As we grow and develop in the divine life unto maturity, we will be those who know the ascension of Christ – both in an objective way (the facts that Christ accomplished and attained to when He was ascended) and subjectively (by experiencing Christ’s ascension in our experience). If we are those knowing the ascension, there’s nothing else left for us to do than to praise the Lord!
Paul and Silas knew the ascension and they were one with Christ, enjoying Him as their everything, no matter the situation – and the Lord was able to move in and through them even in a negative situation (in the prison).
Watchman Nee, a faithful servant of the Lord and a seer of the divine revelation in the present age, also knew ascension. Even though he was in prison for 20 years, he was in the Body of Christ knowing ascension. His testimony at the end of his life was, “I have maintained my joy” (note found by one of his prison mates).
We need to see firstly what Christ has accomplished and attained to in His ascension, and then we need to go on to experience subjectively the ascension of Christ. In this blog post we will look at how the Lord’s ascension caused Him to be crowned with glory and honor, and how Christ was enthroned in His ascension for God’s administration!
Christ’s Ascension is His Inauguration into His Heavenly Office
When the Lord Jesus ascended, His ascension was to make everything official – He was inaugurated into the highest office, the highest position and rank in the entire universe! Christ was made by God the Administrator of the universe, the Head over all things to the church, the Ruler of the kings of the earth, the Lord of lords, and the Leader and the Savior!
I really enjoyed this particular quote from the life-study of Luke (p. 641) by brother Witness Lee,
The Man-Savior’s ascension is His inauguration into His heavenly office through the process of creation, incarnation, human living, crucifixion, and resurrection as God and man, as the Creator and the creature, and as the Redeemer, the Savior, and the life-giving Spirit, to execute God’s administration and to carry out God’s New Testament economy (dispensation).
Wow! Christ passed through creation, incarnation, human living, crucifixion, and resurrection, and now as the Man-Savior He has been inaugurated into His heavenly office so that He may execute God’s administration (by administrating the entire universe) and carry out God’s New Testament economy (to propagate Himself so that He may gain a reproduction, the church, His Body, which issues and consummates in the New Jerusalem). Wow!
The more we exercise to realise who and what Christ is in His resurrection and ascension, we will be revolutionised in our cooperation with the Lord in our being able to subjectively know and experience ascension. We will cooperate with the Lord in our measure so that He may get His fullness as His expression and an army for His dominion to end this age!
In His Ascension Jesus Christ was Crowned with Glory and Honor
As seen in Heb. 2:9, the Lord’s ascension caused Him to be crowned with glory and honor. Through incarnation He humbled Himself, lowering Himself temporarily to be a little inferior to the angels, and through crucifixion He suffered death in the flesh, but in His ascension God crowned Him with glory and honor!
Glory is the splendor related to the Lord’s person, and honor is the preciousness related to the Lord’s worth (see 2 Pet. 1:17). The Lord Jesus is now in a state of glory and in has a rank of honor, being above all kings and rulers on the earth, in the heavens, or anywhere else in the universe!
Stephen saw the Lord Jesus and his face was shining – he knew ascension even before he died, and he was on earth for the Lord’s glory! Today Christ is far above all people and all things and all names in all the ages – He is the Highest One in the universe!
Hallelujah for such a Christ – glorious and honorable! Only He gets the glory and honor is given only to Him!
The Lord’s Ascension Caused Him to be Enthroned for God’s Administration
In His ascension, the Lord Jesus was enthroned by God for His administration – He is now seated on the right hand of the throne of God (Heb. 2:2).
This doesn’t mean that God has a throne, and on His right hand side Christ sits on His throne. As we see in Rev. 3:21 and 22:1-3, God in Christ is on the throne ruling over everything. It is God who administrates the entire universe from within Christ and through Christ – just as the light (God Himself) shines from within the lamp and through the lamp (Christ is the lamp, and God shines from within Christ and through Christ in the New Jerusalem; Rev. 22:1-3).
Right now, Christ is on the throne to administrate the entire universe – He is the unique Administrator, the King of kings and the Lord of lords; Christ is the Ruler of the kings of the earth (see Rev. 1:5; 17:14; 19:16). Hallelujah for such a Christ, who in His ascension was enthroned to be the Administrator of the entire universe for God!
We simply need to look away unto Jesus, the One who sat down at the right hand of the throne of God on high. This Christ is both the Leader and the Savior – He is both arranging everything outwardly (as the Leader, administrating the universe) and the Savior subjectively gaining the Body of Christ (carrying out God’s New Testament economy).
As the Administrator, Christ administrates the entire universe for God, and as the Savior, Christ is carrying out God’s economy to propagate Himself and gain a reproduction of Himself in humanity, the church as the Body of Christ (see Acts 5:31).
How encouraging to see Christ as the Administrator taking care of all the things, planets, people, and beings in the universe for God, and as the Savior and Ruler He is spreading the church life all over the earth to gain a substantial expression of the Triune God in city after city.
If we see Christ’s status as Leader and Savior, our experience of Christ will be changed, upgraded, and revolutionised, and we will give Him a way to move! May we honor Him, praise Him, and exult Him as the enthroned One to administrate the entire universe for God!
Lord, we praise You! Praise You for Your ascension and all Your accomplishments! You have been official inaugurated in Your heavenly office, and now You have the highest position and rank in the entire universe. Lord, we look away from anyone and anything unto You, since You both administrate the universe and constantly save us in Your life! You are crowned with glory and honor, and You are our Savior leading us into glory! Praise the Lord! Glory to the Lord Jesus! Hallelujah for the Lord Jesus Christ!
References and Hymns on this Topic
- Inspiration (besides the Word of God and my Christian experience): bro. Dick Taylor’s speaking in this message and portions from, Life-study of Luke (msg. 76), as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, Entering into the Fourth Stage of the Experience of Life to Arrive at a Full-Grown Man for the Fulfillment of God’s Purpose, week 3 / msg 3, The Fourth Stage of the Experience of Life (2) – Knowing the Ascension.
- Hymns on this topic:
# Christ the Savior hath ascended / To the heavens far above, / Crowned with glory and with honor / By the Father God in love; / He hath made Him Head of all things, / His supremacy to prove.
# Praise Him’ Christ hath now ascended! / God hath raised Him to the throne! / Far above all rule and power, / He the highest Name doth own! / All authority receiving / Till His foe is overthrown!
# Lo! in heaven Jesus sitting, / Christ the Lord is there enthroned; / As the man by God exalted, / With God’s glory He is crowned.
About aGodMan
