy of Christ, but Christ captured me. He broke my bonds and he gave me new bonds, and I am now the bond servant of Jesus Christ. Do you see, congregation, the power of the ascended Lord Jesus Christ? He takes people still today who are in the clutches of Satan, and he can do whatever he wants. And he loves to make them gateways of his blessing to others, witnesses of what his power can do. So don't say to yourself, I am too enslaved to sin and to Satan that the Lord Jesus Christ can reach me. No. He has led captivity captive, and He gives gifts unto men to the rebellious also. What an encouragement this is, people of God, to look to the Lord Jesus Christ, to run to Him every time we face our enemies. Let's not listen to our enemies. Let's not believe the lie about our enemies, but let us rather see the enemies chained behind the Lord Jesus Christ, under his feet. They have no power to do anything except the Lord Jesus Christ allows it. But you who are not with the Lord Jesus, My friend, you are still an enemy. And I hope you've heard today what a conquering King the Lord Jesus is. You don't want to fight Him till the bitter end. Why would you? Why would you with such a gracious and glorious king who has everything and is everything and gives himself away in the gospel and who is the gift who keeps on giving, who comes into the hearts of rebels like you and like me, but he must have the highest place. He must ascend to the highest throne. will accept none other. He does not take second or third place. It must be the highest place in the human heart. Oh my friend, don't rebel against Him. Enemies of Christ don't fare well. Look just for a moment at those behind Christ. Look at their shame. Look at their disgrace. Look at their defeat. Will you suffer defeat like them eternally? No, my friend. No. No. He has ascended on high. He has led captivity captive. And still today, He gives gifts unto men, to the rebellious also. Amen.