- [Bryan Chapell] What is the advantage of Christ ascension to us,
his ascension when he after his resurrection, rose to be with his father?
That ascension is Christ enthronement as king overall.
He showed that he ruled over death but he continues to assume his place of authority
over all the world.
The very one who created the world is the one who continues to rule it by the word
of his power.
Now, when I say that Christ rules, it means that in his ascension,
he assumed the office of King that he had before he came to earth,
but even the office that he held when he continued to maintain all things,
accomplish all his purposes even until his death and resurrection,
but as now the ascended Lord, he is Lord over all.
He is the one who controls all things so that they are working for the good
of those who love him.
But he's not simply king.
He is in his ascension, interceding for us at the right hand of God.
He continues to fulfill the office of a priest as well, providing what is needed
as advocacy, intercession before the Father, so that as we repent of our sins,
as we pray to God, our sins are taken by the Son of God, acting as a priest in our
behalf as the one who now intercedes for us so that God would listen and act
in our behalf.
But not only is he acting as that King, and as priests on our behalf,
he continues to send his word into our hearts by the work of his Spirit.
The Holy Spirit, remember, was to testify of Christ.
And the very reason that we can understand God's word, its significance,
not just understanding the logic of the Bible, but its significance touch
our hearts, is that the Holy Spirit sent by Christ himself is opening our hearts
to the significance of the word.
Which means that as that word comes from Christ, and is given to us by his spirit,
Jesus continues to operate as a prophet in our behalf too, giving us the Word of God,
so that we can walk with Him, understand Him, understand His grace
in our behalf.
Now all this means that Christ in his ascension is operating
for our present good.
He's ruling our present circumstances.
He's advocating for us in our present circumstances.
He's sending his word into our hearts so that we can handle
our present circumstances.
But that's not the end of his job.
As Prophet, priest, and king, he's also preparing for our future.
All things are being worked toward a divine end, a culmination,
a consummation of the glory of God by the one who rules over all for the purposes
that he has designed.
He, as king, is preparing a place for us of God's great blessing.
And as a priest, he is going to ensure that when we stand before the throne
of judgment, we will be made right before God by the cleansing work of the blood
of Jesus Christ.
His priestly nature will again come to the fore as we bow before the Lamb of God who
by his blood purchase men and women for God from every tribe and language and
people and nation, that priestly role, Christ will also fulfill as he prepares
a future for us.
And ultimately by his spirit, he will secure from every tribe
and nature, language and people, all who are his own,
so that God by His spirit is accomplishing His will not only in the present world
but in eternity, He is securing by the power of the Spirit,
all that God intends sent by the purposes, power, and ultimate love of Jesus Christ.
That ascended Lord is the one who, by being prophet, priest and king is ruling
over our present and preparing for our future.
It's really a great advantage that Jesus is the ascended king who our prophet
and priest as well.