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Sermon outline by Rev James Chan
Text: Acts 2:29–36
Constitution 4.2.6
We believe in the bodily resurrection of our Lord Jesus
Christ, in His ascension into Heaven, and in His exaltation
at the right hand of God, where He intercedes for us as our
High Priest and Advocate.
Introduction
Ever since the first official announcement of the
resurrection of Christ, there has been a conspiracy to
explain it away.
1. The disciples had stolen the body (Matt 28:13).
2. The wrong tomb.
3. The swoon theory.
4. Hallucination.
5. Frank Morrison (Who Moved the Stone?)
Christians are very sure of the resurrection of Christ.
I. The Resurrection of Christ
1. The evidences from the Bible
The resurrection of Christ did not happen by
accident.
It was part of God’s plan in the programme of
salvation.
a. The Old Testament prediction
(1) David in his writing of Psalm 16:10 spoke expressly
about the resurrection of Christ.
“For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell;
neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption”
(Ps 16:10).
(2) Here David is not speaking of himself but of
“thine Holy One”, obviously referring to the Messiah.
(3) We know Christ’s lifeless body was kept from
corruption for 3 days, and then, He was resurrected.
b. The New Testament predictions
The Lord Jesus mentioned about His resurrection on
many occasions.
(1) The Cleansing of the Temple (Jn 2:18–22).
(a) Jesus declared that He had the power to rise from
the dead.
“Destroy this temple, and in three days I
will raise it up” (Jn 2:19b).
(b) After His resurrection, the disciples recalled the
incident, and then they realised that “he spake of the
temple of his body” (Jn 2:21, 22).
That is, He referred to His resurrection.
(2) The experience of Jonah
(a) When the Scribes and Pharisees asked Him for a sign
to prove that He was the Messiah.
(b) Jesus declared, “For as Jonas was three days and
three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man
be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth”
(Matt 12:4).
2. The Nature of the Resurrection of Christ
a. The fact that Christ really died.
We know that Christ really died on the cross.
The reality of His death is indisputable.
(1) The soldiers pronounced Him dead (Jn 19:33, 34).
(2) Joseph of Arimathaea asked permission to bury Jesus’
body (Matt 27:57–60).
(3) Pilate verified Jesus’ death by inquiring of the
centurion (Mk 15:44, 45).
(4) The woman brought spices to anoint His body (Lk
24:1).
(5) Jesus told John that He had died, in the Book of
Revelation (Rev 1:18).
b. He rose bodily from the dead.
After three days, He rose from the dead.
(1) Jesus was recognised by His wounds.
He told His disciples, “Behold my hands and my
feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit
hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have” (Lk 24:39).
(2) Peter was convinced that Jesus rose bodily.
He quoted from Psalm 16:10 (Acts 2:27).
He said that Psalm 16:10 spoke of the resurrection
of Christ (Acts 2:31).
“We all are witnesses” (Acts 2:32b; 1 Pet
1:3, 21, 3:21).
c. The nature of the resurrected body of Christ.
(1) It was a real physical body.
(a) Jesus invited His disciples to touch Him to prove
that He was not merely a spirit (Lk 24:39).
[1] Here was a positive proof of His bodily
resurrection.
It was not hallucination on the part of the
disciples.
He was the One who could be heard, seen, touched
and felt.
He ate with them (Lk 24:43).
[2] Some objected to the idea that Jesus ate food.
[a] We must look not think that the Lord Jesus with His
resurrected body, needed food.
[b] No, not at all! Jesus ate, not for His own bodily
benefit, but for the benefit of His disciples.
[c] Therefore, the disciples would believe that they
were not looking at a spirit, but at a real body.
(b) Later, He invited Thomas to put his hands into His
wounded side (Jn 20:20, 26, 27).
(2) It was a supernatural body.
He could appear and disappear at will (Lk
24:15–31, 36; Jn 20:19; Acts 1:9).
(3) It was an immortal body
That is, it could not die (Rev 1:18).
3. The Results of the Resurrection of Christ
a. It attests to Christ’s deity (Matt 12:38–40).
b. It assures the acceptance of Christ’s work.
Paul said that Christ “was delivered for our
offences, and was raised again for our justification”
(Rom 4:25).
II. His Ascension into Heaven
1. The historical event
a. The ascension of Christ occurred forty days after
His death (Acts 1:3).
b. During the forty days, the Lord taught His disciples
in detail concerning their ministry (Lk 24:13–35, 44, 48).
c. On the day of the Ascension, Jesus met with His
disciples at Mt. Olives, just outside the city of Jerusalem
(Lk 24:50–53).
2. It is an important doctrine.
a. It was a real historical event (Mk 16:19; Lk 24:50;
Acts 1:1–12).
b. It was foretold by Christ.
