Ascension and Exaltation

Four Spans in the Bridge of Salvation

There remains but one double span to complete God's wondrous bridge of salvation. The God-man, crucified, buried and risen, must go back to His Father in glory and be exalted to the place of honor and power at His right hand. Only then could His work be completed. At the resurrection Christ Jesus was constituted the last Adam and became the Progenitor of a new order of beings but not until His ascension and exaltation could He actually be inducted into His work as Head of the Church. He must first enter into Heaven to present the blood of Calvary's Sacrifice to His Father and then be enthroned by God as "the King of kings and Lord of lords."

The Home-coming of the Son

In His glorified body the God-man left the earth and passing through the heavens entered into Heaven itself.

Acts 1:10, 11, "And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he wen up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;  Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."

Hebrews 9:24, "For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us."

Oh! What a home-coming that must have been! Thirty-three years before the well-beloved Son, who through all eternity had been in the bosom of the Father, had left His home in glory to be born in the womb of a virgin. Earth had never held such an One as He and the world not knowing the worth of the precious gift received Him not. But, having glorified His Father on earth and having finished the work which He gave Him to do, the Son now goes Home. He is marred and scarred by His treatment on earth. Hands and feet and brow all tell the story of the crucified on Calvary's tree. The precious body of flesh and bones (Luke 24:39) is a silent witness to the blood shed on the cruel Cross. Surely Heaven knew the worth of the treasure it held on that wonderful ascension day and the angelic host, the number of whom was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, praised Him with a loud voice and heaven reverberated with the anthem of welcome that greeted the triumphant Redeemer as He entered its portals.

Psalm 24:7-10, "Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.  Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.  Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory."

The Exaltation of the Son

The Father awaited the return to glory of His well-beloved Son that He might bestow upon Him the place of highest honor; that He might exalt Him to the place of greatest power; that He might give Him a name which is above every name; that He might crown Him Lord of all.

Ephesians 1:20-22, "Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places.  Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:  And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church."

Phil. 2:9-11, "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

The exaltation of Jesus Christ meant His enthronement. The eternal Son who once voluntarily had emptied and humbled Himself was now exalted to the throne of God and all power in Heaven and upon earth was granted unto Him. The crucified Saviour is now the preeminent Lord.

Matthew 28:28, "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth."

Acts 2:36, "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ."

~Ruth Paxson~

(continued with # 1 - "The Present Work of the Living Christ")