Final Instructions
Mark 16: 15 Then he said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes; if they should drink anything deadly, it will not harm them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will get well.” 19 So the Lord Jesus, after speaking to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word by the accompanying signs.
Before Christ ascended to heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father, he gave the apostles instructions on several occasions. In Mark, Jesus tells the apostles, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” (16:15-16). Luke quotes these words of Jesus: “The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead the third day, and repentance for forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:46-48). And then there are the familiar words recorded in Matthew: “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you.” (Matt. 28:18-19). The final instructions to the apostles before he ascended to sit at the right hand of God the Father.
Jesus is raised from the dead. He then appears to the disciples over a period of 40 days, giving them final instructions. And finally, he ascends. So the Lord Jesus, after speaking to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.” (Mark 16).
To understand the Ascension, we need to understand what is meant by “he … sat down at the right hand of God.” When we hear “the right hand of God,” we should not think of a geographical location or an actual physical throne. It is not that. “The right hand of God” is describing a position or office of the greatest supremacy. Here is how Paul explains it in Ephesians 1:
God exercised this power in Christ by raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens—far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he subjected everything under his feet and appointed him as head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.
Ephesians 1:20-23
Several things to say here. First, everything and every being and every person is under the rule of Christ. Kings, presidents, governors, emperors, mayors, police; and spiritual authorities: angels, demons, and Satan. Jesus has complete authority and power over them all. Right now!
This may be confusing for it does not seem that way. His rule, authority, power, and dominion are hidden and do not seem to match with what we experience and what we think things should look like if he is at the right hand of God with this complete authority. History with all of its cruelty and evil does not seem to verify this rule of Christ. But there are a number of things about Christianity that are beyond our experience, reason, and senses.
This sitting at the right hand of God is one of them. It is one of those truths that calls for pure faith. One day – the last day – it will all clearly be revealed. But for now, it is a reality that is accepted by faith – faith in the crucified and resurrected Christ, and faith in the word of God as recorded by the apostles, faith that says, “Though I cannot see you at the right hand of God as the authority of all things in heaven and on earth, it is true and I believe it.”
And that means this rule and dominion by Christ taking place right now can be (and usually is) quite convicting. I say that for this reason: If it is true that he is sitting at the right hand of God (and he is), that he is the head over everything (and he is), what is called for on our part is patience, contentment, peace, and joy even as we face what is horrible and upsetting and distressing and painful and displeasing. And if we have strong faith that he is ruling over all things, what should not be found in our lives is complaining and whining and bitterness and the thinking we deserve better.
So, have you complained about somebody recently? Have you whined over your lot in life? Have you become angry with anyone or your circumstances? Have you said or thought that you deserve better? If so, your faith in the ascended Christ sitting at the right hand of the Father is not as strong as it could be, and should be. You are found to be a sinner, convicted by the Ascension.
But the Ascension of Christ is not designed primarily to convict us. Just the opposite. As long as we are here on earth his Ascension and the fact that he sat down at the right hand of God is a reality that is first and foremost for our comfort and encouragement. So, let’s go there now.
Christ at God’s right hand is there just as he was here on earth. He is there with his divinity and he is there with his humanity. As we speak, he still remains fully God and fully human. He is there with the reality of his crucifixion for the sins of the world and with the reality that he was raised from the dead for our justification. It’s like he is wearing his crucifixion and his resurrection as a garment on full display as he is there in his full humanity and divinity.
One of the most fabulous and amazing things the ascended Christ is doing right now at the right hand of God is found in Romans 8 where St. Paul says, “Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; he also is at the right hand of God and is interceding for us.” (8:34). He is speaking to God the Father in our behalf, with his divinity and his humanity, as he is wearing his crucifixion and his resurrection. And here is how that intercession works for us: The apostle John tells us in his first epistle, “My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ the righteous one. He himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.” He is our advocate. He is our defense attorney. He is telling his Father, “Yes, Father, they are sinners, but you cannot and you will not hold their sins against them, for I paid for them all. I atoned for them all. Even their sins of complaining and whining and bitterness and lack of faith. All their sins are and will remain forgiven. Case closed.”
