Archive for the ‘Ascension Sunday’ Tag

Who and Where Jesus Is, and What He’s Doing!

Part 1A

Part 1B


Scripture: Ephesians 1, 4


Introduction:

Summary and Goal:
On this Ascension Sunday, we ask, “Who is Jesus Christ?” And, “Who are you, Lord?” We get the incredible response and reminder that He is the Father’s Son in the Holy Spirit Who, as the God/Man, is The Way, The Truth, The Resurrection, The Life, and The Ascended One!

Theological Theme:

As the Ascended One, Jesus is ruling over all things with his Father and the Holy Spirit as the God/Man! Though He is living with the limitations of our glorified human nature, he is also living with the unlimited nature of his God Being, as one Person with two natures! Ruling over the earth was always Jesus’ destiny, even if we hadn’t sinned, for God alone can rule over all things within creation and outside of creation! God alone can rule over the visible as well as the invisible! Apart from Christ, no one can do anything! This is not just a statement coming from the fact that we have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory! Only the Father Son and Holy Spirit God can pull off Their real, full, and final goal inside their creation; the goal of the adoption of mankind into Their relationship!

Christ Connection:

In Jesus’ being conceived by the Holy Spirit, he has started something fresh and new right here in the middle of our broken humanity (for he was not born of the will of fallen man but of God). In his fleshly life as a baby, a child, a teenager, a young adult, and a full-grown man, he has completely undone every obstacle and all sin between the Father and us. We can relate with him and the Father and come before his throne of grace boldly to receive mercy in time of need! In his suffering and crucifixion, and his ascension to heaven as a fully glorified Man before the Father, Jesus is sharing everything He is and has with our human nature in the Holy Spirit.

Missional Application:

In the grace and power of the Holy Spirit Who is with us, and through whom Jesus knocks on the door of our hearts to live inside us, you can now turn and come to the Father! Through Jesus the Son you can live a life that glorifies God—great things Jesus has done! You are called to live in unity with Jesus and the Father by receiving the Holy Spirit, a relationship that is offered to you freely! You are summoned in Jesus by the Spirit to embrace and stop rejecting the Father! You are called to understand Jesus and stop putting off understanding Him! You are called to enjoy the Holy Spirit and stop grieving Him! You are called to receive and share this Good news with others!

Photos compliments: youtube.com

Jesus, Our Risen King, Is Ascended, So…

Jesus' Ascension

Audio – Part A: 24 min

https://trinityandhumanity.files.wordpress.com/2020/02/19.5.26-jesus-our-risen-king-is-ascended-so-part-a-acts-1.4-14-eph-1.23-tah.mp3”

Audio – Part B: 25 min

https://trinityandhumanity.files.wordpress.com/2020/02/19.5.26-jesus-our-risen-king-is-ascended-so-part-b-acts-1.4-14-eph-1.23-tah.mp3”

Audio – Full Message:

https://trinityandhumanity.files.wordpress.com/2020/02/19.5.26-jesus-our-risen-king-is-ascended-so-acts-1.4-14-eph-1.23-tah.mp3”


Bible Verses: Acts 1:4-14,  Ephesians 1:23


 This is a Gospel message preached on Ascension Sunday 2019

Theological Theme:

Jesus’ Ascension is as important as every other facet of his life and work because it is the sphere within creation in which he can be in every place, filling everything everywhere with his presence.

Christ Connection:

Jesus, the Son of Man and Son of God has lifted humanity up into heaven, in himself, in order that he might continue to share his present love and life, extending his loving authority over all things in heaven and earth! He sends us the Spirit from there that we might be adopted, personally and collectively, in relational union and communion with him.

Missional Application:

From his place of Ascension Jesus continues to draw humanity to himself, calling each one to participate with him in his relationship with his Father in the Spirit. The Father’s Mission and Will is that his children would presently become disciple-makers and participate with Jesus in making him known – from the least to the greatest!

Photo Compliments: planencuentro.wordpress.com

The Life, Death, and Ascension of Jesus

Jesus Birth Life Death Resurrection Ascension

Nothing is more central to the Christian message than the news that Jesus has brought humanity into objective union with the Trinity. The Father, Son, and Spirit, before creation, determined that the life they share in unfettered mutual other-centeredness, would be shared with you, and with me, and with the entire human race. How raucous should be the celebration of our Inclusion!!

I recall 9 years ago coming to terms with my wrong-headed theology. I was ashamed of things I had believed and preached. Reading, like a man stranded on a desert island with only a library of Trinitarian thought to pass the time, I hungrily consumed every book I could get my hands on that focused on the Triune nature of God as the starting point for its theology.

I read new books and old books. I began to see the importance of the Life, Death, and Ascension of Jesus in a new light. I let go of Penal Substitutionary Atonement theory. I no longer saw God the Father as killing Jesus so he wouldn’t have to kill me. I began to scream at Western Evangelical Christian radio and TV. I soon just turned it off! “Jesus is not the only one who loves me!” I thought. “The Father and the Holy Spirit love me too!” You see inside the life, death, and ascension of Jesus, or what we call his finished work, the dream of the Father to have mankind in union with the God-head was accomplished.

Do you see it? Do you see the startling beauty of the purpose and plan of God for humanity? The life, death, and ascension of Jesus are towering over historical humanity from the very beginning beckoning us to wake up and see the beauty of our inclusion into the life of God. We are called to live in it, love in it, laugh and play in it. We are summoned to belief so we might taste and see that the Lord is good. So good in fact that there is nothing you can do to change God’s disposition toward you. There is nothing you can do to make the Father, Son, and Spirit love you more or less. God already loves you with 100% of His being! All that you needed to fit and be adopted into the life of God has already been accomplished in the life, death, and ascension of Jesus…

Well I hope I have not agitated anyone too much. I intentionally left out the word resurrection simply to make the point that we ought to be equally alarmed when we hear people talk about the “life, death, and resurrection of Jesus”. We must never forget how important to us is His Ascension. In fact this blog post was written as an exercise on how sometimes we emphasize the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus to such a degree that we forget about the importance of the ascension of Jesus. This Sunday is Ascension Sunday, when we celebrate with special emphasis, the Ascension of our Lord Jesus. In the Ascension you and I and all of humanity have been seated with Jesus at the right hand of the Father. In the Ascension we have all gone home! We are with the Triune God both here in our present condition and at the same time seated at the throne of God. We need not divide Jesus to such an extent that we focus on one part of him or his ministry to the detriment of others but this year during Ascension week let us be especially thankful that Jesus has brought us all home in his ongoing Incarnation!

~Bill Winn