This post continues from the previous one. Here we look into his resurrection, his appearances, session, and return.

Here is the image again, for your convenience:

We are on the right side.

VIII.. His Resurrection

A.. Defining Christ’s resurrection

Though I am not Reformed, let’s see what Reformed theologian Louis Berkhof has to say. First he describes what Christ’s resurrection is not:

The resurrection of Christ did not consist in the mere fact that He came to life again and that they body and soul were reunited. If this were all that it involved, He could not be called “the firstfruits of then who slept [died]” (1 Cor 15:20), nor the “the firstborn of the dead” (Col. 1:18; Rev. 1:5). (p. 346)

In other words, Lazarus was raised from the dead, but he died. Jesus’s resurrection was qualitatively different.

Now Berkoff tells us what Christ’s resurrection was:

It consisted rather in this that in Him human nature, both body and soul, was restored to its pristine strength and perfection and even raised to a higher level, while body and soul were reunited in a living organism. (p. 346)

Then he draws this analogy from what will take place in the bodies of believers in the general resurrection:

We may gather something as to the transformation that must have occurred in Christ. Paul tells us in 1 Cor. 15:42-44 that the future body of believers will be incorruptible, that is, incapable of decay; glorious, which means resplendent with the heavenly brightness; powerful, that is, instinct [sic] with energy and perhaps new faculties; and spiritual, which does not mean immaterial or ethereal, but adapted to the spirit, a perfect instrument of the spirit.  … [Christ] was endowed with new qualities perfectly adjusted to His future heavenly environment. Through the resurrection He became the life-giving Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45). (p. 346)

B.. Who accomplished the resurrection?

1..  Christ raised himself from the dead.

This is in contrast to others who were raised from the dead. Jesus said he had the power to lay down to lay down his life and take it up again (John 10:18). He said he was the resurrection and the life (John 11:25). This implies that he has power over life and death, even over his own life and death. He predicted h e would rebuild the temple of his own body (John 2:19-21).

2.. Yet the resurrection was not done by Christ alone.

It was also done by God generally (Acts 2:24, 32, 3:25, 5:30; 1 Cor. 6:14); Eph. 1:20) and more specifically the Father worked the miracle of the resurrection (Rom. 6:4; Gal. 1:1; 1 Pet. 1:3).

3.. The Spirit was also involved (see Rom. 1:4, below).

And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. (Rom. 8:11)

C.. The resurrection is central to the New Testament.

It is the central message of the New Testament, and the culmination of the four Gospels (Matt. 28:1-20; Mark 16:1-11; Luke 24:1-53; John 20:1-21:25).

Jesus Christ our Lord was declared openly to be the Son of God:

⁴ and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power^[b] by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.  (Rom. 1:4)

Many scholars believe that Paul is quoting or summarizing a very early creed.

The most important verses are found in 1 Cor. 15:1-7. Numerous Christian scholars believe that those above verses contain a very early creed. It is essential of the core of the gospel:

³ For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴ that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, ⁵ and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. ⁶ After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. ⁷ Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, ⁸ and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. (1 Cor. 15:3-8)

Our faith depends on it. Christ was not raised from the dead, then the early apostolic preaching has been useless and so is our faith:

¹⁴ And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. (1 Cor. 15:14)

Then the implication for us and the dead is massive if Christ is not raised from the dead:

More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised.¹⁶ For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. ⁷ And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. ¹⁸ Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.¹⁹ If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. (1 Cor. 15:15-19)

D.. The benefits of Christ’s resurrection

1.. It guarantees our resurrection.

“Firstfruits” means that he is the first one, ahead of us all. It portends our own resurrection. His resurrection guarantees our own. He was first, and we follow him:

²⁰ But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹ For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. ²² For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. ²³ But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. (1 Cor. 15:20-23).

For a study of firstfruits in the Old Testament, please check out these passages: Deuteronomy 18:4; 20:2; 28:26. Be sure to look at the context.

2. His resurrection reveals what our bodies will be like.

⁴² So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. ⁴³ It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. ⁴⁴ It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. (1 Cor. 15:42-44)

3.. Christ’s resurrection vindicates his teaching.

³⁸ Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” ³⁹ He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. ⁴⁰ For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (Matt. 12:38-40)

4.. His resurrection ensures his service as the high priest for us believers.

He intercedes for us eternally, by being in heaven and by praying for us by his divine nature.

³ Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; ²⁴ but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. ²⁵ Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. (Heb. 7:23-25)

5.. His resurrection means Christ is our Lord.