John 6:62 “What and if ye shall see the Son
of man ascend up where he was before?”
John 20:17 “Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am
not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and
say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your
Father; and to my God, and your God.”
c. It was confirmed by the New Testament writers.
(1) Paul spoke of it (Eph 4:8–10).
(2) Peter mentioned it (1 Pet 3:22).
(3) The Hebrews writer also mentioned it (Heb 4:14).
(4) Luke mentioned that all His disciples witnessed His
ascension (Lk 24:50–53).
3. The Results of His Ascension
As a result of the resurrection and ascension of
Christ, Christians have a number of benefits for a fulfilled
life and successful service.
a. The sending of the Holy Spirit.
(1) Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit as the
Comforter (Jn 14:26; 15:20).
(2) The Holy Spirit would dwell in the hearts of the
believers.
(3) He would help the believers in their service for the
Lord Jesus.
(4) He said, “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” (Jn 16:7).
That is, if Christ did not ascend to heaven, we
would not have the ministry of the Holy Spirit for the
church.
b. The Holy Spirit came at Pentecost.
(1) This promise was again mentioned by Jesus to His
disciples on the day of His ascension (Acts 1:5).
(2) Today, the Holy Spirit lives in the heart of every
Christian (1 Cor 6:19), and helps him to live for Christ
(Gal 5:25):
(a) Galatians 5:25 said, “If we live in the Spirit,
let us also walk in the Spirit.”
(b) Paul is saying, since believers have the Holy Spirit
in their lives, they must also walk by the Spirit.
c. The Giving of Spiritual Gifts
(1) When a person is saved, he not only receives the
Holy Spirit in his life, he also receives His spiritual
gifts (1 Cor 12:11; 1 Pet 4:10).
(2) Spiritual gifts are ability to serve God, given
initially by Christ (Eph 4:8).
1 Corinthians 10:31
“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do,
do all to the glory of God.”
d. The Imparting of Spiritual Power
(1) Before the ascension, Jesus instructed His disciples
to “tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued
with power from on high” (Lk 24:49).
(2) This spiritual power is available to every believer
today.
How to receive this spiritual power?
(a) By yielding to God (Rom 12:1).
(b) Being filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph 5:18).
(c) By doing so, we will be able both to witness and to
live for Christ.
III. His Exaltation
1. What happens after Ascension?
a. After His ascension is exaltation.
b. The nature of His exaltation is seen in His being
seated at the right hand of God, the Father, in heaven (Col
3:1).
2. What does it mean to sit at the right hand of
God?
It is a metaphor for the position of authority.
So, it speaks of His divine authority.
a. This is predicted in Psalm 110:1
“The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my
right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.”
b. Peter quoted this Psalm in his message on the Day
of Pentecost.
He concluded by pointing out the Lordship of Christ in Acts
2:30–36.
“Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn
with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins,
according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on
his throne
(v.30);
He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ,
that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did
see corruption
(v.31).
This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses
(v.32).
Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having
received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he
hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear
(v.33).
For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith
himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right
hand
(v.34),
Until I make thy foes thy footstool
(v.35).
Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that
God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified,
both Lord and Christ”
(v.36).
c. The Apostle Paul mentioned also the exaltation of
Christ in Philippians 2:9, and stated His divine authority
over all people and things (Phil 2:10, 11).
“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him,
and given him a name which is above every name
(v.9):
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things
in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth
(v.10);
And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord, to the glory of God the Father”
(v.11).
3. The Present Ministry of Christ
There are many things that the exalted Christ is doing now.
We would like to mention just a few of them.
(1) He controls all things (Col 1:17)
1 Peter 3:22
“Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right
hand of God; angels and authorities and powers
being made subject unto him.”
(2) He is the Mediator between God and man (1 Tim 2:5,
6).
(3) He bestows gifts to the church (Eph 4:7–12).
(4) He acts as our Advocate (Jn 2:1, 2).
(a) Revelation 12:10 tells us that Satan is the accuser
of the believers before God.
(b) What shall we do?
1 John 2:1
“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye
sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with
the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
(5) He intercedes for us as our High Priest.
Romans 8:34
Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea
rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right
hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Hebrews 7:24, 25
“But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an
unchangeable priesthood
(v. 24).
Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that
come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make
intercession for them”
(v.25).
(a) He empathises with us.
(b) Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we have not an high
priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our
infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we
are, yet without sin.”
That is, He empathises with us.
[1] When we hurt, He hurts.
[2] When our hearts ache, His heart aches.
(c) He suffers with us.
(d) He prays for us.
(e) He strengthens us as we walk with Him each day.
(f) He never leaves us to bear our burdens alone.
He says, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake
thee” (Heb 13:5).
So, He prays for us that we will not fail.
(g) Beloved, this is the kind of God we have.
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