This is Jesus speaking. But I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away. For if I do not go away, the advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. This is the word of God. You may be seated. So this morning I want to reflect on, it was for our good that He went away. The first thing I want to look at, that it was for our good that He went away, was that He went with a blessing. On the insert that was in the bulletin, you will notice I have the scripture references there so that you don't feel like you have to do a Bible drill this morning. Look at these later or you can look them up as I preach. But each of these, basically these seven reasons, and there are manifest more reasons than that. This is not the full comprehensive list of every reason it was for our good that he went away. But the first thing I want to look at is that it was for our good that he went away because he went with a blessing. This is Luke chapter 24. And it says, and He, Jesus, led them, the disciples, out as far as Bethany. And lifting up His hands, He blessed them. He blessed them. While He blessed them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshipped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. and we're continually in the temple blessing God. This morning we will reflect on the assurances of Christ's mercy that accompanied His ascension. As Jesus ascended to the heavens, His final earthly deed that we see was to bestow a blessing upon His followers. And then, of course, following that, His inaugural act as the sovereign monarch in heaven was to again bless His church with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. And I think for this reason, we should see every single act of the Holy Spirit serving to us as a testament to Christ's enduring love for His church. Every act of the Holy Spirit is because of Christ's love for His church. So it was for our good that He went away, because He went with a blessing. Of course, the primary reason it was good, and the one that comes most immediately to our minds, is that He went to pour out the Holy Spirit. We read in Acts 1, which you remember is the second part of Luke, the Gospel of Luke, and then he also writes Acts. In the first book, this is Luke writing, O Theophilus, I, Luke, have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day that he was taken up. After he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen, he presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during 40 days and speaking about the kingdom of God. And while staying with them, he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which he said, you heard from me, for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. So when they had come together, they asked Him, Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom of Israel? Jesus said to them, it's not for you to know times or even know the seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witness in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.' And when he said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven, as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes and said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven. The angels, I think they remind us of something important. Even if the disciples had possessed the most powerful telescope ever, they would not have been able to witness Christ's ascension into heaven. The separation between heaven and earth isn't merely geographical. It's not, well, if you get past Pluto, then maybe you could maybe see where he went. No, it's a matter of different dimensions. But it was for our good that he went away, because he went to pour out the Holy Spirit. It was also for our good that he went away, because he went bodily. He went in His human body. Jesus rose from the dead in the flesh. He ascended to heaven in the flesh. Today, He rules in the flesh. And when He returns, He will return in the flesh. The Jesus who resurrected in that glorified body that Thomas touched, that sat and ate fish, with the disciples, that Jesus will eternally reside as the Word incarnate. Jesus retains His resurrected body as He rules in heaven, and He will eternally remain the Son of God. It was for our good that He went away, because He went bodily. It was for our good that he went away, because he went to his coronation. If you remember, John the Baptist came before the forerunner. He came with the proclamation of the kingdom's imminent arrival. And then following him, Jesus declared the kingdom's presence, culminating in the pinnacle of his salvific mission during the ascension. This moment marked his departure from the earth to his royal inauguration, where he was proclaimed king by God himself. As he was standing on the Mount of Olives, prepared to ascend, his disciples inquired, Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom of Israel? Remember, they anticipated Jesus' decisive action to overthrow the Romans and establish his reign in a very visible manner. However, Jesus responded, the appointed times and the appointed seasons are set by the Father's own authority, not for you to know. but you will be granted with power when the Holy Spirit descends upon you. And you shall bear witness to Me in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." So he responds to their question regarding the kingdom by outlining the church's primary mission. We know that humanity has an aptitude to overlook God's sovereignty, Jesus's rule as king. Thus, it would fall upon his disciples and the church to display this reign visibly. The church's