Confession out loud with our mouths and heart-belief is very important—life-and-death important.

⁹ If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved (Rom 10:9)

6.. It means our regeneration or new birth.

The born-again experience is new birth:

³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (1 Pet. 1:3)

7.. It guarantees our salvation:

⁵ He made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. (Eph. 2:5)

8.. It means our heavenly position is secure.

While we live on earth, we are in the heavenly realm by faith and in part, not in fulness, as we will be when we are resurrected. As written, the next promise and truth is remarkable. Let’s accept it into our minds and hearts right now:

⁶ And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus. (Eph. 2:6)

The next verse (Col. 3:1) goes with Ephesians 2:6.

9.. It means we set our hearts on things above.

¹ One very important practice in the Christian life is renewing our minds.

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. (Col. 3:1)

Ephesians 2:6 and Colossians 3:1 are remarkable. We are raised up with Christ, and now we set our hearts on him. We do not fight from a weakened position or point of view. We fight from his position in the heavenly realm. Confess and meditate on him and our heavenly position.

10.. The resurrection offers us power to go through tough times, even death, if necessary.

¹⁰ I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. (Phil. 3:10-11)

This kind of persecution happens around the globe, but it is evil. We should not deliberately seek to be persecuted. But if we are, then God will help us with his resurrection power.

11.. The Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead lives in us.

We have the resurrection Spirit and power in us, who gives new life to our mortal bodies.

And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. (Rom. 8:11)

12.. His resurrection breaks the power of death.

⁵⁴ When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”  […] ⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 15:54, 56-57; cf. Is. 25:8)

His death destroyed death and brought life. This is another example of the Great Exchange, which means we give up our death because he died for us, and now he gives us his life.

¹⁰ [Grace] has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. (2 Tim. 1:10)

He has set us free from our fear of death.

¹⁴ Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— ¹⁵ and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. (Heb. 2:14-15)

13.. The resurrection ensures that sin does not dominate us.

⁴ We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. […] ¹¹ In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.  […] ¹³ Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. (Rom. 6:4, 11, 13)

And this verse implies that since Christ has been raised we no longer live in our old sinful life. Christ has been raised, our faith is vibrant and useful, and we are no longer in our sins:

¹⁷ And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. (1 Cor. 15:17)

The latter verse implies that See the next verse, too (Rom. 4:25).

14.. Our faith in the resurrection ensures our justification.

The faith we have for salvation comes from God working in our hearts before we are saved, so let’s not treat faith as a self-effort.

²⁴ [T]o whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. ²⁵ He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. (Rom. 4:24-25)

Justification means we are declared righteous, so we can stand before God in our prayers in this life and survive his judgment when we die. This declaration is based on his resurrection.

15.. His resurrection is our hope of perfect resurrection bodies.

His resurrection tells us what our bodies will be like when we die and go up to heaven, and when our physical bodies get resurrected.

²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” (John 20:27)

And this verse:

¹⁴ By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. (1 Cor. 6:14)

Once again we see that Jesus is the “first-fruits.”

²⁰ But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep (1 Cor. 15:20).

As noted, firstfruits implies there will be others after him. Here they are us:

⁴² So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; ⁴³ it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; ⁴⁴ it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. (1 Cor. 15:42-44)

And this passage reinforces our hope in a new resurrection body:

⁵³ For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. ⁵⁴ When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” (1 Cor. 15:53-54; cf. Is. 25:8)

IX.. His Appearances

A.. Table of appearances

This table is a perfect summary of all of them that were recorded:

Resurrection Appearances
	Appearance	Place	Time	Scriptures
1	The Empty Tomb	Jerusalem	Resurrection Sunday	Mt. 28:1-10; Mk. 16:1-8; Lk. 24:1-12; Jn. 20:1-9
2	Mary Magdalene	In a garden in Jerusalem	Resurrection Sunday	Mk. 16:9-11; Jn. 11-18
3	Other women	Jerusalem	Resurrection Sunday	Mt. 28:9-10
4	Two men on Road to Emmaus	Emmaus seven miles from Jerusalem	Resurrection Sunday	Mk. 16:12-13; Lk. 24:13-32
5	Peter	Jerusalem	Resurrection Sunday	Lk. 24:34; 1 Cor. 15:5
6	Ten disciples in upper room	Jerusalem	Resurrection Sunday	Lk. 24:36-43; Jn. 20:19-25
7	Eleven disciples in upper room	Jerusalem	Following Sunday	Mk. 16:14; Jn. 20:26-31; 1 Cor. 15:5
8	Seven disciples	Sea of Galilee	Some time later	Jn. 21:1-23
9	Eleven disciples on mountain	Galilee	Some time later	Mt. 28:16-20; Mk. 16:15-18
10	More than five hundred	Unknown	Some time later	1 Cor. 15:6
11	James	Unknown	Some time later	1 Cor. 15:7
12	His disciples at his ascension	Mount of Olives	Forty days after resurrection	Lk. 24:44-49; Ac. 1:3-8
13	Paul	Damascus	Several years later	Ac. 9:1-9, 22:3-16, 26:9-18; 1 Cor. 9:1
Adapted from NIV Study Bible (2011), p. 1754

