Jesus¡¯ Ascension

By Pastor Young Joon Park

12-13-09

 

Mark 16:19

So then, after the Lord had spoken unto them, He was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.

 

In 1978, our family traveled to Korea. My wife and I prepared for the travel for a month, and I shared with our children what we are going to do when we get there.

It was my first time back to Korea since I came to the States.

It was the first time for my children, Joanna and David, to fly.

They were so excited when they were on board inside the airplane.

They enjoyed the flying, and they were watching outside sitting at the window seat. They were excited and laughing when the plane took off to the sky. They kept saying, ¡°Daddy, daddy!¡± ¡°Mommy, mommy!¡±  ¡°Look, look!¡± ¡°We are flying!¡± My son silently watched outside for a while, and then he turned around and told me with an excitement, ¡°Daddy, daddy! We are getting close to God.¡±

 

 

I.  Before His Ascension

The Lord had spoken unto them,

 

During the 40 days

 

Acts 1:3

To whom also He showed Himself alive after His Passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God:

 

Jesus had encountered with His People for 40 days and brought them to the River of Life of the Lord. His disciples were getting their spiritual eyes open, because they had encountered with the Glory of the Lord.

 

Like in the desert, Israel people were complaining about the lack of water. Moses obeyed to God of His Instruction. He struck the rock and the water was gushing out from it, and all Israelites drank the river of water.

 

Jesus is the Rock, also He was buried inside of Rock Tomb, and He was resurrected from the inside of the Rock, and then the River of Life is gushing out from Jesus and He fed with His Life of the River to His Disciples and until today we are drinking this River of Life of the Lord including the Lost.

 

For 40 days His Disciples¡¯ life was transformed and their life is no more focusing over the worldly matters. Their life, as we know it, really died with Jesus on the cross. Their vision was changed; their purpose of life was changed. They were getting transformed into His Image, their life was continually growing and they move from the Glory to Glory.

 

They could not understand the spiritual realm at all before, but now they started to understand.

All of the teaching of Jesus became as the real truth, also it is no more knowledge in brains, but the real living knowledge of the Lord in their life.

 

This 40 day period was so important to the birth of Church of the Lord that was hidden secret thing of Heaven for 4000 years.

 

We all need to receive encounters with the Lord continually to establish our faith of the Salvation and the relationship with the Lord.

 

We have to put the strong foundation of faith in our lives.

The basic strong foundation is our confession of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

There is no freedom of Christianity in many countries right now. In those countries they continue to believe in Jesus despite the fact that could be the matter of life and death. There are so many brutal persecutions that we cannot imagine outside of USA.

 

They keep their faith even if their faith could be life threatening issue, because their faith in Jesus is very clear and they have the conviction of Jesus as their Savior and Lord.

 

At least we have a freedom to believe in Jesus Christ without any hindrances. But I keep seeing that in many different ways our Christianity is under pressure directly or indirectly.

 

US government –

You cannot express your faith or display your faith

In general –

you cannot say much ¡°Merry Christmas,¡±

 

but seasons greeting or holiday.

Example:

One business owner wanted to give the Christmas bonus.

One employ suggest him not to use the word of ¡°Christmas¡±

The owner spoke to him ¡°the Christmas bonus¡± –

 

otherwise no bonus

The employ dropped his strong suggestion,

because he wanted to receive the Christmas bonus.

 

The compromise with the world is deadly sin and destroys our faith life.

 

 

II His Ascension

He was received up into heaven

 

At the end of 40 days He summoned His Disciples to the mount Olivet and gave them the final instruction to wait for the Holy Spirit. And He ascended to the heaven in front of their eyes.

 

They saw the Glory of the Lord through His Resurrection, and now they were watching that Jesus was lifted up to the heaven with their own eyes. Their hearts were so caught up with a great amazement and a great joy. They wanted to stay in this joy and amazement and to watch continually into the sky. No one wanted to leave the place even after their purpose of gathering was done.

 

They kept watching the sky even after Jesus was totally out of their sight because they saw the Glory of the Lord. While they were continually looking at the sky, suddenly two angels appeared and spoke to them what Jesus is going to do in the coming future, and the purpose of this gathering was done. That¡¯s when they stopped watching the sky.