essential duty is to testify to the kingdom of God, to illuminate his rule to the world. Christ does currently reign. as the lamb that was deemed worthy to inherit the kingdom of God. And this kingdom, it is already underway, but if you remember the parables that Jesus tells, the kingdom is like a small seed, or like a little bit of yeast. And where we today stand in the timeline between small seed and giant tree is not for us to know. But the kingdom is already underway, and it is expanding. It's one of those things that doesn't always feel like it when we walk outside or turn on the TV, but we believe it because that's what God told us. However, its ultimate fulfillment awaits Christ's return at the climax of history to conquer all dominions. The kingdom is presently unseen, but that does not mean the kingdom is unreal. The kingdom is very real. And at the culmination of time, there will be a complete renewal of the cosmos as we ourselves perceive it. And Christ will inaugurate his eternal kingdom in its most complete magnificence. And his ministry did not conclude at his death. It persists to this day. not through his own visible presence on earth, but through his spirit within his visible followers. So we shouldn't look at Jesus as sort of abandoning the mission and, all right guys, hope you guys can take care of it, I couldn't get it done. Instead of viewing the apostles as successors to an unfinished task that Jesus left behind, we should see them and us as actually invited to participate in His still deeply personal and continuing ministry. Ephesians 1, Paul writes, For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what it is, that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you. What are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints? And what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe? According to the working of his great might, that 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 rule and authority and power and dominion and above every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. And He will put all things under His feet and give Him as head over all things to the church. which is His body, the fullness of Him, who fills all in all." Christ has been elevated to sit at God's right hand, where, I remind you, He presently rules as the Supreme Lord of the universe. And He's building His new temple. And He's accepting worship and tribute. You are the living stones of that temple. Christ possesses authority and rules both the church and the entire cosmos. Philippians chapter 2, Paul there writes, So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interest of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus. Who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but he emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men, and being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." So far, Paul has reminded us of all of God's condescension and His humiliation, and also a call to us to be humble. Then he continues, "...therefore God has now highly exalted him, and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, So that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. So the title bestowed on Jesus by God, exalted above all others, is Lord. He is Lord. He is Adonai. And all to the glory of God the Father. In Isaiah, when Isaiah speaks of the servant of the Lord, he speaks of one who was once spurned and shunned by humanity. He was proclaimed then by God as exalted, lifted up and very high. And this mantle is assumed by Jesus. He displayed obedience to the utmost degree, even death on a cross. So then he was highly exalted by God and bestowed with the name above all names, ensuring that every tongue would confess his lordship. The gospel proclaimed by the apostles heralded the resurrection of Christ Jesus, the Messiah, the son of David, elevated by his father now to a celestial throne as the king of kings and Lord of lords, This Gospel asserted sweeping claims though, calling upon all leaders and nations to recognize the Church's Lord as the Supreme Lord of all, and to surrender everything they possess, and that they are under His sovereign rule. Paul again writes in 1 Timothy 3, Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness. He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory. Christ's death signified the end of his humiliation and his suffering. and his resurrection heralded his vindication. So this marks this majestic procession of a newly crowned emperor who's been exalted and seated upon his throne in the heavens. And while he is seated in majesty in heaven, he still remains ever present on earth among his people. His departure was not an absence, but He's become even more fully present. His ascension to the right hand of the Father signifies His official coronation above all earthly authority. Jesus was ascending to His royal crowning. His formal investiture. To be enthroned at the right hand of God, assuming the ultimate position of universal dominion, the supreme political authority across all creation. This year, many of our concerns and thoughts will orbit around electoral outcomes. But the victor of any such mere popularity contest cannot dethrone the sovereign of sovereigns, the Lord of lords. The Lord God Almighty reigns supreme and Jesus' ascension was his procession to coronation. affirming him not merely as the greatest king to ever rule. Jesus isn't just the best king that there ever was. He's also the king over all the other kings. He's the supreme lord above all the other lords. He's the sovereign over all other sovereigns. He's the monarch over all other monarchs. And he was vested with all authority in both heaven and earth. It was for our good that he went away, because he went to his coronation. It was also for our good that he went away, because he went as our high priest. He went as our high priest. In Hebrews 10, we read this. And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. In my mind, I think of this almost like a hamster on a wheel or someone on a treadmill, continually, continually, day after day, standing, offering the same sacrifices that can never take away sins. Well, the Scripture continues. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until His enemies should be made a footstool for His feet. For by a single offering, He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. So he also ascended to be inaugurated as our great High Priest, our great High Priest eternally, appointed to serve as the High Priest in heaven forever. He entered the celestial Holy of Holies, presenting himself as the atoning sacrifice and offering once and for all for our sins. And in that sacred space, He continues His ministry as our High Priest. We've already read He's continually interceding for us before the Father. The Father bestows upon Christ the priestly throne that was foretold in Psalm 110. And He's honored Him with a sovereignty and a sanctity. Jesus ascends to heaven, taking His place at God's right hand, embodying the priest-king, enthroned in majesty. And in His glorified body, We've already talked about it was for our good that he went away because he went away bodily. And in that glorified body, Jesus ascended to heaven and he presented himself before God the Father in that celestial Holy of Holies. And we can remember this act corresponding to the Day of Atonement ritual, where a goat was sacrificed and its blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat within the earthly Holy of Holies that symbolized God's throne among his people. But by ascending and presenting himself as the Lamb who was slain at God's heavenly throne, Christ fulfilled and he transcends this ritual altogether. He achieved a superior, a complete, and an everlasting atonement. Something that the first covenant could never accomplish. Christ's mission was not to present His blood in an earthly temple, but in the heavenly sanctuary. A task that He brought to completion at His ascension. So it was for our good that He went away, because He went as our High Priest. It was for our good that He went away, because He went to the Father. I don't think we can over-emphasize the importance of Him going to the Father. This is John 20. This was after Jesus' resurrection. But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept, she stooped to look into the tomb, and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, Woman, why are you weeping? She said to them, They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him. Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking? Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him and I will take him away. Jesus said to her, Mary. She turned and said to him in Aramaic, Rabboni. which means teacher. Jesus said to her, Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father. To my God and your God, Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, I have seen the Lord and that he had said these things to her. God the Father is foremost a father. All of his ways are fatherly. He is our father. Everything he does, he does as a father. He creates and he rules as a father, making his rule of creation distinctly fatherly. We see here, after his resurrection, Christ avowed also his compassion. He referred to his disciples as my brethren. and announced, I ascend to my father and your father. These words of grace had to have been such a balm to these men who had just forsaken Christ in his darkest hour. And the words that he tells Mary to speak to them are, you are my brother, I go to my father and your father. He vows to advocate for us just as a brother does for his whole family before their father. Christ's heart, even beyond the resurrection, overflows with mercy for these sinners and for us. His glorified heart today continues to beat with love as our elder brother. Jesus, our elder brother. Jesus focused on the ultimate purpose of his entry into the world, all of his suffering and all of his death, to reunite God's people with God's fatherly love, thereby glorifying God's grace. See, through his incarnation, Jesus made solidarity with you, humankind, mankind, man, woman, children, Jesus made solidarity with humanity through his incarnation. And that enables us, that enables him to call his followers brothers, fellow humanity, brother. Jesus proclaimed that through faith, through faith, individuals are welcomed into the embrace of God's love. In this faith union that we have with Christ, by this faith union, we are adopted into the eternal relationship that Jesus shares with the Father. I go to my Father and your Father. Now His God becomes your God. And that means that God interacts with us as He does with Jesus. with Jesus ascending to His Father and your Father. Though, of course, it is important to note very different means. We can never forget that Jesus is the eternally begotten Son, and we are made from dust. But we are still all the same, granted the same standing before the Father as Jesus. Jesus, our elder brother, introduces us to his loving relationship with the Father. And baptism is what serves as this ceremony of adoption. From the very timber