God the Son His Ascension & Priestly
Hal Molloy · Sep 22, 2002
Major Bible Themes (2002-03), No. 12
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/48262247402652

Transcribed from the recording by SermonAudio, so expect the occasional misheard word.

for those here this morning visitors. We're going through major Bible themes by Dr. Lewis Barry Chaffer. And we're down to chapter 11, looking at God the Son's ascension and priesthood ministry. And it's been divided up in terms of the Bible, God the Trinity, God the Father, and about six or seven chapters here, seven chapters on God the Son and six on God the Holy Spirit. So we're just going through each one. We're taking one chapter each Sunday, and there is so much material to get through.

We probably won't get through just this chapter this morning and the overheads which I have prepared. When we talk about the Lord's Ascension and His priestly ministry, John chapter 17 gives us an indication of why he ascended and his priestly ministry because he is praying in John chapter 17 for us and so as a great high priest the Lord Jesus Christ makes intercession for us and we have no other clue as to his intercession for us than we do in John chapter 17. So that right now, the Lord Jesus Christ is making intercession for us before the Father, before the throne in heaven. And to get a feel for what that intercession is all about, because we may not get too far into his intercessory ministry this morning, but to get a feel for that, what I'd like to do We're going to do something a little different this morning. We're going to read through the entire chapter of John 17. So if you'll turn there in your Bibles, and as we go through this, I want you to look at it with the view as to why is Christ ascending? Why did he leave this earth? Why didn't he hang around? So why did he leave, and what's he doing in terms of his priestly ministry?

Okay. John chapter 17. And we're starting at verse 1. It says, These words spoke Jesus, and lift up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come. Glorify thy Son, that thy son also may glorify you. And you have given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as you have given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. Notice the definition of eternal life in verse 3 is knowing God and knowing the Lord Jesus Christ.

In verse 4, I have glorified you on earth. I have finished the work which you gave me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with your own self, with the glory which I had with you before the world was. I have manifested your name unto men whom you gave me out of the world. Thine they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept thy word. Now they have known that all things, whatever you have given me, are of you. For I have given unto them the words which you gave me, and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from you, and they have believed that you did send me."

I pray for them. I pray not for the world. And notice in terms of his intercessory ministry, his intercessory prayer. He prays for believers. He does not pray for the world. So, continuing in verse 9, But for them who you have given me, for they are yours, and all mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And now I am no longer, excuse me, let's go back, and now I am no more in the world. Now, notice he's praying he's in the world, but he's saying, I am no more in the world. And he's looking forward, he's looking forward to his death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, that he's no longer going to be in the world. But these are in the world.

And I come to you, Holy Father, keep through your own name those whom you have given me, that they may be one as we are." What I'm trying to do is get through the King James and not put all the hasts and thous and thines in here, so if it sounds broken. Well, I was with them in the world. I kept them in your name. Those that you gave me, I have kept them, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled." Verse 13, And now come I to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

I have given them thy word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that you should take them out of the world, but but that you should keep them from the evil, and understood there is evil one, talking about Satan. Verse 16. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

Sanctify them through thy truth. Thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so I also sent them into the world, and for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth." And look at verse 19. He says he sanctifies himself. The word sanctify means to set apart. So the Lord Jesus Christ is saying, I'm setting apart myself unto Because when you set yourself apart, you set yourself apart from something to something. He's saying, I'm setting myself apart to them, to you, to me, that they also might be sanctified through thy truth. And it's interesting in verse 19 when it says that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

And it's hard to tell here in the English translation. But this is what is called a perfect, it's a perfect tense, but it's a periphrastic, which says this. And two little words are used in the Greek, and you need more words to explain it in English. But the literal translation would be, that they also might be sanctified through the truth, that phrase, that they, having been sanctified, accomplished fact, positional truth, you are sanctified, I am sanctified in Christ, having been sanctified, that they may be sanctified. Okay? Having been sanctified, they may be sanctified. So let me ask you a question. The first part is positional, I said, having been sanctified, it's an accomplished fact, that they may be sanctified. What does that speak to me about? That we may be sanctified. Okay, our growth and our condition and our walk, that we may be sanctified, that we may be set apart in our walk. Positionally, we're sanctified. But in our walk, we may or may not be set apart unto him. Okay, verse 20.

Neither pray I for these alone. So he's praying for someone else. And these there are the apostles that God has given to him, or the disciples. but he also prays for them also who shall believe on me through their word." Who is that? Us. So this whole prayer, notice that this whole prayer is for the disciples and is for us.

