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The Ascension of Our Lord  (part two)

21 May 2023

The Coronation and Exaltation of King Jesus!

Almighty God, as Your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, ascended into the heavens, so may we also ascend in heart and mind and continually dwell there with Him, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

The Reading for the Ascension of Our Lord

The Enthronement and the Celebration of the Ascended Christ

Revelation 4 and 5

^4:1 After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” ² At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. ³ And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. ⁴ Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. ⁵ From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, ⁶ and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.

And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: ⁷ the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. ⁸ And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,

who was and is and is to come!”

⁹ And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, ¹⁰ the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

¹¹ “Worthy are you, our Lord and God,

to receive glory and honor and power,

for you created all things,

and by your will they existed and were created.”

^5:1 Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. ² And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll 

and break its seals?” ³ And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, ⁴ and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. ⁵ And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

⁶ And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. ⁷ And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. ⁸ And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. ⁹ And they sang a new song, saying,

“Worthy are you to take the scroll

and to open its seals,

for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God

from every tribe and language and people and nation,

¹⁰ and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,

and they shall reign on the earth.”

¹¹ Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, ¹² saying with a loud voice, 

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,

to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might

and honor and glory and blessing!”

¹³ And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb

be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”

¹⁴ And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

A Reflection on the Ascension of Our Lord

Every Sunday, we confess that on the third day [Jesus] rose again according to the Scriptures and ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father.  Jesus’ ascension is His exaltation at the right hand of God the Father. The Book of Acts shows how our Lord’s exaltation looked from the perspective of those on earth: as [the disciples] were looking on, [Jesus] was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1:9-11).

Now, as reassuring as it is to have this earthly perspective of our Lord’s exaltation, would it not be nice to receive as well a heavenly perspective? Well, that is exactly what we have in Holy Scripture—two complementary visual descriptions of Christ’s ascension. As the disciples saw the Lord taken up from them to disappear into the heavens, at the same time Jesus was received by His heavenly Father, as pictured in Revelation 4 and 5. At His ascension, Jesus was enthroned and crowned as Lord so as to rule everything on behalf of His Father. 

 Revelation 4 begins with the Apostle John being caught up to heaven. And the first thing John sees is a majestic worship in which the One seated on the throne, that is, God the Father, is being praised:

Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!

Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power,

for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.

And in the right hand of Him who is seated on the throne is a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. The scroll symbolizes God’s plan of salvation. And the fact that the scroll is written within and on the back signifies that God’s plan of salvation is comprehensive and complete—no one can add to or subtract from this divine plan in any way. And the scroll is sealed with seven seals. It was a practice in Roman civil law for a last will and testament to be sealed with seven seals. The seals offer security and keep the contents save from any unlawful usage. And so, the scroll in God the Father’s right hand is His will and testament, the purpose of which is the ultimate good and glory of God’s people. However, for the moment, the scroll of God’s gracious will of salvation is sealed with seven seals and thus closed to everyone.

Now at funerals, pastors like to quote the verse from Revelation that says that God will wipe away every tear from [our] eyes (7:17; 21:4). And we assume that tears have never been shed in heaven. But alas, such is not the case! None other than St. John himself once cried in heaven.

You see, in the midst of all that glorious worship of God the Father, the call went out: Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?. In other words, “Who is worthy to reveal God’s gracious plan of salvation?”. No one in heaven or on earth or under the earth—no angel or human creature—was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And so John wept. No, John sobbed—he sobbed like a person racked by overwhelming pain and grief. And what a terrible sorrow that would have been—to see there in the Father’s right hand the scroll of salvation, and yet to not be able to know its contents. 

But then someone interrupts John’s crying. Not an angel, but one of the elders—that is, an elevated saint, who himself has walked through the valley of the shadow of death and is now at peace before God’s presence. He comes to John and says: “Cry no more, John. For finally, there has been found someone worthy”. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals. And wiping away his tears, John sees not a lion, but a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.

The Lamb, of course, is Jesus. His being a Lion signifies His royal rule and power; His being the Root of David signifies His human origin and descent from King David. This messianic Lion of Judah and Root of David has conquered, and because of His victory He has earned the right to take the scroll and open it. But take note as to how He conquered. He conquered by being slain as the Lamb of God. Yes, the victory is won by Christ the Lamb in His death on the cross and His resurrection. And Christ the Lamb of God shares His victory with His faithful followers, the people of God—with you and me.

The victory of the Lamb who was slain is a victory that determines the Christian’s life here on earth. In Revelation 2, our Lord Jesus praises the one who conquers and who keeps [His] works (2:26). Through all our struggles, sins, and sorrows, then, we are called to conquer unbelief and hold fast to the works of Jesus, namely, His redeeming death and triumphal resurrection for our eternal well-being. And to all who live and conquer in the victory of Jesus’ death and resurrection, God promises: I will be his God and he will be my son (21:7). 

This Lamb of God is depicted as having seven horns and seven eyes. “Seven” is the number of completion; a horn is a symbol of power; an eye, of course, is a symbol of seeing. Here we have Jesus presented as the victorious Lamb of God, who exercises complete power over heaven and earth and who is all-seeing and all-knowing. And now Jesus goes and takes the scroll of salvation from the right hand of Him who is seated on the throne. This act of God giving the scroll to the Lamb is the coronation and enthronement of our Saviour Jesus. 