B. Meaning of his appearances

They confirm the resurrection. The disciples needed them because they needed to see him. Without them, the story was incomplete. God the Father raised him up.

They guarantee his ascension. God vindicated him, completing the mission of redemption.

They potentially change all of humanity. God now deals with humanity in a new way, though it was indicated throughout the Old Testament. Salvation was apart from the Son and through the law of Moses (Phil. 3:8-9). Now it comes through his resurrected Son.

X.. His Ascension

A.. Brief intro

His ascension is also called his exaltation. The two terms are interchangeable. Recall Philippians 2:9a: “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place. […].

B.. The fact of the ascension

Jesus led them out to Bethany, just outside Jerusalem, raised his hands and “while he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven” (Luke 24:51).

Luke, doing his research by interviewing eyewitnesses who were with Jesus from the beginning, describes the ascension clearly in his history. The ascension was visible to the disciples.

⁹ After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. ¹⁰ They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ¹¹ “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:9-11)

Next, Luke gives away the narrative. All the way back in his ninth chapter of his Gospel, he says that Jesus will be taken up into heaven.

⁵¹ As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. (Luke 9:51)

John also reveals early in his Gospel that Jesus is heading towards heaven after the ascension.

⁶² Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before!  (John 6:62)

Jesus will be exalted all the way back to the Father. In this verse John’s summary agrees with Paul’s writings in Philippians 2:5-11:

²⁸ I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.” (John 16:28; cf. v. 10)

Now Jesus uses the word “ascending”:

¹⁷ Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” (John 20:17)

In these next two verses, the phrase “lower, earthly regions” probably means the grave, though some interpreters believe it means a descent into hades-sheol, or the place of the dead (see 1 Pet. 3:18-19; 4:6).

⁹ What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? ¹⁰ He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe. (Eph. 4:9-10)

C.. What the ascension means in Christ’s life

He is now the God-man in heaven He acquired his (sinless) human nature at his conception, and now he is forever a man in heaven.

For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus. (1 Tim. 2:5; also see Rev. 1:13)

His glory which he had before his Incarnation was restored to him. Jesus is about to die, and he prayed to the Father that his glory would be restored to him:

⁴ I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. ⁵ And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. (John 17:4-5)

The next verse, written by Paul, was probably an ancient hymn.

He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory. (1 Tim. 3:16)

Many scholars believe the above verses were taken from an ancient Christian hymn.

God exalted him to the highest placed in heaven and on earth. Here are some verses from our foundational text:

⁹ Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil. 2:9-11)

D.. What the ascension means to Christians.

1.. His ascension secures our heavenly position.

While we live on earth, we are in the heavenly realm by faith and in part, not in fulness, as we will be when we are resurrected:

⁶ And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus. (Eph. 2:6)

As written, that promise and truth is remarkable. Let’s accept it into our minds and hearts right now. The next verse (Col. 3:1) goes with that one, above.

2.. It means we set our hearts on things above.

One very important practice in the Christian life is renewing our minds.

¹ Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. (Col. 3:1)

Those two verses are remarkable (Eph. 2:6 and Col. 3:1). We are raised up with Christ, and now we set our hearts on him. We do not fight from a weakened position or point of view. We fight from his position in the heavenly realm. Confess and meditate on him and our heavenly position.

3.. It grants us our citizenship is in heaven right now.

²⁰ But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ (Phil. 3:20)

That verse does not say our citizenship will one day be in heaven in they future. Rather the present tense “is” indicates our citizenship is there now. Our place in heaven is secure, thanks to Christ’s ascension.

4.. It means our bodies will be like his glorious body.

