The Son’s Exaltation

I made use of Biblical Critical Theory by Christopher Watkin (Zondervan Academic, 2022) for this sermon.

Introduction

In this series of sermons based on the Apostles’ Creed, we’ve already thought about God the Father almighty who made heaven and earth. And so, we thought about the Creator who is infinite, eternal, unchangeable and independent; and we thought about his creation, which is finite and temporal and changeable and totally dependent on the Creator.

Then we thought about Jesus Christ, God’s Only Begotten Son and our Lord. And so, we thought about how the name Jesus means Saviour and the title Christ means Anointed. And Jesus saved us by coming to earth as our Mediator; and he was anointed with the Spirit to be our Great Prophet, Priest and King. And Jesus Christ is God’s Only-Begotten Son, the Second Person of the Trinity. And therefore God did not love us with words only, but also with deeds. He did not just speak to us of his love, but he demonstrated his love by coming to save us in the person of his Son. And after his death and resurrection, he was exalted to the highest place and given the name that is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. As God, he is eternally sovereign over all, but now he is Lord over all as one of us.

And last week we thought about the Son’s humiliation and how he was conceived by the Holy Spirit and was born of the Virgin Mary. He then lived a life of suffering, being a man of sorrows who was familiar with suffering. And he also suffered under Pontius Pilate, who condemned him to death and handed him over to the soldiers to be mocked and beaten and whipped and crucified. And so he died and was buried and descended into hell in the sense that he really did die and was kept under the power of death for a time.

And last week we thought about how he was God and man in one person. Our Saviour had to be God, because throughout the pages of the Old Testament, God revealed himself to be the only Saviour of his people. And so, God himself had to save us. And our Saviour also had to be human, so that he could do for us what we ought to have done, but have not done, which is to live a perfect life of obedience to God. And he also had to be human, because it would not have been right for God to punish the angels, for instance, for what we have done wrong. Since humans had sinned, then a human should be punished. And so, the Son of God become one of us so that — as one of us — he could take the blame for us and suffer in our place the punishment we deserve. And by trusting in him, we are pardoned for what we have done wrong and we share in his perfect righteousness.

And since the Son of God took to himself a body and soul likes ours, then that tells us that the body is good and should not be despised. Down through the generations, there have always been those who have despised the body; and who have regarded it as a prison from which they long to be free. But the body is not a prison for our souls and it is not evil and should not be despised. And we know this to be true, because the Son of God took to himself a body and soul like ours; and after he died, he was raised bodily from the dead to live in body and soul forever.

And the incarnation of the Lord makes clear that salvation is not about us, climbing up to God by our good deeds. Salvation is about God coming down to us. God has come down to us in the person of his Son to save us.

And the last thing we thought about last week is how the Roman cross once filled people with disgust and dread and fear and it was a symbol of Roman brutality and vengeance and using force against the weak and of imposing Roman rule over the other nations. But Christ’s cross speaks to us of God’s love and mercy; and his willingness to pardon us and not to take vengeance; and of Christ’s willingness to make himself weak, trusting in his Father to vindicate him; and of Christ’s willingness, not to crush us, but to serve us. When people saw the Roman cross, it filled them with disgust and dread and fear, but Christ’s cross speaks to us of God’s love. And his cross should shape our lives and transform how we live, so that instead of making people afraid of us, we’re to live a life of love towards others. And instead of taking revenge, we’re to forgive those who offend us. And instead of using force to get our way, we’re to suffer in weakness, trusting in God to vindicate us when the time is right. And instead of lording it over one another, we’re to serve one another in love and humility.

Today we come to the next few lines of the Creed which are about Christ’s exaltation. So, after the Lord’s state of humiliation — when he entered the world as one of us and lived a life of sorrow and suffering before dying on the cross and being buried — he rose from the dead on the third day and ascended to heaven where he is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. And one day he will come again to judge the living and the dead. That’s what we’re thinking about this evening.