If you watched the recent coronation of King Charles III, you could not help but notice that he received a number of items, such as a scepter, a ring, a sword, and a crown, to signify his kingly power and authority. Well, here in Revelation 5, the event of the Lamb receiving the scroll is the coronation of Jesus Christ as the King of kings and Lord of lords. His receiving the scroll is His exaltation to the right hand of God in order to now rule everything on behalf of His heavenly Father. It is the enthronement of God’s holy Son, who not long before was enthroned upon a cross to suffer and die in the place of and for sinners.

In my sermon last Sunday, I asked the question: What good things does Jesus’ ascension mean for you and me today? Once again, let me tell you of something which is good for you through your Lord’s ascension and exaltation to the right hand of God the Father. You now have a reason to celebrate, even in the face of the deepest of earthly sorrows. For, as a baptized child of God, you now live in and are joined to the heavenly celebration of the coronation and enthronement of Jesus. 

There has never been a celebration like that which began when the Son returned to His heavenly Father. For some two thousand years this celebration has been taking place, and it will continue forever. Heaven broke into joyful song and celebration when the Son came back victorious. He was received by the Father and was given the authority to rule everything on behalf of God the Father. 

But not long before this, all heaven was in mourning when the Son was crowned with thorns and placed on a cross. In truth, Jesus’ coronation, by which He created a kingdom for God and by which He Himself became a king, was at His suffering and death. But while his kingship was earned in His suffering and dying to save us sinners, it would be a kingdom and a reign in glory. The crown of thorns gave way to a crown of many diadems. The glory of the cross is now fully seen in the glory of the exaltation of Christ at the right hand of God the Father in His heavenly majesty. 

Heaven is no longer in mourning; celebration has taken its place forever. And here is the hymn of heaven, the new song, which will never go out of style:

Worthy are you[, O Christ] to take the scroll and to open its seals,

for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God

from every tribe and language and people and nation,

and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,

and they shall reign on the earth.

Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom 

and might and honour and glory and blessing!

To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb

be blessing and honour and glory and might forever and ever! Amen.

In today’s epistle, St. Peter reminds us that the end of all things is at hand. And he tells us not to be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. St. Peter would have us join in celebrating our Lord’s coronation and enthronement even now as we endure fiery trials as we wait for His glory to be revealed. 

Dearly beloved children of God, at present, we all share in Christ’s sufferings as we strive to conquer our unbelief and hold fast to the works of Jesus, namely, His redeeming death and triumphal resurrection for our eternal well-being. In all our struggles, we are sustained by God’s promise: The one who conquers will have this heritage, … I will be his God and he will be my son. 

That’s the main point of our Lord’s ascension, coronation, and exaltation. The Lamb of God who was slain to save you has now been crowned as King of kings and Lord of lords. The Lamb alone is worthy to open the scroll of salvation. His ascension and exaltation to the right hand of God the Father and His opening of the scroll is the beginning of the everlasting reign of God’s righteousness through His exalted Son, a gracious reign that will give you the strength to conquer your unbelief and that will carry you safely through all of life’s turmoils to the joy of the resurrection and the new heaven and earth, on the day when His glory is revealed. That is why, every Lord’s Day, we join in heaven’s celebration, singing in the Gloria in Excelsis: Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us. For Thou only art holy; Thou only art the Lord. Thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost, art most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

A Prayer based on today’s Reading

O Lord Jesus, at Your ascension, You received from the God the Father’s right hand the scroll of salvation. Your receiving the scroll is Your coronation as the King of kings and Lord of lords. Your receiving the scroll is Your exaltation to the right hand of God in order to now rule everything on behalf of Your heavenly Father. You are the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, and You have conquered sin, death, the devil, and hell. Help me to always remember that You conquered by being slain as the Lamb of God. Yes, the victory is won through Your death on the cross and Your resurrection. And now, O Lamb of God, You share Your victory with Your faithful followers, the people of God—including me. Help me now to conquer in Your victory, for You praise the one who conquers and who keeps [Your] works (Revelation 2:26). Through all my struggles, sins, and sorrows, then, help me to conquer unbelief and hold fast to Your works, namely, Your redeeming death and triumphal resurrection for my eternal well-being. For to all who live and conquer in the victory of Your death and resurrection, God promises: I will be his God and he will be my son (Revelation 21:7). O Jesus, Lamb of God, You who was slain to save sinners have now been crowned as King of kings and Lord of lords. You alone are worthy to open the scroll of salvation. Your ascension and exaltation to the right hand of God the Father and Your opening of the scroll is the beginning of the everlasting reign of God’s righteousness through You. I thank You that Yours is gracious reign, a reign that will give me the strength to conquer my unbelief and that will carry me safely through all of life’s turmoils to the joy of the resurrection and the new heaven and earth, on the day when Your glory is revealed. That is why, every Lord’s Day, I and my brothers and sisters in Christ join in heaven’s celebration, singing in the Gloria in Excelsis: Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us. For Thou only art holy; Thou only art the Lord. Thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost, art most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen.