Watch as Ray David opens Luke 24:40-53, and points us to the resurrected Christ.
False Stories
For most of us, the stories that we live out of are uncritical and unconscious. If we ever started critically thinking about them, they would crumble. They are foolish stories that we have bought into, and they will never lead to life. These stories are cultural and benign. Some of these stories come from our family of origin, and often they are born out of trauma. Whether it’s a mean schoolteacher, or an unloving parent, we can grow up thinking that we’re not good enough and that we always need to try harder. These stories that we subconsciously live out of, are powerful in shaping our values, decisions and lives.
Discplacement
One of the goals of Gospel preaching, is week-by-week helping to identify these false stories in our lives and displace them with the story of the Gospel. The deepest truth about you is that God loves you in ways that you could never imagine, fathom or shake off.
The ascension account is right at the core of the story that displaces all of the false narratives in your life.
Jesus is on the Throne
The first thing that the ascension tells us is that God is supremely, sovereignly, totally, and entirely in control of everything. Jesus ascended into heaven and He is seated on the heavenly throne. Jesus is on the throne. Whatever happens, good or bad, He is never asleep at the switch. He has ascended into heaven and He’s ruling and reigning from the heavenly throne and nothing happens apart from His watch and care.
Our Good and His Glory
How does this work? Does Jesus then actively will everything that happens including suffering, sickness, and victimization? There are all kinds of ideas and theories around this from scripture, but the way I like to think about it is that at the end of the day, Jesus’ main purpose is to redeem everything for our good and His glory. And nothing can ever thwart that purpose. He is supremely and sovereignly in control. The hardship and the suffering in your life may sometimes feel like you are subject to an unjust boss. But Christians can rest in the promise that our lives are subject to only one thing – God. And there is no human folly that can thwart His good plan for you.
The false narrative is that we are subject to other people – their motives, illnesses, and pathologies. Or that we are subject to random chance – the fates. But the Gospel truth is that Christ rules over everything.
You are not subject to your bad day, the fates, or other people’s folly and sin. At the end of the day, Jesus has ascended and He has not abdicated the throne. He is in control.
You may find that you have to say this out loud to remind yourself of its truth. “Jesus is still on the throne.” When things feel like they are out of control, hit pause, and remind yourself that Jesus rules over every moment.
Acquainted with Suffering
The God of the Universe is not disconnected and aloof. He is acquainted with suffering. When Jesus ascended the heavenly throne, He did so with still the holes in His hands, feet and side. When you are faced with suffering, you are not God-abandoned. The One who is in charge knows what it is suffer too and He’s right there beside you. He’s not a God who rules from the heavenly throne demanding and taking; He’s the God who rules in self-sacrifice.
John Paton, the Scottish missionary to the pacific islands, said, after the death of His wife and child, “The hand pierced at Calvary now sways the sceptre of the universe.” The God who rules and reigns is the same who knows what it means to suffer.
On Our Behalf
The King of the Universe calls you His friend. He calls you His brother. And He is our representative. Christ is the second Adam – the One who, on our behalf, lived a perfect life and died in our place. The One who ascended to the heavenly throne did so on our behalf. This means that in the same way that Jesus died, was raised to new life and ascended – so to shall we.
A New Way of Living
Jesus’ ascension brings us to a new way of living. We can live out of a new story. Over the course of the next week look at areas of your life where there is a pain point, and ask yourself “what would the Gospel say to this?” Take a step back and live out of a new story. Hit pause and ask yourself “what would this moment look like if I truly believed that Jesus is in control?”
