“Why Jesus Wants You Where He Is”
[John 17:20-26]
May 16, 2010 Second Reformed Church
Today is Ascension Sunday, so let’s begin with asking the question, “Where is Jesus?” With the exception of the most hardened skeptics, no one believes Jesus is in the Garden Tomb. So, our choices are that His disciples stole the Body and put it somewhere, willingly suffering horrific deaths as they defended the story that He rose from the dead. Or, that He did not really die, but escaped, and His disciples bizarrely and willingly suffered horrific deaths defending the story that He rose from the dead. Or, as over five hundred eye witnesses attest, He did actually rise from the dead, and then ascend back to the Throne of the Son of God in Heaven.
Luke records, “So when [the eleven apostles] had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven’” (Acts 1:6-11, ESV).
Paul explains “[God] worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but in the age to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:20-23, ESV).
And, “If you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1, ESV).
And the author of Hebrews writes, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2, ESV).
So, according to the eye witnesses, Jesus ascended to the Right Hand of God the Father. The expression, “at the right hand” means that the person who sits there holds all authority and power. The Son returned to His Throne, glorified in the Person of Jesus. So, Jesus is in the Kingdom, on His Throne, ruling over all things. And this morning’s Scripture tells us, in part, that Jesus wants us where He is. Why?
The Scripture that was read is the end of what is called”The High Priestly Prayer” of Jesus. It is the prayer that Jesus prayed for His people just before He was betrayed and taken away to the High Priest for trial.
In just looking at the end of this prayer, we find these things:
First, Jesus asks the Father that all believers – all Christians from that day until the end of time – which includes you and me, would believe in Him, through the witness of the words of the apostles (which we have as our Bible) and that we might be one, just as the Father and the Son are one.
When we talk about the doctrine of the Trinity, we say that Jesus is God and the Father is God and the Holy Spirit is God – these Three Persons are the Same One God. In that way, Jesus asked His Father that all those who believe savingly in Him would be one. Understand, Jesus is not asking that we merely agree in what the Scripture teaches. No, He is asking that we would be one in the same mysterious, mystical way that the Father and the Son and the Spirit are all One.
Jesus prays that just as He and the Father are distinct Persons, yet still the Same One God, we, who are distinct persons, would be One in Christ, mystically joined together in Him to form One Body; the Church. Paul writes that “[Jesus] create[s] in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace” (Ephesians 2:15b, ESV).
Second, Jesus says that He has given His Glory to His Own. This is a case of what theologians call the “already” and the “not yet.” Through Jesus’ Work, He has already glorified us in eternity, but in this present moment, we have not yet been glorified. We will surely, without fail, be glorified, like Jesus, but it will not happen – in time – until He returns for us.
Paul tells us that Jesus gave Himself for the Church – for all those who would believe – “so that [Jesus] might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:27, ESV). And again, “When Christ who is your life appears, then you will also appear with him in glory” (Colossians 3:4, ESV).
So, though it has not happened in time, we have the promise of God our Savior that it will surely happen without fail, for all those who believe savingly in Him Alone for salvation – we are glorified, and we will enter into His Glory, made like unto Him on that final day.
Jesus asks His Father that even as we wait to be united with Him in glory, we will be united in such a way that the world will see His Glory and Perfection already working in and through us and understand the love that the Son has for we who believe, which is the love that the Father has for the Son.
Jesus prays that the world will look at us and exclaim: “Now I understand – though your words and actions, I can see how much God the Father loved the Son to send Him to become the salvation of all those who would believe.”
Third. Jesus prays that we who believe would be where He is. Why? Why does Jesus want you and me and all those who believe to be where He is? Why does Jesus want us to be in His Presence, at the Right Hand of the Father, before the Throne in the Kingdom?
“Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me before the foundation of the world.” Jesus wants us where He is so we may see His Glory.
Remember, after Moses interceded with God for the people of Israel, after they sinned with the golden calf, “Moses said, ‘Please show me your glory.’ And [God] said, ‘I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name. “The Lord.” And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But,’ he said, ‘you cannot see my face, for man shall not see my face and live’” (Exodus 33:18-20, ESV). And “when Moses came down from Mount Sinai, ... Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God” (Exodus 34:29a, c, ESV).
We humans cannot see the direct glory of God because it is so intense and holy, it would kill us. But humans can view the Glory of God through Jesus. We will remember what happen at the Transfiguration: “And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light” (Matthew 17:1-2, ESV).
And we are told in Revelation: “And I saw the temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day – and there will be no night there” (Revelation 21:22-25, ESV).
And what will our response be to this? To being in the presence of the glory of Jesus Christ? We will find ourselves eternally in worship of God and the Lamb. Even now as we but glimpse the glory that is coming among us and the glory that we are being brought into, we ought to find ourselves more and more prostrate before our God and Savior is worship. And, also, in joy. For the glory of the Lord, being in it, being brought into it, being surrounded by it, will give us the greatest of all possible joys.
Jesus wants us where He is so we will see His Glory, worship Him as He deserves to be worshiped, and have our joy be made as full as it can possibly be.
So, in these final verses of the High Priestly Prayer, we find that we believers in Jesus Alone for our salvation are mystically united with Him. Jesus is praying for us even now. Jesus has promised that we will all be glorified when He bring us into His Kingdom. God, our Father loves us. We will be with Jesus where He is now – for all of eternity. And when we are received into that glory, we will see His Glory and worship and be filled to the fullest with perfect joy.
Today is Ascension Sunday, let us worship our Savior. Let us look forward to the day when He returns and brings us into His Glory – that day when we will behold His Glory forever, filled with joy unimaginable.
Let us pray:
Almighty God, we thank You for revealing Your Son to us. We thank You for giving Him to us to be our Savior. And we thank You that He wants us to be with Him – in the Presence of His Glory – forever. Cause us to be ready. And come quickly, Lord Jesus. For it is in His Name we pray, Amen.
1 comment:
Post a Comment