But this intercession of Christ for us does not stop there. We read in Hebrews: “For since he himself has suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.” (2:18). And, “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens—Jesus the Son of God—let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.” (Heb. 4:13-16). Jesus, because he was and is true man, knows our every weakness. He knows the temptations we face. He knows when we get sick, when friends forsake us, when people betray us, when they treat us poorly, when we lose our job, when we end up in the hospital, when we come down with cancer, when we fight with family members, when our memories and minds begin to fail, when we have to bear burdens of loved ones, when our plans fail, when bills pile up and money falls short, when disasters strike, when society and government turns against the Christian faith, when persecution comes upon us, when loved ones die, when we face death. He has been there and done that, all without sin. But it was for us. And he is before our heavenly Father interceding for us. Not so we will necessarily be delivered from all these hard things here and now, but so we can endure, persevere, remain steadfast, not lose faith, continue to live a Christian life, and make a good confession of faith when and where we need to.
Do not forget this great and faithful work of Christ on your behalf: That he is interceding for you right now!
But here’s another thing to understand about Jesus being at “the right hand of God.” His hidden but very real “rule and authority, power and dominion” – God appointing “him as head over everything” –is “for the church” St. Paul tells us (again, in Ephesians 1). “For the church.” For the benefit, well-being, for the blessing upon all those who make up the holy Christian church – true believers in Christ. Another way of saying this is Romans 8:28: “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” That means we can say and pray, “I don’t get it, I don’t like the hardships and sufferings I have to go through, and I would really appreciate it if you, God, would deliver me from this current and perhaps long-lasting affliction and cross I am bearing. But I know, I am assured – because my big Brother, Jesus Christ, who has with him his crucifixion that was for me and his resurrection that was for me, and who is ruling all things – I am assured that somehow or another even this suffering of mine will be for my benefit, my good.”
Now, one more thing that is tied to the Ascension of Christ. He ascends and he is gone, right? That’s only kind of right. Think of a movie or book like The Lord of the Rings where the characters named Bilbo and Frodo put on a magic ring and they vanish, they disappear. They are gone, right? In one sense yes, but in another sense, they are still there. This is kind of like Jesus Christ and his Ascension. We say this because in Matthew where Jesus is giving final instructions just before his Ascension, Jesus says, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (28:18-20). In other words, “Even though I am leaving, I will still be with you, not just for a few hours or a few days or months, but “to the very end of the age.” It is like Jesus is saying to the disciples, “I will no longer be with you in a localized manner so you can see me with your eyes as you have over the last three years. I will no longer be with you in a localized manner so you can hear my actual voice with your ears as you have over the last three years, and so you can touch me with your hands as you have over the last several years and especially since I have been raised from the dead. But still, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
So, in one sense, in one manner, in one mode, since his Ascension he is gone – left earth in a localized manner. But in another very real sense or mode, Jesus is still with us.
In what way or mode is he still with us? And how good is that mode of being with us? Here’s the name we can give it: we can call it the Word and Sacramental presence. For example, Jesus says in Matthew 18: “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am among them.” This is one of the reasons why we have pushed to maintain our worship together. But what is of great importance is what takes place within this gathering of two or three in his name. What takes place in this gathering?
Two verses earlier Jesus tells us: “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven.” Absolution! When we come together and you have your sins unbound from you, your sin is loosened from you, you are declared free – forgiven – of all your sins, Christ is among us. He is with us in his humanity and his deity, with his crucifixion and his resurrection, with his very real free and total forgiveness of all your sins.
And this Word and Sacramental presence is even better and more personal than that localized way he was here during those years when he walked on the earth. Put it this way: if the only presence the apostles had been able to experience was that localized presence where they had, for three years seen him with their eyes, heard his voice with their ears, and touched his hands and his side with their hands, and they never would have experienced this other presence of Jesus in Word and Sacrament after he ascended and sat down at the right hand of God, they would have been gypped, they would have been absolutely deprived, they would have been jealous of all of us who are now honored by this Word and Sacramental presence.
Now, I want you to think again of the final instructions of Jesus to his disciples. “Go preach the gospel.” Why? “Go baptize all nations.” Why? “Teach them to observe everything I have commanded, including absolving them of their sins, including offering to believers my body and blood in the Supper.” Why? Because, ever since the Ascension, that is where and how Jesus is among us now, the full Jesus, true God and true man, the one who rules all things, the one who intercedes for us, the one who will make sure that all things work together for our good, the one who daily and richly forgives us and all believers all our sins.
Amen.
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