That they all may be one as you, Father, are in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that thou hast sent me." Notice the truth about our identification in Christ, that we may be one in Him, unified in the Lord Jesus Christ, identified with Him. In verse 22, and the glory which you gave me, I have given them that they may be one, even as we are one. Here is a phenomenal truth in what God has done. And I stress all the time in terms of God's eternal purpose, and one aspect of God's eternal purpose is to share His glory with us.

And here it is right here. Here the Lord Jesus Christ says this, The glory, Father, that you have given me, I have given them. And it's a perfect tense. What she's talking about is an accomplished fact in past time, but has abiding results forever. And so the very glory that the Lord Jesus Christ has had as a man, that very glory, he has given to us with abiding results. We have that very glory. And so God's eternal purpose has been accomplished in terms of He has shared His glory with us. And that was His purpose before the foundation of the world.

Okay, there is so much in this priestly prayer in John chapter 17, and that's why we're reading it. Verse 23. I am them, and thou and me, that they may be perfect in one, that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me. Father, I will that they also whom you have given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory. which thou hast given me, for thou loved me before the foundation of the world." Another aspect that Paul touches upon in 2 Corinthians 3, verse 18, in terms of us beholding the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ and His desire, the Lord's desire, is that we behold Him, that we scrutinize Him, and as we behold Him, that we come into this wonderful intimacy with Him. In verse 19, the righteous father The world has not known you, but I have known you, and these have known that you have sent me.

And I have declared unto them your name, and will declare it, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them. Okay, hopefully as we went through that, you saw some aspects in terms of the reason for his ascension and his priestly ministry. So before I put up this chart, let me ask the question, what things in that prayer indicated to us that he's going to be ascending. Why the ascension? Why didn't he just hang around here? Why isn't he in Jerusalem now and we can go see him? Why isn't he hanging out here on earth?

Okay, that's one of the things he says. that he's finished the work. It's a done deal. Okay, so as we look at all this, I think there are four reasons that we can see for his ascension. Number one, he's finished his earthly work. It's all over. His work, he came to die. His work on the cross has been finished. And it was God's purpose and plan from the very beginning. And another reason for his ascension is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ and to go home. We all like to go home.

He wants to go home, to be with the Father. This is the first time in all eternity, in all eternity, that he was ever separated from the Father. And especially when he took upon himself the sins of the world, he was separated spiritually from the Father. Now he's separated in the sense that he's a man, He separated physically from the Father.

So Jesus Christ now is a man. He'll be a man forever. And we have a man, the man Christ Jesus, who's our intercessor in heaven. Okay, so those are the four reasons. Sure. Okay, question is, If Christ is God, how can he be separated? Good question. Answer? I'll throw out the question. Answer? How can he be separated? Let's take after the resurrection. Let me ask you a question, Marilyn. When are you talking about, in terms of the separation? When Christ took on our sins. Oh, when he took on our sins.

Okay. But he's God. How can he misappropriate sin? Okay. Alright. Understand Marilyn's question? Because when we talked about the Lord Jesus Christ, 100% deity, 100% humanity. Who died? Okay. Separation was just during the time on the cross. Okay. But Marilyn's question is how could there be separation at all? Okay. Certainly the humanity part. He was without sin, right? So in his humanity, he was never separated, could never ever be separated for even one iota of a second from God in his humanity. Right? Once he took on our sins, then he was separated. spiritually as a man.

Yeah. Okay. Pressing on. True. True. Yes, we can never be separated positionally, but we can be separated conditionally. And the separation, the separation is just loss of fellowship. We'll try and get there. So he's finished his earthly work, and his earthly work is the work on the cross, is what he's done on the cross. Now here's the key.

Christ fulfills his part of the Eternal Covenant. Now we keep talking about this Eternal Covenant. Roger talked about the Eternal Covenant last week and said one of the reasons for the resurrection, because last week we talked about the resurrection, one of the reasons for the resurrection is to fulfill the Eternal Covenant. So the question came up, well, what is this Eternal Covenant? But, and I'll explain it in a minute, but I just want you to understand that in terms of his work on the cross, his work, he died for man's sins, all man's sins are forgiven, right?

No man is ever going to come before God and be condemned because of his sins, because they've been paid for. He's going to be condemned, right? He's going to be condemned because of his unbelief and his sin nature, because God condemns the sin nature in the flesh. And to those who are in Christ, there is now therefore no condemnation. So to those who are not in Christ, they're condemned because they still are united with their sin nature. We have been separated from our sin nature still hanging out here in us, but we've been separated from our sin nature, we've been cut loose from it. So, those two aspects of His work in the cross, so what is this eternal covenant? First of all, let me ask you a question. What's a covenant? When you think of the word covenant, what do you think of? Agreement? Okay, good.