 

We all get so excited to witness the miracles, wonders and signs from the Lord. We also love to say in the tangible presence of the Lord continually, but God does not want us only to stay in it, but He wants us to carry His Presence to fulfill His Will throughout our lives.

 

I know that there are many people, who just love to stay in the presence of the Lord, but the problem is; they do not move on what the Lord call them to do. That just means that there is no fruit in their lives.

 

We all need to stay in His Presence, but the real presence of the Lord brings you into His Heart to have the true intimate relationship. You are going to live in His Way if you are truly in His Intimate relationship.

We need to focus on the Lord and always submit with obedience heart to the Lord.

God¡¯s presence is not for our enjoyment, but for the true intimate relationship with the Lord. We need to be sensitive to His Will.

 

Jesus¡¯ promises through His Ascension

1) He prepares for our mansions

John 14:2

In my Father's house are many Mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

                 

I have been Hearst Castle in San Simeon Beach. This mansion was built on the top of mountain. It was very luxury mansion. Mr. Hearst, one of the richest men in America, built this mansion to live there or as a vacation home. I could not have imagined how luxury a life can be until I saw the mansion on the top of mountain. They donated the estate, and since then it is maintained as one of the state historic park run by the state of California.

 

We wanted to have our own house when we lived in a rental apartment. God gave us a house, and we are enjoying living in our own place, but we had to work hard and save money for years. No one really helped us to buy the house, but the Lord.

 

Everyone wants to have his/her own house, but it is not easy in this difficult time.

 

Our Lord Jesus Christ is preparing our own mansion right now at this very moment.

According to some testimonies about the mansion from people who had been in heaven, the mansions are huge, but those are various sizes according to their faith life.

 

Jesus is preparing our mansion continually for each one of us.

It is our eternal destiny.

 

You ask the Lord if you do not have your own house right now, but remember Jesus is preparing our mansion for each one of us.

 

It means that Jesus is preparing the best one for us for eternally, so we need to lift our head and focus on Him alone, because we will receive the great reward from the Lord.

 

We live here on earth just momentarily (most of them less than 100 years), but we are going to face the eternal time with reward or no reward because of the result of our short life in faith here.

 

This mansion is our eternal dwelling place.

Also these mansions are in Father¡¯s House, so our concept of the mansion is different than that of our Father God¡¯s House.

 

I do not understand clearly about the mansion, but one thing that I know is that we are going to live with our Eternal Father always. He will be with us individually and we are in His Love and care.

 

Most people have a problem to live without their own father. Many are raised by their own mother or foster parents.

 

Even when fathers live at home, there is no relationship with his children.

The children have a father at home, but they do not have father.

 

I do not know all the cases, but it is the satan¡¯s major target to destroy the family. This is our society¡¯s huge broken and wounded heart.

 

First, I repent as a man, a father and a husband to stand in this gap because of the irresponsible role to our congregation.

Second, I ask your forgiveness as a man, a father and a husband to stand in the gap to our congregation.

 

We have good news forever that God never leaves us today nor tomorrow.

 

Isaiah 49:15-16

15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet I will not forget you.

16 Behold, I have graven you upon the palms of My Hands; your walls are continually before Me.

 

Even today our Father God is with us and He will live with us in Heaven forever.

 

 

2) He comes back and picks us up to Father¡¯s House

John 14:3

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

 

Jesus will be back to take us in His Place when He finishes the mansion project.

 

Jesus did not just disappear or vanished in front of His Disciples, but He ascended to heaven in visible way before their very eyes.

 

It means that His Disciples had the great conviction that there is the place where Jesus is going, also at the same time there is place for us above the sky.

 

Without doubt we know that the heaven is real because of Jesus¡¯ ascension, and it is not a myth.

Even among the Christians, there are some who do not believe in the heaven and the hell, and they do not want to talk or to hear about it.

 

So many times through many people tried to figure out the time of His Returning.

No one knows the time except the Father God. I heard some testimonies from the people who had been in heaven and they received word or revelation about the ending time. Some people had a great conviction to release the time, but it never came to be true, so we need to be concerned about the people who are announcing the exact time.

 

But one area I have a conviction about the time. It is different time than before, so it might be possible for Jesus¡¯ Coming in my life time because of all the signs around us right now.