The verse in this point and the previous one (Phil. 3:20-21) teach us that Christ has power to bring everything under his control—a process that is happening gradually and sometimes imperceptibly right now. That power will transform our bodies, but that transformation won’t be gradual, but will happen in the twinkling of an eye (1 Cor. 15:52).

²¹ who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. (Phil. 3:21)

5.. The ascension teaches us that he will return again in the same way he left.

Two angels are addressing the disciples.

¹¹ “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11)

6.. We have a sympathetic high priest.

Through him we can approach the throne of grace with confidence:

¹⁴ Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. ¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. ¹⁶ Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Heb. 4:14-16)

XI.. His Session

A.. Brief intro

The word session comes from Latin sessio, which means sitting. Jesus accomplished the story of redemption: birth, life, ministry, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension back to heaven. Therefore, Christ’s session on God’s throne and at his right hand means he has received all authority and power dominion. Sitting on the throne of God, the God-man exercise governance over the entire universe and over his church, his body.

Now let’s look into Scripture, beginning with the Old Testament. It is the source of much of New Testament theology.

B.. Old Testament

1.. God’s throne over the universe signifies sovereignty or God’s rule over the universe.

This verse comes in the context of Israel attacking a possession belonging to Aram:

¹⁹ […] Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne with all the multitudes of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left.  (1 Kings 22:19)

This verse is about God being enthroned over nations of the world:

⁴ The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them [the nations]. (Ps. 2:4)

Again he rules over the nations, which tremble. God’s throne further signifies his holiness:

¹ The Lord reigns, let the nations tremble; he sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake. ² Great is the Lord in Zion; he is exalted over all the nations.
³ Let them praise your great and awesome name—he is holy. (Ps. 99:1-3)

2.. His holiness and throne are linked:

⁸ God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne. (Ps. 47:8)

3.. God’s throne signifies his majesty:

¹ In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. ² Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. ³ And they were calling to one another:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”

⁴ At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. (Is. 6:1-4)

4.. The Messiah occupies the seat of honor at God’s right hand:

¹ The Lord says to my lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” (Ps. 110:1)

5.. God’s throne means a priesthood is established and can be exercised:

⁴ The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” ⁵ The Lord is at your right hand. (Ps. 110:4-5; cf. Heb. 7:17)

6.. Jesus will build the temple, which is his church.

The Branch is Jesus:

¹² Tell him this is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Here is the man whose name is the Branch, and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the Lord. ¹³ It is he who will build the temple of the Lord, and he will be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he will be a priest on his throne.  (Zech. 6:12-13)

7.. God’s throne is a place where judgment is exercised:

⁵ The Lord is at your right hand; he will crush kings on the day of his wrath. ⁶ He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth. ⁷ He will drink from a brook along the way, and so he will lift his head high. (Ps. 110:5-7)

.C. New Testament

Now let’s look into the New Testament’s teaching on Christ’s sessio or sitting.

1.. After his death Christ will occupy the place of sovereignty and authority.

⁶⁴ “You have said so,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” (Matt. 26:64; cf. Mark 14:62; Luke 22:69)

2.. Christ’s procession into heaven.

Peter depicts Christ in a procession into heaven. Christ is now (sitting) at God’s right hand. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. All angles and authorities and powers now submit to him

²² who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him. (1 Pet. 3:22)

3.. Jesus’s death (and resurrection) leads to his session:

³ The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. (Heb. 1:3)

4.. All powers are subject to the exalted Jesus.

Paul agrees with Peter on the subjection of powers. The last phrase depicts his right to rule on things and powers in heaven and on earth (see Eph. 1:19-21, below):

¹⁹ That power is the same as the mighty strength ²⁰ he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, ²¹ far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. (Eph. 1:19-21)

5.. The great heavenly high priest (Jesus) is enthroned, sitting on high.

Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven (Heb. 8:1)

Jesus did not have to offer sacrifices in the temple over and over again, like the human high priest did. Jesus’s sacrifice was for all time.

¹² But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, ¹³ and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. (Heb. 10:12)

6.. Suffering before exaltation and session.

He had to go through the cross and then God raised him up to sit at his right hand.

² Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb. 12:2)

7.. A future judgment is coming.

²⁸ Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.  (Matt. 19:28)

The throne is the judgment seat.

¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. (2 Cor 5:10)

D.. Summary

So God’s power raised Jesus from the dead; it enabled him to sit at God’s right hand in the heavenly realm; now he is far above any kind of authority or jurisdiction or power that exists in this age and the next. God placed everything under his feet because Jesus is seated next to God.

