The Ascension – A Proclamation Of Jesus Christ’s Completed Work

Speaker: Archbishop Loren Thomas Hines

May 13, 2024

in Spritual Growth

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May 12, 2024

Readings: Ezekiel 1:3-5A, 15-22, 26-28
Ephesians1:15-23
Luke 24:49-53

Feast of the Ascension

Today, we acknowledge an awesome event of the Lord which is the Ascension. Christ came for a purpose. He came to earth as man, born of a virgin and lived His life like a man. He was baptized by John, tempted in the wilderness, overcame the devil’s wiles, and the Holy Spirit came upon Him. For three years, He went about doing Ministry Work. When it came time for Him to fulfill the will of the Father, He went to the Cross, died, rose from the grave and ascended into heaven. John 10:10 “I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly.” 1 John 3:8 “The one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.”John 4:9 “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.”

When He ascended into heaven, it was a proclamation that He had everything. Do we really understand the importance of the ascension? He has won the war for us. He came to accomplish the will of the father. He destroyed the works of the devil. He returns to the Father and resumes His position. What Jesus did was complete. He never does things half-baked.

2 Kings 2 When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; the Lord has sent me to Bethel.”
But Elisha said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?” “Yes, I know,” Elisha replied, “so be quiet.” Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, Elisha; the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” And he replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho.The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?” “Yes, I know,” he replied, “so be quiet.” Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” And he replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them walked on. Fifty men from the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan. Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground. When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?” “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,”Elisha replied. “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.” In the same manner, Jesus brought His disciples to Bethany to see Him go. To see Him ascend into heaven.

Paul said, “all the riches of His inheritance have been given to us. We are seated together with Jesus in the heavenly places.” We see so much evil in the world, but our hope is in Jesus. He gave His life so that we might have ours. He has filleth all in all. Ephesians 4:10 He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things. Ephesians 1:23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. 2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Hebrews 2:5-6 “It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. But there is a place where someone has testified:
“What is mankind that you are mindful of them, a son of man that you care for him? Vs. 9 But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of His suffering death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.”
We should be thinking about the things of God and not in things which will bring us worries and anxieties.

The Ascension is a proclamation that, “it is finished.” We need to make the right choice to choose God. There is only one church. Christ is the Church. The ascension brings things to its fullness. It is up to us now to live out the fullness. Hebrews 4:10 “for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his.” God has forgiven us. We must forgive others. Christ has redeemed us to His family. We need to take what He has given us and live it out.