ASCENSION 2021 (HEBREWS 4.14-16)

Hebrews 4:14-16

Introduction

Last week was Mother’s Day and because Pastor Kevin was slated to preach he got the softball opportunity of getting up and praising his wife in front of everybody. This week is my turn. Today is our twelfth wedding anniversary. The anniversary of the day I married the most beautiful and brilliant woman God ever created. On my best days I am keenly aware that there’s not a man who’s ever lived that is as blessed as I am. As good ol’ JR would say, “I really out kicked my coverage.” Happy anniversary, babe!

How unforgivable would it be if I ignored a day as important as our wedding anniversary? Forgetting it would be bad enough, but I’m not talking about forgetting. I’m saying what if I outright ignored a day as important as our anniversary? American low church Protestants are liturgically guilty of ignoring important Christian anniversaries. Of course Christians don’t forget Christmas and Easter, but too many American churches ignore three of the most important days on the church calendar – Ascension, Pentecost, and Trinity.

This past Thursday was Ascension Day, 40 days after Easter Sunday. Which makes today Ascension Sunday. Next Sunday is Pentecost Sunday and the week after that is Trinity Sunday. This trilogy of holy days marks the beginning of ordinary season every year on the church calendar. Ordinary time takes us all the way to Christ the King Sunday. Then we begin the year again with Advent.

The sad truth is that more low church Protestants in America celebrate Mother’s Day and Father’s Day at church than celebrate Ascension, Pentecost, and Trinity. That’s pathetic. We celebrate Ascension, Pentecost, and Trinity every year at Christ Community Church because these days and doctrines are essential elements of the gospel. For 2,000 years Christians have confessed in the Apostles’ Creed, “We believe…Jesus Christ…ascended to heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father almighty.” We confessed earlier in the Nicene Creed, “He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.” The ascension of Christ has been an integral facet of historic orthodox Christianity since it’s inception.

There are a plethora of reasons why we need the Ascension. There are many reasons why the ascension of Jesus Christ is just as important as the birth of Christ and the death and resurrection of Christ. This morning we’re looking at these three verses in the book of Hebrews for just one of the reasons why the Ascension of Jesus Christ is a matter of eternal life and death. If you leave church this morning convinced of one thing I pray that it is that Ascension is as important as Christmas and Easter, that the ascension is a matter of life and death. What we see from Hebrews 4.14-16 is since Jesus ascended, we must hold tightly to the gospel, for it is only there that we receive grace.

Since Jesus Ascended

Let’s break this sermon summary down piece by piece. First, since Jesus ascended. About a month ago I travelled to Indianapolis for The Gospel Coalition national conference. The theme of the conference was “Jesus is Greater” and we studied the book of Hebrews. We just sang the song “Something Greater,” that’s what Hebrews is all about – Jesus is greater; Jesus is better! In Hebrews 1 Jesus is greater than the angels; In chapter 3 he’s better than Moses. In Hebrews 4 Jesus is bringing eternal Sabbath in the new heavens and new earth.

And then we come to these three verses where the Spirit inspired the author of Hebrews to write, since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God. Don’t gloss over that too quickly. The Scripture doesn’t say because Jesus was born, or because Jesus died, or because Jesus resurrected, but because Jesus ascended. The exhortation and encouragement that the Bible is about to give is predicated upon the veracity that Jesus of Nazareth ascended to heaven.

Please don’t mishear me, I’m not saying the ascension stands on it’s own. Every component of the person and work of Christ are necessary for our salvation. We must know, ascent, and trust that the 2nd person of the Holy Trinity, the eternal Son of God made a covenant with the Father and the Spirit before the foundation of the world. The Reformed tradition has always taught that that same eternal Son experienced humiliation and exaltation in the incarnation. His humiliation was that he was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried, and he descended to hell.

His exaltation was that on the 3rd day he rose again from the dead, ascended to heaven where he sits at the right hand of the Father almighty, from whence he shall come to judge the living and the dead. Every part of that confession is a nonnegotiable element of historic Christian orthodoxy. The ascension of Jesus Christ is part of his exaltation and it is a part of our salvation. If Jesus didn’t ascend to heaven the gospel would be incomplete. If Jesus didn’t ascend to heaven we would have no hope. If Jesus didn’t ascend to heaven then we will all descend to hell.

And so before we get into the reason why it is so important that Jesus Christ ascended to heaven, I must compel you to know, ascent, and trust that Jesus ascended. This is not a fairy tale. This is not ancient mythology. 40 days after he physically resurrected from the dead, Jesus of Nazareth ascended to the right hand of the Father where he has sat since. Those are the facts. You now know them. Do you ascent that this is true. Do you understand and believe that? If so, good, but that’s not enough. You must also trust it. You must place the full weight of your only hope in life and death in this doctrine. Let me tell you why.

We Must Hold Tightly To The Gospel

Since Jesus ascended, we must hold tightly to the gospel. Verse 14 says, since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. Because Jesus of Nazareth ascended, we must hold tightly to the gospel. Like a life raft in the middle of the ocean, we must cling to our confession of faith. The Greek word translated confession is the word ὁμολογίας. It means, “to express openly one’s allegiance to a proposition or person.”[1] Tom Schreiner says the word confession, “denotes the faith the readers have embraced and promised to uphold.”[2] We must express openly our allegiance to Jesus Christ. We must embrace and promise to uphold the gospel.