And essentially, that's what it means. And here, first of all, I want you to turn to Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 20. Because this is where the eternal covenant is stated. And several people have said, you know, I read Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 20, but how do you get eternal covenant out of that?

Okay? Schwitz says, Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, or the eternal covenant. Let's look at some of the words. Let's just go through some of the phrases and some of the words.

So it talks about the word covenant. The word covenant in the Greek, diatheke, consists of two words, diatheke. means to cut, dia means between two. Or this verb tsebe here, the second part of this word for covenant, is to cut or to place. So a covenant is something that is cut or placed between two, as Sue said, an agreement. It's something so that when you go to buy a house or sell a house, you have a covenant.

You call it a contract these days. And the party of the first part agrees to this, and the party of the second part agrees to this, and you have this agreement between the two parties. So the same thing is true with this eternal covenant. It's between two parties. There's an agreement between the two parties. It's eternal. It's from all eternity. So this is what it looks like. Here's the covenant.

There's two parties. God the Son. He's the Great Shepherd. He is the One above all shepherds. There is no one greater than He as a Shepherd who watches over us. And the other party is God the Father. He's the God of peace. He's the God who provides peace, that we have peace through. We have peace with Him, face-to-face peace, and when we have face-to-face peace, we also have the peace of Him, the peace of God. that Philippians tells us surpasses all understanding.

So here are the two parties and there's an agreement. When it talks about God the Son, it talks about that little phrase, through the blood. So what's happening here is that God the Son agrees to shed his blood for the sins of the world." So this is in the covenant. There's an agreement between the two parties, and he agrees to shed his blood. What it says about God the Father, it says, "...that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus." Talking about the resurrection. So God the Father agrees to raise up Christ. So there is the covenant.

You die for the sins of the world, and I'll raise you up again. Now, think about this. Think about why the resurrection is so critical, because the resurrection is part of this eternal covenant, and why the death of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross is so important. The two are so critical.

Number one, anybody could come along and say, I'm going to die for the sins of the world. Mohammed could come along and say, yeah, I'm going to die for the sins of the world. How do we know that that death is efficacious, is of any value, that it's going to forgive our sins, that it's going to condemn the sin nature in the flesh? How do we know that it's going to do that. And there have been a lot of Christ, false Christ, that have come along and said that they're going to die for the sins of the world.

But how do we know that their death is of any value? How do we know that the death of the Lord Jesus Christ is of value, is efficacious? It's done, it's done the job. And the reason why he could ascend, his work is finished here on earth. How do we know if it's of any value?

How do you know that your sin is forgiven? How do you know that you've been cut loose, you've been separated from your sin nature? How do you know? There's only one way that you know. The resurrection. The resurrection is God's proof that Jesus Christ's death was efficacious, was of value. because he would be the only one that would be resurrected. He is the only one that has ever been resurrected. Everybody agree? No one else has ever been resurrected. Okay, how about Lazarus? Has he been resurrected? Okay, okay. So all those that have been raised from the dead, they've been restored back to life, only to die again. But no one has ever been resurrected and lives forever.

Right? But the Lord Jesus Christ. So He's the first fruit of the resurrection, and then we at His coming. So He's number one. Okay, we'll talk about the resurrection next week. Okay, so you understand. Hopefully, this helps with the eternal covenant. And as I put down at the bottom, which you probably can't read, the reasons that number one, he had to die. I know what I can do. Move it up.

Is that scripture tells us without the shedding of blood, there's no remission or forgiveness of sins. And in talking about the Resurrection, without the Resurrection we'd still be on our sins, right? As Scripture tells us, we would never be justified, we would never be declared righteous, and it's the proof that God's satisfied with Christ's work on the cross. Okay, any? Okay, Marilyn. Is the humanity of Christ is the humanity of Christ. Okay. Okay.

So, let's ask the question. How about us? Take us for a minute. Is our humanity eternal? When you say eternal, you're talking about eternal in the past and the future. How about us? We have a beginning. In terms of our humanity, we have a beginning. How about in the future? everlasting life, okay, and how about if we're not a believer? They still have a, they still have, they're still eternal, and their body, even though it dies, it's going to be raised again, so they're going to have a resurrected body, right? So in that sense, they're eternal.

Okay, how about the Lord Jesus Christ now? in terms of his humanity, did his humanity have a beginning? Crystal? Okay, when we talk about humanity, is it body, soul, and spirit? So did his humanity have a beginning? So didn't, you know, in the beginning, think about John 1, in the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, the Word was God for all eternity. Verse 14, and the Word became what?