XII. Three Offices of Christ

A. Brief intro.

Many Reformers made much of the three offices of Christ: Prophet, Priest, and King. He ministered in those roles or capacities while he was on earth in his state of humiliation and after his ascension  and during his seating at the right hand of the Father, his exaltation. So let me introduce you to this theology.

FYI–sacerdotal is another word for priestly, just in case you come across the term.

B. Office of Prophet

1.. Earthly ministry

He preached the gospel (Luke 4:18; John 1:18; Heb. 1:1; Luke 13:31). We can also add that he predicted the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem, in his Olivet Discourse (Matt. 24, Mark 13; Luke 21). But in the main Reformers say that his teaching represented his prophetic gift during his state of humiliation.

2.. Exaltation

His Office of Prophet during his exaltation is found in the word of God and his teachers proclaiming the word. They must preach the word while they stand in the church.

So no Spirit-inspired prophecies in the church as we see in 1 Corinthians 12-14. But as a charismatic–a Renewalist–I believe the Lord can inspire people to speak prophetically through the Spirit, though this may not be a perfect representative of his Office of the Prophet. But if preachers express his Office of Prophet through their proclamation of the word, this too is an imperfect representation of his prophetic office.

B. Office of Priest

1.. Earthly ministry

A priest, who had to be consecrated and sanctified (set apart), oversaw the sacrificial system. Jesus was sent to die for the sin of the world. He fulfills the OT sacrificial system. Here are verses that spell this out:

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45)

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)

For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. (John 17:19)

He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2)

God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. (Rom. 3:25)

In those verses Jesus functions as our priest to take away our sins. And so we see that he himself became the sacrifice and the priest.

2. His exaltation

After he died on the cross as our propitiation (or appeasement of God’s just wrath and punishment of sin), he became the better priest after the order of Melchizedek, which is an eternal priesthood, which will never stop.

¹⁹ We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, ²⁰ where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. (Heb. 6:24-25)

A priest functions as a mediator between God and humans. Jesus is this mediator:

 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, ⁶ who gave himself as a ransom for all people. (1 Tim. 2:5-6)

Then these verses teaches that he was spotless and pure and set apart from sinners, when he was exalted into heaven. His sacrifice is not daily but he offered himself once and for all.

²⁶ Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. ²⁷ Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. (Heb. 7:26-27)

Finally, he entered the holy of holies and secured eternal redemption by his own blood. N0 more daily sacrifices.

He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. (Heb. 9:12)

C. Office of King

1.. Earthly ministry

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, he was proclaimed the king, by Scripture itself:

This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

Jesus indirectly affirmed Pilate’s question:

 Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “You have said so,” Jesus replied. (Matt. 27:11)

2.. Exaltation

We do not see his rule except by faith.

In putting everything under them [his feet], God left nothing that is not subject to them. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them (Heb. 2:8)

But here is the loud proclamation of Jesus’s kingship, as he defeats all earthly and spiritual enemies:

They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings (Rev. 17:14)

D. Summary

This is a wonderful teaching. Jesus’s three offices are being exercised right now while he is in heaven. The clearest teaching is about his priestly office. He really was and is the sacrifice and the priest.

XIII. Return

A. Brief intro.

The Second Coming will be covered in a later section. For now, here is a sample of the very basics.

B.. How and why he will return

1.. Jesus will come back in the same way that he ascended: physically and visibly.

(See Acts 1:9-11, under VIII. His Ascension, letter B).

2.. It will be glorious.

This chapter in 1 Thessalonians includes the great snatching up, also called the rapture. Clouds may also speak of glory.

¹⁷ After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. (1 Thess. 4:17)

This verse is not about metaphorical clouds. It also begins a long parable about judging the nations.

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. (Matt. 25:31)

3.. Angels will accompany him.

They will also help him gather in all the people.

²⁷ For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done. (Matt. 16:27)

4.. Jesus will return with great and visible power.

The context of this verse is the destruction of Jerusalem, which happened in A.D. 70. But he inserts in between this local judgment the greater second coming, which has not happened yet.

³⁰ “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth^[c] will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. (Matt. 24:30)

5.. He will destroy all enemies.

In this verse, Jesus will destroy the lawless one, who was raised up by Satan.

⁸ And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. (2 Thess. 2:8)

6.. Jesus is coming back with a loud trumpet and a great shout.

