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Scripture Reading: Heb. 2:9; 12:2; Acts 2:36
With this message we begin a series on the Man-Savior’s ascension. First we shall give a description of the Lord’s ascension. Then we shall consider both the objective and the subjective aspects of His ascension.
The Man-Savior’s ascension is His inauguration into His heavenly office through the process of creation, incarnation, human living, crucifixion, and resurrection as God and man, as the Creator and the creature, and as the Redeemer, the Savior, and the life-giving Spirit, to execute God’s administration and to carry out God’s New Testament economy (dispensation).
If we would understand the Man-Savior’s ascension, we need to see that it is His inauguration into His heavenly office. This inauguration required a lengthy process that began with creation and continued with incarnation, human living, crucifixion, and resurrection. This process involved the Man-Savior as God, man, Creator, creature, Redeemer, Savior, and life-giving Spirit. The Lord Jesus was inaugurated to execute God’s administration and to carry out God’s New Testament economy. In the objective aspect, the Lord’s ascension caused Him to be crowned with glory and honor (Heb. 2:9) and to be enthroned for God’s administration (Heb. 12:2) and made Him the Lord to possess all and the Christ to carry out God’s commission.
Have you ever heard that Christ had an inauguration and that His inauguration was His ascension? Some may respond to this question by saying that the word “inauguration” cannot be found in the Bible. It is, of course, correct to say that this word is not in the Scriptures, but the fact of the Man-Savior’s inauguration is there nonetheless. The expression “the Triune God” likewise is not in the Bible, but it is a fact that the Bible reveals the Triune God. For example, Matthew 28:19 speaks of baptizing believers “into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” In like manner, the New Testament reveals the fact of Christ’s inauguration. Consider Acts 2:36: “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made Him both Lord and Christ — this Jesus whom you crucified.” In this verse the word “made” can be understood to mean “inaugurated.” Hence, Christ’s inauguration is in Acts 2:36. If we read the preceding verses, we shall see that there the Lord’s ascension is mentioned. In His ascension God inaugurated Jesus Christ into His heavenly ministry. This means that in His ascension, in His inauguration, God made Him Lord and Christ.
As the One inaugurated into His heavenly office through His ascension, the Man-Savior has a wonderful status. He is both God and man, both the Creator and a creature. Some theologians would agree that Christ is God, man, and the Creator, but would deny the fact that He is also a creature. However, Colossians 1:15 says that Christ is the Firstborn of all creation, indicating that with respect to His humanity He is a creature. But due to the heresy of Arius, which was condemned at the Council of Nicea in A.D. 325, many are reluctant to say that, according to Colossians 1:15, Christ is a creature. In this verse we are told that Christ is the image of God, the Firstborn of all creation. If this verse were not in the Bible, we would not presume to say that Christ is both the Creator and a creature. However, this verse is the basis for saying that Christ is a creature as well as the Creator.
If we say that Christ is both God and man, then we must also say that He is both the Creator and a creature, for God is the Creator and man is a creature. However, some theologians say that Christ is both God and man, and then say that He is only the Creator, not a creature. How ridiculous! Is man not a creature? Hebrews 2:14 indicates that the Lord Jesus had blood and flesh. Are blood and flesh not created things? If you deny that Christ is a creature, you are actually denying that He came in the flesh. Denying that Christ has come in the flesh is a heresy condemned in chapter four of 1 John.
Years ago, some in Hong Kong were proclaiming, “Our Christ is the Creator; He is not a creature.” When I heard about this, I told the saints, “It is very wrong to say that Christ is the Creator but not a creature. If you say that Christ is not a creature, then you are also saying that He did not become a man. But since Christ became a man, He also became a creature, because man is a creature.” Our Christ, whom God inaugurated into the heavenly office, is both God and man. He is the creature as well as the Creator. Furthermore, He is the Redeemer, the Savior, and the life-giving Spirit. What a wonderful status He has! What qualifications He possesses!
Many Christians do not realize what kind of status and qualifications Christ has as the ascended One. However, I can testify that whenever I contact the Lord, I realize that He is God, man, the Creator, a creature, the Redeemer, the Savior, and the life-giving Spirit. Because I have this realization concerning the Lord, sometimes I am beside myself with joy when I contact Him. I can even say that I am sometimes “electrified” by the Spirit when I think of what Christ is.