Flesh. Human. And the Word became there is is a verb, ginomai, in the Greek. It's an essence verb, and it means to come into a state of being that never existed before. So he came into a state of being that he never existed before. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory that he had. from all eternity past, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." So yes, the Lord Jesus Christ in this humanity had a beginning. He became flesh. He never was flesh before.

That's correct. That's correct. So you see God's plan before the foundation of the world. You see how he was going to send the Lord Jesus Christ, right? And the incarnation and all of that. Okay. I knew somebody was going to ask that. Okay, and that's a good question.

Because in Genesis chapter 18, when Christ and the two angels come to Abraham and to Sarah and hang out with them for the entire day and have lunch with them, right? And Abraham recognizes the Lord Jesus Christ and calls him Lord. But he's in the form of a man. And so yeah, he took on a form of a man temporarily. Guess what he did with Abraham and Sarah? Yeah. Okay. All right. So much for the Eternal Covenant.

The second aspect as to why the Ascension. We said there were four reasons. The second reason, it was God's plan and purpose. Now I want you to look at two things. in terms of God's eternal purpose. One aspect of God's eternal purpose was to share his very glory with us. He shared his glory with Adam. Didn't he? But then Adam sinned and that glory was fallen. It became a fallen glory.

But God wanted you and I to have the full glory, the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. So that's why the Lord Jesus Christ came. And so his job is done. In John, chapter 17, verse 22, where God says, Father, the glory that you have given me, I have given them. Job accomplished. So he can go.

So He gives eternal life to all who believe, and that eternal life is the very glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. And as we read in John chapter 17 in verse 2 or 3, whichever it was, is the one aspect of eternal life positionally is being born again and having eternal life. The second aspect was knowing God, knowing Him moment by moment conditionally. So that's what I say here. Third aspect. of why the Ascension is to glorify Christ.

And you know that when the Lord Jesus Christ came, he set aside his visible glory, the glory that was manifested, all wrapped up in the Lord Jesus Christ. You know what to me is a miracle? It's this. Knowing who Jesus Christ is, that, and His glory, that to withhold the radiance of that glory from bursting out from within, because that glory is from within, without, you know, very much like in the Mount of Transfiguration, you saw the internal glory being manifested outwardly from the Lord Jesus Christ. The miracle was How was that contained? How was that visible glory contained on his walk here on earth? That's the miracle, because of who he is.

So, that visible glory is going to be restored, and the Lord and the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ is the very glory of the Father. He says, glorify me with thine own self, with your own glory, because their glory is identical. What does glory mean? We're talking about the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, the glory of God. Okay. His essence, his attributes, who he is. Okay. the fact that he's holy and righteous and just, he's infinite, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, self-existent, eternal life, grace and mercy and love and faithful, all of that is his glory. So, the point is this, the Ascension marks the return to Christ's manifested glory. Now notice, it was still hidden even after the resurrection and even during his ascension.

And I was going to go to Acts chapter 1, but I'm looking at the clock and there's no way we can go through this. But as he was ascending, Right? And everybody was watching him. And these two angels come along and say, hey, why stand you there, you know, observing the Lord Jesus Christ? The same Lord Jesus Christ, as you see him go up into heaven, will also return. But while they were watching him, the visible glory was still not there. But that visible glory returned when he went to be with the Father.

Okay. The last point as to why the Ascension. Point is this. Earth is not his home. Because as we read through John chapter 17, he says, I'm not of this world. And there's a little preposition there, which means out of. He says, I'm not out of this world. I did not come out of this world. Where did he come out of? If he didn't come out of the world, where did he come out of? He came out of heaven. So, as we look at 1 Corinthians 15, we find out that he's a heavenly man.

Question, where did you come out of? Earth? There's a trick question. Because I want to see if you see the distinction. The first time. So now let me ask you, where did you come out of as a new creation? Okay. Did you come out of earth or did you come out of heaven? Okay? That's what we are now. We are citizens of heaven. But where did we come out of as a new creation in Christ? We're born again.

From where? From earth? Or from heaven? From above. Our birth is not here, as in the creation, right? Our birth is above. The Lord Jesus Christ wants to go home. Where's our home? Okay, in heaven. Why is our home in heaven? That's where our heart should be? Okay. That's where He is. And guess what?

We're identified with Him. We were put in this living union with Him. And the Lord doesn't ever see us separated from Him. He and us, remember in the prayer in John 17, I am them, they in me, they in us, We have this living union. So wherever he is, that's where we are. This is not home. Right? This place is not home. And as Sue said, our citizenship is not here. Our citizenship is in heaven. What is that verse going to say? Our citizenship is in heaven from what?

Where we come. Right? From where we come. Okay. That was the Ascension. We've got five minutes to complete the Lord Jesus Christ's present work. First of all, let me ask a question. And I'll tell you the reason for the question in a minute. Go back to creation. It says that God created the heavens and the earth in six days.

And what did he do in the seventh? He rested. He rested on the seventh. Why did he rest on the seventh? Work was completed, nothing more to be done, right? And we teach that. Work was completed, nothing more to be done. But however, somehow we put in our minds that God's still resting. Take the Lord Jesus Christ, came to earth, and he tells the Father, My work has been completed, done. He ascends to the Father, sits on the right hand of God. He sits down and he's seated. Why? His work is completed here on earth. Nothing more to do. So we have in our mind the image that God the Father and God the Son are just sitting and not doing anything. That they're just not doing anything.

But remember in John when the Lord Jesus Christ heals this impotent man because there was this pool in Bethsaida and And every now and then, angels would come and stir the water. If you'd get there in time, and get into the water, you'd be healed. And this infinite man just could never had anybody to get him there in time. But when Jesus Christ comes along and heals this infinite man, and the Pharisees, and he tells the infinite man, take up your bed and walk. And the guy's jogging down the street. And the Pharisee sees this guy jogging down the street with his bed under his arm. It must have been a mat of some sort. Thank you. And the Pharisee says, hold it. Look at what this guy's doing. He's working on the Sabbath. This is the Sabbath day and this guy's working. And they go over to him and question him. Who told you to carry this bed? I'm the guy who healed me. I was infinite all my life and this guy comes along and he says, get up and walk and take your bed and walk. So I did exactly what he said.

Now, are they focused on the miracle that just happened? And they knew the guy, 38 years or whatever, 30 some odd years, that he's been lame? And the first focus on that? No, they focused on this little thing that they had in their mind that he couldn't be working on the Sabbath, and work was carrying his bed. They made up all these laws in terms of what work or keeping the Sabbath day holy.

They missed the boat, right? They missed the boat. So now they find out that Jesus Christ was the one who told them to get up and walk. And now they come. They are Pharisees. And they are the religious leaders. And they are going to challenge this guy. He just broke the law. And Christ's answer to them was this. He says, you know something?

That my Father is working and I also am working, all present tense. It says my Father continually works and I continually work. And it doesn't matter what day it is, it doesn't matter what dispensation it is, that my Father is working and I am working. And so God is working and the Lord Jesus Christ is working in your life, in my life, moment by moment, never stopping. And that priestly ministry is the Lord Jesus Christ continually working. So he's our great high priest in heaven. Quick question.

What's a priest and what's the difference between a priest and a prophet? Okay. Priests and prophets are go-betweens? Okay, but a priest and a prophet are go-betweens. But what's the distinction between a priest and a prophet? Okay, prophet foretells. A prophet represents God before man, and he tells man what God says, right? represents man, he does sacrifice, that's right, but he does that because he represents man before God. So that's the difference. So the Lord Jesus Christ is our great High Priest. He's representing us before God. He's our advocate. He pleads for us. And we can come boldly and confidently before his throne of grace.

And that's what the whole book of Hebrews is about, is about his priestly ministry. So his present work in terms of his priestly ministry for us, and he doesn't have a priestly ministry for unbelievers, but just for believers, just like we read in John chapter 17, he says, I pray for them, I pray not for the world. And so he's interceding for us and not the world.

But on earth, on earth He's calling out a people for His name. From amongst the Jews and the Gentiles, He's calling out a people for His name. He's calling out the church. And what He's doing here on earth, He's sanctifying us. He's setting us apart. And He's setting us apart from the world and self and all of And he does it because he said to the Father, sanctify them through thy word. And the word is the truth. And so we are being set apart moment by moment to Christ through his word.

He's edifying us. He's sharing his glory with us. He shares His glory with us through His Word, because as we behold Him, through the mirror, through His Word, that He transforms us moment by moment into the very same image. And so His purpose, His eternal purpose is being accomplished conditionally in our life. That we are being transformed, we are being formed into the very image of Christ. Isn't that marvelous?

Let's pray. Our Father, there are so many truths in your Word. And in this lifetime, we will never be able to comprehend them all. But Father, we do thank you for revealing them to us. in giving Him to us through your Word. And our prayer is, as we study your Word, we pray that the Spirit of God would reveal, and we know, Father, that's His responsibility to reveal the Lord Jesus Christ to us. that we may grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. In His name we pray, with thanksgiving. Amen.