Why? Why is that so important? Look at verse 15, for we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. The Son of God identifies with us in his humiliation. The Son of God became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1.14). Remember two weeks ago when Pastor Kevin preached on Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. If you weren't here do yourself a favor and go to the church website and listen to that sermon. It was a beautiful exposition of the doctrine that Jesus is not only truly God but he is truly man.

Because Jesus is truly human he sympathizes with our weaknesses; he has been tempted in every respect as we are. Jesus taught us to pray lead us not into temptation (Matt 6.13) and he himself prayed that because he was tempted. He was tempted by the devil after 40 days of fasting in the wilderness. That in part is why for centuries Christians have practiced Lent. As a community we train our hearts to identify with the humiliation of Christ.

And how beautiful it is that he’s sympathetic. You know that when you’re struggling with temptation or suffering trials it’s helpful to talk with someone you trust. But if that person has gone through what you’re going through, it’s almost medicinal. That’s what the Bible says about Christ. He is our high priest. But he is not a high priest who doesn’t know what it’s like to be tempted.

Jesus in every respect has been tempted as we are. In his humanity Jesus knows what it’s like to be tempted with idolatry, anger, lust, envy, laziness, overworking, coveting and every other sin. But lest we recreate Jesus in our image, the author of Hebrews reminds us he was yet without sin. And this is the good news of the gospel. We have a high priest who knows what it’s like to be tempted to sin but he never sinned.

Some may say, well that’s not really fair. Jesus really doesn’t know what it’s like because he never sinned. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Jesus knows the struggle of temptation but he never gave in. He’s stronger than we are. It’s easy to give in to temptation. It’s harder to be tempted and to not give in.

Kent Hughes is correct when he says, “What we need is not a fellow loser but a winner; not one who shares our defeat but one who is able to lead us to victory; not a sinner but a savior.”[3] Do you think the Buccaneers player said, “No, we don’t want Tom Brady to join our team. He’s the GOAT. It’s unfair. We want to win with losers.” Are you crazy?! They want to win. Give us the best ever. We need someone who can save us and Jesus is the only one. He’s the only mediator between God and man (1st Tim 2.5).

The gospel is that the Son of God became a man; he never sinned, earning our righteousness. He died as a substitute in the place of sinners, bearing God’s wrath for our sin. He was buried and on the third day he rose again. Then he ascended to heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father so he can intercede for us.

For It Is Only There That We Receive Grace

Because Jesus ascended we must hold tightly to the gospel for it is only there that we receive grace. Look at verse 16, let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. If Jesus sinned when he was tempted, he would have sympathy for us but he could not be our high priest because he would be damned like us. If Jesus was merely a sinless high priest who never experienced temptation he could intercede for us but he would have no sympathy. But Jesus was tempted as we are in every respect yet without sin.

This is the best news we could ever hear. We don’t just have a high priest; we have a sympathetic high priest. Jesus is not a disconnected deity; he gets it. He knows. He knows what it feels like to be tempted. If you have not repented of your sin and trusted in Christ alone the gospel is calling you now. The Bible says everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved (Rom 10.13). Look to the crucified, risen, and ascended Christ for he is your only hope in life and death. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the only place where you can find the grace of forgiveness and eternal life.

If you are a Christian the application is the same: cling to the gospel for that is the only place you’ll find grace. In God’s perfect providence he decided that when he justifies us he doesn’t glorify us. We still struggle with sin until the resurrection. We are saints and sinners at the same time. And so we don’t need grace one time, we need grace all of the time.

Where can you go to find grace when you sin? Where can you go to receive grace for your marriage, your children, your work, your anxiety, your lust, your anger, or anything else? The only place you can go is the throne of grace. Without the ascended Christ God’s throne is a throne of wrath. His wrath is just because we’re sinners. But with the ascended Christ the throne of God is a throne of grace. It is a throne where we find unmerited favor. How can you have confidence to draw near to the throne of grace? Because there is a sympathetic and sinless high priest who was tempted as you are. And he’s not dead. He’s not still over in the Middle East. He ascended to the throne of grace.

How can the Word and Sacrament be a means of grace for Christians all over the world ever Sunday? Because the sympathetic and sinless high priest has ascended to the throne of grace and he is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. Do you see that this is a matter of life and death? Because Jesus ascended you can pray whenever you need to. Because Jesus ascended you can know for sure that your sins are forgiven. You don’t have to worry about whether you’re right with God. Because Jesus ascended you have the true and final prophet, priest, and king.

Conclusion

If you leave church this morning convinced of one thing I pray that it is that Ascension is as important as Christmas and Easter, that the ascension is a matter of life and death. Just like you remember and celebrate the important anniversaries and birthdays of the ones you love, Christ Community Church must always remember and celebrate the birthday and anniversary of the one who first loved us – the birth of Christ at Christmas, the anniversary of his death and resurrection, the anniversary of his ascension, the anniversary of his sending of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

And how do you celebrate those special days with those whom you love? You feast! You eat cake. You drink champagne. How do we remember and celebrate these liturgical anniversaries? We do so with bread and wine. We do it with the Word and Sacraments. Since Jesus ascended, we must hold tightly to the gospel, for it is only there that we receive grace. Happy Ascension Sunday!

[1]Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 417). New York: United Bible Societies.

[2]Schreiner, Hebrews, 152.

[3]Hughes, Hebrews, 177.