Rose from the dead

We read in the gospels how, early on the first day of the week, some of the women went to the tomb, where the Lord’s body had been laid, in order to anoint his dead body with spices. But when they got there, they found that the stone over the entrance had been rolled away. When they went inside, they did not find his body, but there were angels there who announced to them that the Lord was not there, but had risen. They then went to tell Simon Peter and John who ran to the tomb and saw that it was empty. When the men had gone, the risen Lord Jesus appeared to Mary. At first she did not recognise him, but once he said her name, she realised who it was and that the Saviour who had died was now alive. He had risen from the dead. And she ran and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord.

Later that day, two disciples were on the road to Emmaus, when the Lord appeared to them and walked along the road with them, talking about what had happened. They were kept from recognising him and did not realise it was the Lord. However, later, when they stopped to have something to eat, their eyes were opened and they recognised him. And he vanished from their sight.

They ran back to Jerusalem, where the disciples were meeting in a locked room. And the Lord Jesus came and stood among them and showed them his hands and side, so that they could see the marks left from his crucifixion. And while he was with them, he asked for some fish and ate it in front of them.

Thomas was not there that evening and he did not believe his fellow disciples when they told him that the Lord was alive. He said: ‘Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.’ And a week later, when the disciples were gathered again, and Thomas was with them, the Lord appeared once again. And Thomas saw that it was true.

Another time, when the disciples had gone fishing, the Lord appeared at the side of the lake. When they recognised him, they went ashore and discovered that he had made a fire and was cooking fish for them.

And before his ascension he appeared to over 500 believers at the same time and he gave many convincing proofs to his apostles that he was really alive. And he spoke to them about the kingdom of God and taught them what they needed to know. And he told them to expect the coming of the Spirit.

The Lord’s resurrection from the dead was a bodily, or physical, resurrection. That is to say, he did not rise spiritually. He did not return as a ghost or spirit. He rose with the same body as he had before. We know he possessed a human body, because he was able to eat some fish and his disciples were able to touch him. We know it was the same body as before, because it still bore the marks of the crucifixion. And yet it was also different, because he was able to appear in a locked room and he was able to vanish from their sight. And those who saw him did not immediately recognise him. So, there was continuity and discontinuity between his body before his death and resurrection and his body after his resurrection. Paul puts it this way in 1 Corinthians 15. He contrasts the natural body which we have now with the spiritual body which we will have when we are raised as Christ was raised. We will possess the same body as we have now, but it will be different. And so it was for Christ who was the first to be raised from the dead.

Ascended to heaven

And then, forty days after his resurrection and while he was speaking to his disciples, he was taken up before their eyes and a cloud hid him from their sight. While they were looking up into the sky, angels appeared to explain to them that this same Jesus, who has been taken from them into heaven, will come back in the same way as they have seen him go into heaven.

And so, that’s where he is now. Having been raised from the dead, he ascended to heaven. And so, when Stephen, the first martyr, was dying, he looked up into heaven where he saw the Risen and Exalted Lord Jesus standing at God’s right hand. In Ephesians 1 Paul writes about God great power which he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in heaven. In Ephesians 4:10 Paul says that Christ descended to earth before ascending higher than all the heavens. And in Philippians 2, Paul describes how Christ, being equal with God, made himself nothing and was made in human likeness. And he humbled himself and became obedient to death on the cross. Therefore God exalted him to the highest place, which is where he is now. And the book of Hebrews compares Christ to the earthly priests. The earthly priests could only ever enter an earthly tabernacle, which was a copy of heaven. But the Lord Jesus has entered the true tabernacle. He has gone into heaven itself to appear before God the Father. And in the book of Revelation, John receives visions of heaven and Christ is there, the Lamb who was slain, but who was made alive and the angels are worshipping him.

Seated at God’s right hand

Sometimes we’re told he is standing in heaven and sometimes we’re told he is seated in heaven. But whether he is standing or sitting, he is associated with God’s powerful rule. So, he is at the right hand of power; or he’s at the right hand of God’s power; or he’s at the right hand of the Majesty; or the right hand of God’s throne. He’s in the place of power and authority. And Paul tells us that God has placed all things under his feet and has appointed him to be head over everything for the church. And so, from God’s throne in heaven, he rules over all things for the sake of his people here on earth. As God, he always ruled over all that he had made. But now he rules as one of us and as our Saviour. And so, as our Saviour, all authority in heaven and earth has been given to him to extend his kingdom throughout the world and to defend his people against Satan’s wicked schemes.