⁵² in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. (1 Cor. 15:52)

The next verse also says a trumpet and a shout of command and the voice of an archangel.

¹⁶ For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. (1 Thess. 4:16)

Are you ready to meet him? You can be ready, if you surrender your entire being and life to his Lordship, with a simple, heart-felt prayer. “Jesus, I surrender my entire life to your Lordship.”

XIV.. Application

A.. Bigger perspective

We now understand more clearly his entire existence. The upsweeping arrow puts things in perspective. It reveals God’s entire plan of salvation. It reveals Christ’s humanity and deity.

B.. Incarnation

The fullness of deity lives in bodily form in Jesus (Col. 2:9). There is nothing inherent in God’s nature that blocks him from stepping down into time and showing us a better way and redeeming us and offering us the gift of eternal life with him.

God sent his Son because he loves the world: ¹⁶ “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

C.. His resurrection is a game-changer.

Jesus was raised from the dead, bodily, as the earliest Christians said it was (Mark 16:1-8). Jesus came with the express purpose to preach the good news of the kingdom, to live a godly life, and to die as a sacrifice for our sins. And this purpose shapes his birth, life, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension.

Jesus was destined by God to die for the sins of the world. Before his death, however, he healed many with illnesses and even demon possession, in an atmosphere of faith. His mission was to set them free of ailments.

Jesus forgave his crucifiers. He prayed for a criminal and promised him that he would be in paradise. Jesus knew where he was going—back to heaven where he originally came from.

D.. His appearances are proofs of the resurrection.

They potentially change the whole world. Reports are now circulating and growing in number that Jesus is appearing to Muslims, either in dreams or personally in his body. They are converting to Christ.

Without the resurrection, his mission would like any other world religion—just preach some sort of message, and in Islam’s case, if they don’t convert, force them. But the Spirit of Jesus woos and draws people—not ravishes them.

Jesus’s resurrection ushered in the Church Age, when he sent his Spirit to the upper room (Acts 2), probably the same one in the above list.  When he was alive he said it would be advantageous for him to go away into heaven, because he would send the Spirit (John 16:7). Now he can direct the Spirit to guide his Church. Personally, his Spirit guides you. He presents Jesus to you—all due to Jesus’s resurrection.

E.. His ascension means victory is won.

Christ publicly, bodily, and visibly was raised up from the earth and went into the clouds, possibly clouds of glory or just ordinary clouds. When he was out of their sight, he disappeared and went into the heavenly dimension, where dwell God, his throne, angels, cherubim, Old Testament saints and other beings and things. He is now the heavenly God-man, after acquiring a new state: humanity.

I like to imagine big cheers thundering across heaven as the nail-scarred God-man processed towards the throne, where he was about to be seated at the right hand of the Father and receive all praise and glory (Rev. 5:12).

F.. Through Jesus, the Church now has authority.

By God’s will we the church participate in his rulership over dominions and authorities and powers under him.

This remarkable and stunning and brand-new idea and reality is confirmed in this verse:

And God raised up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:6).

What does it mean to submit to Christ’s authority who in turn gives us his authority over all those things in vv. 19-21?

Let’s apply his session to our world.

Does it mean authority over Satan? Yes.

Does it mean authority over disease because disease is part of the natural world and has a kind of power in its natural realm? Yes.

Does it mean authority over political injustice? Yes.

Over oppression and slavery and anti-liberty policies? Yes.

Over any mental strongholds and arguments and pretensions? Yes.

The list could go on because dominion and authority and power are all encompassing.

Through Christ and submitted to him we have rulership over all of it. And the best way to exercise rulership over it is to preach the gospel.

What is the purpose of Christ’s session when it grants us so much authority under him? Ephesians 2:7 says, “In order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.”

So, the purpose is to display grace and kindness. Believers who rest in Christ have authority, but they also glorify Jesus for the awesome grace and kindness of God, which he applied to us, unworthy though we were. God gets the glory, not us.

G.. The Second Person of the Trinity

Throughout these states, even during his State of Humiliation or Servanthood, he was and will always be the Second Person of the Triunity, from eternity past and into eternity future. The second person is now both God and man. His human nature was added to his divine nature.

H.. Our worship life is changed forever.

The more you get to know a good man, the more you appreciate him. We serve more than just a good man. We serve the risen Lord. Our life of worship can now be clearer because we can see his entire existence laid out before us. We can respond in our soul and spirit with much greater appreciation of who he is and what he had to go through for us.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Works Cited