of Jesus' cross springs a new and greater ark, with the baptized being welcomed into the family of a new and superior Noah. Beyond the bounds of the church's ark, judgment awaits. Yet those who are cleansed into the church will find salvation through the sanctifying waters of baptism, not as a mere removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience. Descendants of Adam, the first man, are then reborn as siblings of the last Adam. and seated at the right hand of God. We are knit together as members of one body, and we are no longer cut off in a drift at sea. It was for our good that He went away. Because of who He went to, He went to the Father. And then the last reason I have there, He went for us, and He went with us. It was for our good that He went away because He went with us and He went for us. Romans 8, Paul writes, What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died. More than that, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword As it is written, for your sake we are being killed all the day long. We are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. There's an ancient maxim from the early church that summarizes the core of this bond between God and his followers. It was Deus Pro Nobis, which translates to God for us. Our God is God for us. Jesus, the one who was previously scorned and rejected, now holds the esteemed title of the beloved and honored son. And he's seated at God's right hand, a position of splendor and a position of grace And He stands there as an advocate for His people, an advocate before the Father. Through His death, we find peace. In His resurrection, we find freedom. And in His ascension to sit at the Father's right hand, we were clothed in favor, clothed in honor, and clothed in dignity. Christ's ascension and his enthronement signify not just his own exaltation, but also the upliftment, the acceptance, and the sanctification of all his followers. For He is our head, He is our emissary. So this seated position at God's right hand symbolizes not only the acceptance of Jesus, the representative, but also the affirmation of our very souls. So believer, this is the foundation of your pardon from judgment. Christ's ascension to the right hand of the Father is the foundation of your pardon from the judgment. Who is he that condemneth? Who shall pass judgment on those united with Jesus at the right hand of God? the right hand symbolizing a position of strength. Christ, seated at God's right hand, wields supreme authority over both heaven and earth. So who can oppose the people whose captain boasts such might? O soul, what can lead you to ruin if the Almighty Himself is your support? If you are shielded by the Sovereign's might, what blade can pierce you? Hold fast to the truth. If Jesus reigns as your victorious King, having vanquished your foes beneath His feet, if sin, death, and the grave have been overcome by Him, and you find your representation in Him, then your destruction, according to God's Word, is an impossibility. Your destruction is an impossibility. I did not say suffering or affliction are an impossibility. But I said your destruction is an impossibility. Poverty, sickness, persecution, these may be your lot. But never destruction. We know that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Condemnation finds no foothold Because Christ died, rose, and ascended. And even now, the Bible tells us he intercedes on our behalf. And he intercedes before the Father. Christ's prayers for us continue to spring from his deep love for us. This is a couple of stanzas from a hymn titled, Angels Your March Oppose. You may have heard it before. This hymn reads, Jesus's tremendous name puts all our foes to flight. Jesus the meek, the angry lamb, a lion is in fight. By all hell's host withstood, we all hell's host or throw, and conquering them through Jesus's blood, we still to conquer go. Our captain leads us on, he beckons from the skies and reaches out a starry crown and bids us take the prize. Be faithful unto death, partake my victory and thou shalt wear this glorious wreath and thou shalt reign with me. Paul writes in Ephesians 2, and you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience, among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. By grace you have been saved, and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace and kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not of your own doing. It is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." So being in Christ means that we, too, have been raised, and we too are seated at the Father's right hand in Christ. Again, you may not always feel like this, but God's Word tells us this, and we believe it. We have been raised, and we are seated at the Father's right hand in Christ. It's truly transformative to recognize our position in Christ. within the heavenly realms. In Colossians 3, Paul says, If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Our journey toward holiness is a pilgrimage toward heaven. And each inch, each centimeter of progress in holiness, slogging ahead in the path of righteousness, brings us nearer to the city of God. You will fall. But though you fall, you shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds your hand. Though you fall seven times, you rise again. Christ, our living head, has preceded us. We have been raised with Him, and we will eventually follow Him into glory. So, to focus our pursuit on holiness, we are called to seek those things which are above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God. In the