Have you ever considered that Christ is not God in part but the whole God? He is not only God the Son but also God the Father and God the Spirit. Hence, Christ is the whole God, the Triune God. Furthermore, He is a tripartite man. Therefore, as the Triune God and the tripartite man, He is the whole God and a perfect man. Let us all learn to say, “My Savior is the Triune God and a tripartite man. He is the Creator and also a creature. He is the Redeemer and the life-giving Spirit, and this life-giving Spirit is the consummation of the Triune God.” The more we realize this, the more we shall be “electrified” and beside ourselves with joy in the Lord.
As the One who passed through the process of creation, incarnation, human living, crucifixion, and resurrection, the Man-Savior with His wonderful status has been inaugurated into His heavenly office to execute God’s administration and to carry out God’s New Testament economy. Christ is now on the throne to administrate the entire universe. He is the unique Administrator, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. All the rulers of the earth are under Him. He is the Administrator to execute God’s administration and also to carry out God’s New Testament economy. His administrating is related to the universe, but His carrying out of God’s New Testament economy is to propagate Himself for His reproduction to build up the church, His Body, which will issue in the New Jerusalem. How wonderful!
What we have covered thus far is an introductory word concerning the Man-Savior’s ascension. Let us now go on to consider the objective aspect of Christ’s ascension.
In His ascension the Man-Savior was crowned with glory and honor. Hebrews 2:9 says, “But we see Jesus, who was made a little inferior to the angels because of the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor.” Here glory and honor are considered a crown. Glory is the splendor related to Jesus’ person; honor is the preciousness related to Jesus’ worth (1 Pet. 2:7). Here we may also point out that the Lord’s dignity is related to His position (2 Pet. 1:17). As the ascended One crowned with glory and honor, Christ is in a state of gory and has a rank of honor.
It is always an honor for a person to have a high rank. For example, the principal of the school has a high rank, and that rank is his honor. But a janitor, on the contrary, does not have any rank or honor. Christ is glorious in state and honorable in rank. He is above all kings and rulers; his is His honor. He has received such a glory and has entered into such an honor. This glory and honor are the crown with which He has been crowned.
Another matter related to the objective aspect of Christ’s ascension is that He has been enthroned for God’s administration. Concerning this, Hebrews 12:2 says that Christ is now “seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” From this verse we may have the impression that next to the throne of God, at His right hand, is another throne. However, in the book of Revelation we see that it is only one throne of both God and Christ. In Revelation 3:21 the Lord says that He sat down with His Father on His throne. Furthermore, Revelation 22:1 speaks of “a river of water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.” Revelation 22:3 goes on to say of the holy city, New Jerusalem, that the “throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it.” Revelation 22:1 and 3 do not speak of thrones — one for God and another for the Lamb — but of the throne of God and of the Lamb. Hence, it is one throne for both God and the Lamb.
In what way are both God and Christ sitting on the one throne? Chapter twenty-one of Revelation is helpful in this matter. Verse 23 says, “The city has no need of the sun nor of the moon that they should shine in it, for the glory of God illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.” Here we see that the Lamb, Christ, as the lamp shines with God as the light to illumine the city with the glory of God, the expression of the divine light. Christ, the Lamb, is the lamp, and God is the light within the lamp. Because the light is in the lamp, the light cannot be separated from the lamp. We can see from this how both God and Christ are sitting on one throne. Just as the light is in the lamp, so God is in Christ. Since God is in Christ sitting on the throne, both God and Christ sit on one throne in the heavens.
The fact that God in Christ is sitting on the throne means that God administrates the entire universe from within Christ and through Christ, just as the light shines from within the lamp and through the lamp. From this we can see that Christ is enthroned with God. God is on the throne, and this very God is in the enthroned Man-Savior. As we consider this we see that the enthronement of the Man-Savior involves the Divine Trinity.
Christ has been enthroned in His ascension. His ascension was for His enthronement. The Man-Savior, as the ascended One, has been crowned with glory and honor and has been enthroned for God’s administration.
The Man-Savior, in His ascension, has been made the Lord to possess all (Acts 2:36). He is now the Lord to possess the whole universe, God’s chosen people, and all positive things, matters, and persons. Christ is the Lord not only of God’s chosen people, but also of the angels and of all those who will be in the millennium and in the new heaven and the new earth. Therefore, He is the Lord of the heavens, the earth, and of everything and everyone He has redeemed. The Man-Savior was made the Lord of all to possess all.
Acts 2:36 reveals that in His ascension the Man-Savior was made not only the Lord but also the Christ. He was made the Christ as God’s anointed (Heb. 1:9) to carry out God’s commission.
In this message we have given an introductory word concerning the Man-Savior’s ascension, and have emphasized the objective aspect of His ascension. In the following message we shall see how we can experience His ascension. Then we shall go on to consider the subjective aspect of His ascension.