Two weeks ago we were thinking about how he was anointed by the Spirit to be our Great Prophet, Priest and King. And he is still our Great Prophet, Priest and King in heaven. As our prophet, he sent his Spirit to the apostles to remind them of what he had said and done and to lead them into all the truth they needed to know about him and our salvation. And by his Spirit he inspired some to write the New Testament; and now he uses the preaching of his word to convince and convert sinners to faith and to build up believers in the faith. And so, he still teaches us from heaven.

And as our Priest, he stands before the Father in the same body which he offered to God for our forgiveness. And so, he’s there before the Father as a continual reminder that our sins have been paid for in full. And he speaks in our defence when we sin and intercedes for us before the Father and he comes to help us when we are tempted.

And as our King, he’s building his church on the earth, just as King Solomon built his palace in Jerusalem. And as our King, he provides his people with the leaders and teachers they need to guide them. And as our King, he rules over his enemies, visible and invisible, to prevent them from destroying his church on earth. And in the end he will triumph over his enemies when he comes again with glory and in power; and the Devil and all his demons will be cast in the lake of fire where they will be tormented day and night forever and forever.

Will come again

And when the Lord comes again, he will judge the living and the dead: everyone who has ever lived. As a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, so he will separate the righteous from the wicked. The righteous are those who have been blessed by God and who will be invited to take their inheritance, which is eternal life in the presence of God: an inheritance they did not earn, because it is a gift and it was prepared for them since the creation of the world. In other words, it was prepared for them before they had done anything, whether good or bad. And the wicked are those who are cursed by God. And they will be sent away into the eternal fire, prepared for the Devil and his fallen angels. And in view of Christ’s coming to judge the living and the dead, we ought to make sure that we’re ready for his coming. And the way to get ready for his coming, so that we can look forward to it and not dread it, is by trusting in Christ for salvation, because whoever trusts in him will not be condemned, but will receive the free gift of eternal life.

Application 1

Let’s now think of the significance of all of this. And it is significant, isn’t it? One writer (Watkin) makes the point that the resurrection is not merely a historical event. It is a historical event. We have to be clear about that. The Lord Jesus really did rise from the dead. There was a day when he died and there was another day when he was raised. This is a historical event. But it’s not merely a historical event. And it’s not merely a historical event, because it means someting. It has significance. And it makes a difference. Lots of things which happen in the world don’t mean much. They’re not particularly significant. But the Lord’s resurrection is a historical event which means something and which makes a difference.

Because of Christ’s resurrection, we know that our sins are forgiven. I’ve used the illustration many times of a criminal who is caught and sentenced. The judge decides that he must spend 10 years in prison to pay for his crime. And so he’s put in prison and locked away behind bars. But then, at the end of those ten years, he’s able to be released. And he’s able to be released because he’s paid for his crime. He’s done his time and now he’s able to be released. And the prison guards — who once had to ensure that he was locked up behind bars — have to unlock those bars so that he can walk free. They must let him go free, because he’s paid for his crime in full.

And the Lord Jesus was released from the grave and he was raised from the dead because he has paid for the sins of his people in full. If their sins hadn’t been paid for, then he would still be dead. He’d still be dead, still suffering the punishment for their sins, still enduring the sentence for their disobedience. But he’s paid for all the sins of his people completely and for ever. And so, he was released from the grave and he was raised from the dead. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15: If Christ has not been raised, you’re still in your sins. But he was raised; and that tells us that our sins have been paid for completely. God’s justice has been satisfied and no further punishment will be required for what his people have done.

Furthermore, since Christ has been raised from the dead, then all who believe in him are raised with him in this life to live a new kind of life. Paul says in Ephesians 2 that we were once dead in our transgressions and sins, when we followed the ways of the world and of the Devil. But because of his great love for us, God who is rich in mercy made us alive with Christ and he has raised us up with Christ and seated us in the heavenly realms. So, by faith, we have been raised with Christ. And this makes a difference in our daily lives, because we have been raised to live a new life of obedience to God. The life we live now should reflect the glory of heaven where we belong.