Bible, living fleshly means existing, essentially it means existing under the influence of Adam's legacy of sin and death. whereas living spiritually requires us to have a union with the last Adam. Through Jesus' ascension beyond the skies, he has sent the life-giving Spirit. So now today, those who are aligned with the first Adam are of the earth, they're earthly. In contrast, those united with the last Adam realize a heavenly reality. While Adamic men linger in this paradoxical state of living death, Christians partake in the life and might of the forthcoming kingdom. Christ's departure from the tomb and ascension to the heights, now reigning in glory at God's right hand, then must hold deep meaning for those united with Him through faith in His death and resurrection. So while you continue your earthly journey in your mortal frames, you embark upon a transformed existence. Being partakers of his resurrection and his resurrected life shifts our focal point entirely towards him. So his priorities become your priorities. You are called to seek the realities of the heaven over which He presides. Your mindset, your aspirations, your entire perspective should reflect your union with the ascended Christ. Having died with Christ, you are now animated with His life. Your existence is intricately interwoven with His existence. You are secured and concealed within God. Your life, then, being inseparably joined with his, inherits the same eternity. The world remains blind. to this heavenly life, just as it is oblivious to the exalted Christ. Yet, a future moment awaits when Christ will manifest in full splendor, and those concealed with him will also partake in his glory. So for believers, the concept of a private, individual life apart from Christ simply does not exist. For believers, the concept of a private, individual life apart from Christ does not exist. Your life is intrinsically Christ's life. And it's sustained by Him at God's right hand. He's imparting His life to all of His followers. So, your pursuits and your passions are to align with His. And instead of awaiting the final day to inherit the resurrection life, those who are raised with Christ experience this deep truth in the present. The dawn of the new creation, the regeneration has already commenced within you. In spirit, being in Christ means you are already partakers of the forthcoming era and revel in its life now. So, pursue the exalted things. Do not tether your aspirations to the fleeting and lesser things of this earth. For Christ has ascended well above these. View life and the entire cosmos not from the perspective of our lesser realm, but from Christ's exalted standpoint. evaluate all things according to the norms of the new creation that you now inhabit, rather than the backward standards of the old order you have decisively left behind. So to bring the message to some conclusion, to those this morning that are on the path of righteousness, Keep your eyes set on Christ. Do not grow weary of doing good, for in due season you will reap if you do not give up. To the backslider, or the prodigal son this morning, I beg you to hear the words of God. Return, O faithless son, I will heal your faithlessness. To the one not found in Christ, everything I've spoken of, the splendors, the union, everything that we have in Christ, you do not have. And if you are not, Jesus, if he is not your elder brother, that means that you are a child of the devil. But if you repent, your sins may be blotted out. So to the one not found in Christ, I implore you, repent and be baptized. To those that may be alone or despairing or afraid or weary and tired or burdened, heavily burdened, come to Jesus. and he will give you rest. And to all, a reminder that he will not reject a broken spirit and a repentant heart. In the earthly days of our Lord Jesus, we witnessed his humiliation and his rejection. He was the one who was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief, The one whose very radiance is the dawn, dawned the garment of grief daily. Shame was his companion, reproach was his mantle. Yet having vanquished the forces of darkness on the cross, our faith now beholds him adorned in the majesty of victory. Can you imagine the splendor? as He presented Himself to the seraphim. As He was enveloped by the cloud and ascended into heaven. Well, He now wears the glory He shared with God before the world began. Plus, an unparalleled honor. The triumph earned through His battle against sin, death, and hell. And as the victor, He dons the crown of glory Hear that resounding anthem. This should be a sonnet that's both new and always more sweet. Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, for by Your blood You ransomed people for God. He embodies the glory of an unfailing intercessor. He is a prince without peer. He is a conqueror who has subdued every adversary. A Lord who commands the loyalty of all. Jesus possesses all the honor that heaven can grant, all that legions of angels can confer. And beyond our wildest imaginings lies his transcendent greatness. Yet an even greater revelation awaits when he descends with immense power, accompanied by all the holy angels. And the sight of this glory will captivate the hearts of His people. But even this is not the culmination. His praises will echo through eternity. Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. To delight in Christ's glory then, He must be glorious in your eyes now. So, Is he? Let us pray. Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God. Let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Amen.