Open Up the Heavens (4): Our True Worship Leader

“But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God...And he told them, ‘Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!’” - Acts 7:55-56 (NLT)

In the first three posts of this series we've been "rediscovering" the doctrine of the ascension throughout Scripture. These discoveries lead us to some very important and relevant implications. If Jesus is at the right hand of the Father, in a physical body, in a physical place, doing things, one of the obvious questions is, “What is he doing?” The book of Hebrews is one of the richest places in Scripture to give us answers to this question. In this fourth post we will camp out a little bit in this wonderful biblical treasure and find out what our ascended Jesus is doing right now in the present heaven and how his present role should shape and inform our worship.

Because of the book of Hebrews we know that Jesus functions as our High Priest. Nowhere else in the New Testament is Jesus given this title. Certainly there are other passages that allude to Jesus’ priesthood. John 17, for example, is often referred to as Jesus’ “High Priestly Prayer.” There we see Jesus’ intercessory function clearly portrayed as we see him praying for present and future disciples, the church. John 17 functions powerfully in giving us actual words and categories which Jesus is likely to be using and praying through for us right now in heaven. That is an amazing thought! In the book of Hebrews we first find Jesus designated as “High Priest” in 2:17:

Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people.

The author of Hebrews himself gives us the main point of his message in 8:1-2:

Here is the main point: We have a High Priest who sat down in the place of honor beside the throne of the majestic God in heaven. There he ministers in the heavenly Tabernacle, the true place of worship that was built by the Lord and not by human hands.

These two verses alone are so significant. They tell us three crucial things about Jesus and the ascension:

· He is our High Priest.
· He ascended, leaving earth, and took his place of honor in heaven.
· He is presently ministering in the true place of worship, the heavenly Tabernacle.

Interestingly, the word “ministers” comes from the Greek word, leitourgos which is where we derive the words “liturgy” and “liturgist.” So, we can think of Jesus as our true “liturgist” or “worship leader.” He is doing things of a priestly, liturgical nature in heaven. We can’t go too far in describing what all of these various function are, but the book of Hebrews gives us a lot of insight as we see how Jesus fulfills the role of both priest and sacrifice.

Let’s look at some of these passages in Hebrews that describe his priestly characteristics. I will distinguish those facets of his role as priest that have continuity with the Aaronic priesthood, those that are like that of Melchizedek, and those that are unique to Jesus:

Continuity with Aaronic Priesthood

· He was made in every respect like us (2:17).
· He understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testing we do (4:15).
· He is required to offer gifts and sacrifices (8:3).
· He offered blood for the sins the people had committed in ignorance (9:7).

Like that of Melchizedek

· He was chosen by God (5:5).
· He is a priest forever (5:6).

Unique to Jesus

· He has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood (8:6).
· He mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises (8:6).
· He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven (9:11).
· He offered himself as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time (10:12).
· He sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand (10:12).
· He rules over God’s house (10:21).

In light of all these various roles and descriptions about Jesus as our High Priest, it is important that we listen to the author of Hebrews’ exhortation:

Dear brothers and sisters who belong to God…think carefully about this Jesus whom we declare to be God’s messenger and High Priest (Hebrews 3:1).

I have long been familiar with Jesus’ designation as High Priest and have at times considered its true meaning; but honestly, it has only been within the past few years of my Christian journey that I have begun to think carefully about this Jesus who has ascended, who is seated at God’s right, and who is ministering right now.

I want all of the passages above to sink deeply into my heart and mind and really become formative in my life. I want to know at a deep level that Jesus was made in every respect like me, that he understands my weaknesses because he faced all of the same testings that I do. I want the reality of his being chosen by God as a priest forever, with all of its implications, to sink deep into soul.

I don’t want to think about Jesus just in past or future terms, but I want to know that right now he is ministering in heaven on my behalf, that he is interceding on my behalf. When the enemy throws assaults at me, whispering accusations into my heart, I want to readily remember and recall the fact that my High Priest is at the Father’s right hand reminding me of my true position as his son. I want to know that in the midst of life’s various trials and circumstances, when I’m anxious about our finances, or my job, or my family, my High Priest rules over the house of God. He is in control of heaven’s affairs; surely he can take care of me.

