Grace Fellowship Church Pastor/Teacher Jim Rickard Thursday, January 22, 2009
Memory Verse John 13:34, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”
The Upper Room Discourse John John 13:33 Ascension and Session of our Lord
“Little children” - TEKNION. An endearing term for the believing disciples.
Thayer: “In the NT, used as a term of kindly address by teachers to their disciples.” Technicians or technical students.
“I am with you a little while longer”. Prophesying His imminent departure and crucifixion. Conveying the urgency of the moment, to gain their full attention with terms of endearment and imminence.
“You shall seek me”. ZETEO - Predictive Future Tense: The imminent departure and prophesy of His ascension. Active Voice: The disciples will be seeking Him in the future.
“And as I said to the Jews, (John 7:33-34, 36; 8:21- 24), I now say to you also, ‘Where I am going you cannot come””.
"Where I am going", “To what place I depart”. The Futuristic Present Tense tells us again, of the imminence of our Lord's departure.
“You cannot come”. SU - "you all", plus OUK - "not" and DUNAMAI for "power or ability". You are not able. You don’t have the power. You can’t walk in my shoes.
Mat 20:20-27: The disciples could not experientially drink the cup that was designed for our Lord. Only He could fulfill the Father's Plan of Salvation.
Yet, vs 36-37, they too will arrive in heaven, but at a later point in time when God's Plan for their lives is completed.
Although in arrogance man thinks he can save himself, our Lord gives us the reality check that we are without the power to complete the task that our Lord had completed.
The Doctrine of the Ascension and Session of the Lord Jesus Christ.
1) Definition: a) The Ascension is a doctrine of Christology pertaining to the transfer of our Lord's true humanity from planet earth to the third heaven in a resurrection body.
b) The Session is that doctrine of Christology pertaining to the glorification of our Lord's humanity at the right hand of the Father.
2) The Ascension of Christ occurred 40 days after His resurrection. He remained on earth for 40 days in order to confirm the fact that He had indeed risen from the dead.
3) If Christ had remained on earth, He would have had a limited glory, but when He ascended, He became superior to all creation, with unlimited glory. Acts 2:33, 5:31; Phil 2:9
4) The Ascension of Christ took place on the Mount of Olives where He will return at His 2nd Advent, at the end of the Tribulation. Acts 1:6-12 with Rev 1:7; 19:11-16.
5) The R.A.S. of Christ brought to a conclusion His earthly ministry and resolved the Angelic Conflict. His coronation was the culmination of the strategic victory, Heb 1:3.
6) His Ascension is the 3rd major event in relation to the appeal trial of Satan, while the Session is the 5 th major event.
a) The 5 major events in relation to the appeal trial of Satan are:
(1) The Substitutionary Spiritual Death of Jesus Christ on the Cross (2) Resurrection (3) Ascension (4) Triumphal Procession (5) The Session
b) The trial has three phases: (1) The Formal Presentation of the Case (2) Rebuttal Phase, and (3) Closing Arguments and Summary
c) Time frame of the three phases: (1) The Formal Present- ation corresponds with Old Testament History
(2) The Rebuttal Phase: (i) Of the Prosecution - God - includes the Hypostatic Union and Church Age. (ii) Of Satan takes place during the Tribulation Period.
(3) The Closing Arguments and Summary: (i) Of the Prosecution takes place during the Millennial Reign.
(ii) Of Satan, takes place when he is released from prison after the Millennium. Includes the Gog Revolution, resulting in sentence to the Lake of Fire, Rev 20:10.
Grace Fellowship Church Thursday, January 22, 2009 Ascension and Session of our Grace Fellowship Church Thursday, January 22, 2009 Tape # Ascension and Session of our Lord Jesus Christ Upper Room Discourse, Part 237 John 13:33; Acts 1:6-12; 2:33; 5:31; Phil 2:9 James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2009