And Christ’s resurrection from the dead is also the guarantee that we too will be raised from the dead when he comes again. He was the firstfruits: the first to be raised from the dead. He was the first, but he will not be the first, because when he comes in glory and with power it will be to summon us from our graves so that we will live with him in body and soul in the new heavens and earth.

In fact, his resurrection from the dead is the beginning of the new creation. As the same writer (Watkin) has said, the Lord did not come back to life. Instead he went forward to a new kind of life. His resurrection was not a return to the same kind of existence as he had before. Think of how our life now is very much the same as life before Covid. So, we’ve gone back to our old life. But the Saviour did not go back to his old life after he was raised. He went forward to a new kind of life, a life which belongs, not to this old creation, but to the new creation to come.

And when anyone believes in him, we become a new creation too, because we are born again of the Spirit and we begin living that new kind of life, which is a life of obedience to God. And we receive the Holy Spirit from Christ, who renews us inwardly in God’s image. And then, when Christ comes again, we will be made new in body and soul and we will live with Christ in the new heavens and earth. When the Saviour was raised, it was the beginning of the new creation.

And the resurrection makes a difference, because it changes how we regard death. As I often say at funerals, death is our great enemy, because it cares for no one and it breaks into our lives and it robs us of our family and friends and of the people we love. And one day it will rob us of our own life. And it seems that death is unstoppable and it always wins, because every day it claims more and more victims for itself. However, now that Christ has been raised, we can regard death as a defeated enemy, because Christ has overcome it. And now we know that death is not the end, because for those who believe there’s the hope of the resurrection and eternal life in God’s presence. Death still causes pain and sorrow. It still makes us weep. It still robs us of the people we love. But we know that death is a defeated enemy, because God has triumphed over death for us in the person of his Son who died, but who was raised.

And the resurrection makes a difference, because it changes how we regard the world. We often take it for granted that things will deteriorate over time. A garden which is not maintained will become a wilderness. A car left out in the rain will rust and fall apart. Our bodies, once we reach a certain age, begin to wear out and go wrong. And, of course, we know that what is alive now will be dead in the future. Things just get worse over time. And if that was true for all time, then you might wonder what’s the point of starting anything? What’s the point of starting anything, because it will eventually come to nothing. Everything is a vanity, a mere chasing after the wind. Whatever we accomplish will come to nothing; and whatever we achieve is destined to perish. So, what’s the point?

That’s the way things seem for now. However, the fact that Christ has risen changes that, because it gives us hope for the future. This fallen and broken world will be renewed when Christ comes again. God’s good creation, which has been spoiled by sin, will be restored and made perfect. The dead will be raised and those who trusted in Christ will live with him in a renewed and perfect world. And right at the end of 1 Corinthians 15, that chapter about the resurrection, the Apostle Paul tells us to give ourselves fully to the Lord, because we know that our labour in the Lord is not in vain. We’re not wasting our time when we obey the Lord in this life. We’re not wasting our time when we keep ourselves from evil and seek to do what is right and good. We’re not wasting our time, because our labour in the Lord is not in vain. And it’s not in vain, because Christ’s resurrection gives us hope for the future.

Application 2

But finally, and briefly, the fact that Christ our Saviour has been exalted to the highest place and has been appointed by God as head over everything should fill us with confidence. He rules over everything for the sake of his church.

Think of how Satan had to ask God’s permission to attack Job. And no one will be able to attack you without Christ’s permission. You are under Christ your King’s protection. And when you pass through the waters, he will be with you. And when you pass through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you. When you walk through fire, you shall not be burned. He will put a wall around you, a hedge to keep you safe. And even if he grants permission to Satan or to someone else to harm you, then you should remember and believe that Christ your King is still in control; and he’s able to turn your afflictions to your advantage; and he’s able to work all things together for your good.

And so, instead of being anxious and afraid, we can sing for joy and burst into song and give thanks to God; and give praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance which can never perish, spoil or fade, but which is kept in heaven for us.