Friday, June 4, 2021

The Return to Heaven: The Ascension After the Cross

The Return: The Ascension After the Cross 

. . . taken up in glory. 1 Timothy 3:16 We have seen our well-beloved Lord in the days of His flesh, humiliated and sorely distressed; “He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief” (Isaiah 53:3 NLT). He whose brightness is like the morning wore the sackcloth of sorrow as His daily dress; shame was His cloak and reproach His clothing. But now, since on the bloody cross He has triumphed over all the powers of darkness, our faith sees our King returning with dyed garments from Edom, robed in the splendor of victory (see Isaiah 63:1). How glorious He must have been in the eyes of the seraphs, when a cloud received Him out of human sight and He ascended to heaven! Now He wears the glory He had with God before the earth existed, and yet another glory above all—the glory He earned in the fight against sin, death, and hell. He wears the illustrious crown as victor. Hear how the song swells! It is a new and sweeter song: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain. . . . For You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood” (Revelation 5:12, 9 NKJV). He wears the glory of an Intercessor who can never fail, a Prince who can never be defeated, a Conqueror who has vanquished every foe, a Lord who has the allegiance of every subject’s heart. Jesus wears all the glory that the majesty of heaven can bestow on Him, all that ten thousand times ten thousand angels can offer Him. You cannot, by the farthest stretch of your imagination, conceive His exceeding greatness. But there will be a further revelation of it when He descends from heaven in great power, with all the holy angels—“then he will sit upon his glorious throne” (Matthew 25:31 NLT). Oh, the splendor of that glory! It will capture His people’s hearts. And this is not even the end of it, for eternity will sound His praise: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever” (Psalm 45:6 ESV). Reader, if you want to joy in Christ’s glory later, He must be glorious in your sight now. Is He? C.H. Spurgeon Morning and evening 

Was reading this this morning, on the heels of my Bible reading which was involving the end words of the Last Supper.  

A scene unfolded in my mind after the thoughts and words of Spurgeon mixed with those I read from my Bible. 

Jesus reenters Heaven.  The Angels rejoiced at the sight of their King!
They notice the scars. They note the marks on His body.  He approaches the Throne of His Father. He bows to His Father out of respect to Him.  Then the Father stands and places the crown that Jesus had set aside back on His head. The Father smiles. The clothing of Jesus is transformed to His royal robes. King of Kings and Lord of Lords is emblazoned on that robe.  Jesus takes His place at His Father's side on His Throne. The celebration begins...those brought to Heaven with Jesus shout a great shout along with the hosts of Heaven.  Oh the amazing sight of it all!

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