The fact that God has glorified Him whom they crucified
Christ had put a great honour on them in making them His ambassadors. But they must remember that they are men— earthen vessels, men of Galilee, illiterate, looked upon with disdain. Why stand ye gazing, rude and unpolished men, as those who are frightened and perplexed, astonished and at their wits' end? Christ's disciples should never stand gazing. They have a sure rule to go by, and a certain foundation to build upon. They should never be at a loss.
(b) To confirm the disciples' faith. This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven is not gone for ever. There is a day appointed in which He will come in like manner.
(i) This same Jesus will come "in person"'. (ii) He will come in like manner. He is gone away in cloud, attended by angels; and, behold, He comes in the clouds, and with Him an innumerable company of angels. He has gone up with a shout and the sound of a trumpet; He shall descend from heaven with a shout and the trump of God.
When we stand gazing and trifling, the consideration of our Master's second-coming should quicken and awaken us. And when we stand gazing and trembling, the consideration of it should comfort and encourage us.
4. THE IMMEDIATE RESULTS OF THE ASCENSION UPON THE DISCIPLES
These are seen on the day of Pentecost (Acts ii.). The wonderful effusion of the Spirit on that occasion made the people marvel. Some of them asked (verse 12): ''What meaneth this?" I will tell you the meaning of it, says Peter. This Jesus, being "exalted to the right hand of God" and having received of the Father, to whom He is ascended, the promise of the Holy Ghost, He hath given what He received, and hath shed forth this which ye now see and hear. For the Holy Ghost was to be given when Jesus was glorified, and not before. You see and hear us speak with tongues we never learned. This is the gift of the Holy Ghost and is proof positive that Christ has been exalted.
5. THE CONDEMNATION OF THE JEWs IMPLIED IN THE ASCENSION The fact that God has glorified Him whom they crucified further condemns the Jewish nation. It aggravates their wickedness that they crucified one whom God had designed to glorify.
Ascension 11
Of course, the converse is true. It magnifies the wisdom and power of God, that though they crucified Him, and thought thereby to have put Him under an indelible mark of infamy, yet God had glorified Him. The indignities they had done Him served as a foil to His lustre.
6. 'THE TEACHING OF THE ASCENSION IN THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH
(a) The exaltation of Christ (see Phil. ii. 9). Christ's exaltation was the reward of His humiliation. Because He humbled
Himself God exalted Him. And highly exalted Him—raised Him to an exceeding height. Further, He exalted His whole person, the human nature as well as the divine. For He is spoken of as being in the form of God as well as in the fashion of man. The divine nature could not further be exalted, therefore the proper exaltation was of His human nature. It is made to consist in honour and power. In honour, so "he had a name above every name'', a title of dignity above all the creatures, men or angels. And in power, "'Every knee must bow to him"'; that is, the whole creation must be in subjection to Him.
"At the name of Jesus'', the glorified Mediator, every knee shall bow. Not at the sound of the word, but the authority of Jesus, all should pay solemn homage. 'Every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord." That is, that every nation and language shall publicly own the universal empire of the exalted Redeemer.
This is the exaltation, that all the glory of the upper world, and all the powers of both worlds, are entirely devoted to Him. The Father hath put all things under His feet. All creatures whatsoever are under Him. They must either yield Him obedient service or fall under the weight of His sceptre and receive their doom from Him.
The comfort to Christians of this exaltation is that it has resulted in Christ becoming the Head of all things to the Church. He is entrusted with all power that He may dispose of all the affairs of the providential kingdom in subservience to the designs of His grace concerning His Church. With this, therefore, we may answer the messengers of the nations, that the Lord hath founded Sion.
(b) The gifts to the Church conferred by the ascension. As great conquerors, when they rode in their triumphant chariots, used to be attended with their most illustrious captives led in chain and were wont to scatter their largesses and bounty among the soldiers and other spectators of their triumphs, so Christ, when He ascended into heaven as triumphant conqueror, "led captivity captive" (Eph. iv. 8). It is a phrase used in the Old Testament to signify a conquest over enemies, especially over such as had formerly led others captive (see Judges v. 12). Captivity is here put for captives, and signifies all our spiritual enemies, who brought us into captivity before. He conquered those who had conquered us, such as sin, the devil, and death.
Indeed, He triumphed over these on the cross. But the triumph was completed at the ascension, when He became Lord over all, and had the keys of death and Hades put into His hands. And he "gave gifts unto men''. In the psalm it is: He "received gifts for men". He received for them that He might give to them a large measure of His gifts and graces. In particular He enriched the disciples with the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Not least among these gifts, as seen by St. Peter (see 1 Pet.
ill. 22), was the comfort that was offered to the persecuted. If the advancement of Christ was so glorious after His deep humiliation, let not His followers despair, but expect that after these short distresses they shall be advanced to transcendant joy and glory.
(c) The offices of Christ after the ascension. He is invested with the highest honour, authority and activity for the good of His people. The Father now does all things by Him. He receives all the services of His people from Him. He truly stands on the manward side to God and on the Godward side to man.
So the Epistle to the Hebrews rightly concerns itself with the priestly duties of the exalted Christ. He is our Great High Priest. He is the mediator between man and God, the intercessor and advocate.
He is qualified for this office: (1) By His person. "Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father." He was anointed by the Father for the whole office of mediation, the whole work of salvation, and consequently for that of intercessor or advocate.
(ii) By His character. "Jesus Christ the righteous." He is the righteous one in the court and sight of the Judge. An advocate in another court may be an unjust person himself,