 

God will release the ending time more clearly sooner or later.

 

In a lot of cases people do not want to hear the ending time because of the fear and other reasons.

 

The true Christians will be caught up into the sky when Jesus comes on from the sky just as He ascended into heaven.

 

We called this as ¡°RAPTURE,¡± and it means way beyond joy or ecstasy.

Rapture is our great joy and great hope.

 

This rapture is only for the pure brides who are the true Christians, so we really need to give our life to the Lord alone.

 

The Greatest Commandments to love God and to love our neighbor is the Father¡¯s Desire for us. We are His right pure Bride when you follow Jesus with this pure love for the Lord and your neighbor.

 

Here is one example of pure bride – 144,000

 

Revelation 14:4-5

4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.

 

We have a wrong concept about the ending time because of fear.

That fear is not from the Lord. It is not easy to understand when you read Jesus¡¯ Prophetic Word for the ending time, Old Testament Prophetic word and the Revelation, but you can feel that God wants us to prepare our hearts for our greatest hope from His Love when you meditate the Word of these.

 

I Thessalonians 4:17-18

17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

 

The ending time, especially for the rapture, the purpose is comfort one another instead of fear.

Also it guides us from sin in our life, and keeps us pure in the Lord continually.

The Second Coming and the Rapture are our Great Hope and Joy, so we have to keep being in a wake up state and pure our heart in the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

What would you do if there is deadly disease around us?

Are you going to live in fear and do not want to deal with it? Or are you going to protect yourself safe from it?

 

1 John 3:2-3

2 Beloved, now we are the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.

3 And every man that has this hope in Him purifies himself, even as He is pure.

 

You will receive the reward from the Lord if you have a great hope for Jesus¡¯ Returning with your true heart and follow Him everyday.

 

2 Timothy 4:8

Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the Righteous Judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His Appearing.

 

Our faith is standing on Jesus

Sacrificial death on the Cross for our sin

Burial in the tomb for my Salvation

His Victorious Resurrection

His Ascension for His Promise

His Coming for eternal Kingdom

 

 

3) The New Era of the Holy Spirit

and sat on the right hand of God.

 

John 16:7

Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you.

 

Jesus came on earth for the purpose of the redemption sacrifice for all of us.

God finished His creation for 6 days when God created the universe, and then He rested on the 7th day.

God has been doing the new things for all of us since Adam¡¯s fall.

Finally God revealed His Redemption Plan through Jesus Christ.

For 33 years Jesus has been preparing Himself for our redemption as the Lamb of God and has paid all the cost of our sin through His Blood, and He was resurrected from the dead as the perfect Man and God. He ascended onto Heaven and sat on the Right Hand of God, because He has done the redemption for us perfectly and rest on the Right Hand of God. And there is no other redemption.

 

Jesus promised to His Disciples to send the Holy Spirit on the way of the Garden of Gethsemane just before Jesus was captured by the soldiers. The Holy Spirit came upon the 120 saints on the day of the Pentecost after 10 days since Jesus¡¯ ascension.

 

The Holy Spirit lives, teaches, speaks and makes decisions. The Holy Spirit is a Person, a Divine Person and a Part of the One Almighty God.

 

God shifted up the new things among the saints through the Holy Spirit.

 

We cannot see Holy Spirit, but we know that He is with us all the time and leads us in God¡¯s Will alone.

 

Acts 1:8

But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

 

The Heart of God toward us is to love God and to love our neighbor.

The Holy Spirit comes to His saints to fulfill His Will among us.

 

Jesus promised to His Disciples through His Ascension right after the Last Supper.

 

John 14:12

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto My Father.

 

This means that we can do by the Holy Spirit. Whatever the miracles and wonders we do are only by the Holy Spirit, none of our power. That¡¯s why we have to focus on Him alone.

 

 

Conclusion

Jesus ascended to Heaven, and now Jesus commissioned us to carry on God¡¯s Heart through Jesus Christ to the world by the Power of the Holy Spirit in our life.

 

The Lord Jesus Christ is with us, our Father God is with us and the Holy Spirit is with us, eternally.

 

It is time to commit your life to the Lord fully, because whatever you do in the Lord will not be in vain at all, and this is God¡¯s guarantee to us.

 

I Corinthians 15:58

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be you steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.