I think this is some of what the author is Hebrews is trying to convey when he says “think carefully about this Jesus whom we declare to be God’s messenger and High Priest.” Think carefully, lest our hearts become evil and unbelieving, turning away from the living God (3:12). The author of Hebrews also exhorts us to “warn each other every day, while it is still ‘today,’ so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God” (3:13). The word for “warn” is the Greek word, parakaleo. It is where the word “Paraklete” is derived in referring to the Holy Spirit.

In Romans 15:4 Paul writes, “The Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.” And in John 14:26 Jesus tells the disciples, “When the Father sends the Advocate as my representative – that is, the Holy Spirit – he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.” The word for “encouragement” in Romans is the Greek word, paraklesis; in John 14:26 the word for “Advocate” is parakletos.

Putting all of this together, the lesson we can learn from Hebrews is that it takes the power of the Holy Spirit to really enliven within us the truths about our ascended Jesus, our High Priest. This is one of the reasons why it is so important for us to gather together at least weekly in worship: to place ourselves in a context where the Holy Spirit can give us great encouragement through the promises of Scripture so that our hearts do not become hardened and unbelieving.
On our own, thoughts about a heavenly High Priest that we cannot see is difficult. However, with childlike faith and humility and with our Advocate, the Holy Spirit, confirming and empowering biblical promises in us, we can begin to really grasp and be transformed by such present heavenly realities.

Of course there is a lot to ponder in terms of how Jesus’ role as “liturgist” and “worship leader” should affect our worship, practically and theologically. The author of Hebrews writes:

For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one origin. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying,

I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise (Hebrews 2:11-12. ESV).

When he says “I will tell your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise,” the author of Hebrews is quoting from Psalm 22. As we have seen before, he is prophetically seeing David’s words as fulfilled in Jesus. So Jesus, as our true liturgist, is the one who both brings God word to us, and he is a voice among us, offering praise with us.

Admittedly, this takes a little while to sink in, but for me personally, there is something very freeing in this whole reality. The pressure is off, so to speak, if Jesus is ultimately the one proclaiming God’s name among us in worship. It is also incredibly encouraging to know that he is singing with us! I can’t see these realities, but as I listen for the Holy Spirit, and as I read and meditate on these truths, I begin to really believe and understand them.

In some real way, the worship of heaven intersects our worship on earth, and Jesus, not me, becomes the real worship leader in our assembly. To put this in more tangible terms, Jesus is the worship leader at Valley Springs Church. He is the voice speaking through his people, proclaiming God’s name and Gospel promises; he is one of the voices among his people each Sunday singing (part of me wonders what his “voice” sounds like, is it the melody, harmony, or something we have yet to hear!).

By faith and with the help of the Holy Spirit, these truths should astound us. Careful consideration of these present realities should greatly shape and inform our orientation to corporate worship.

In the next post we'll reflect on the Spirit's role in worship.

Open Up the Heavens (3): The Hopeful Orientation of the Apostles

“But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God...And he told them, ‘Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!’” - Acts 7:55-56 (NLT)

In the third post of this series we'll look at the writings of Peter, Paul, and John who all speak into the reality of the ascended Lord Jesus who now sits at the right hand of the Father. The apostles needed to encourage the Christians who were being persecuted and the churches that were growing and spreading throughout the Mediterranean region; and they knew that the most encouraging thing they could offer was a robust vision of a reigning, ruling Jesus who is holding everything together. In his letter to the Colossians the apostle Paul tells the believers:

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you shall share in all his glory (Colossians 3:1-4).

I love this passage. To me it is such a reminder to keep my focus and orientation on what is true reality. Though I can now see books and a bed and a desk around me, the realities of heaven are still more real than what my eyes, alone, can see. Paul is exhorting these believers to set their sights on true reality: Jesus is reigning right now in a real place called heaven. And one day, we will share in all his glory. That is a reality worth hoping for!

For the apostle Peter, he too was writing to comfort the Christians going through severe trials and suffering. I love the way Peter opens his first letter, “I am writing to God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia” (I Peter 1:1). Right off the bat Peter is making it clear that their current address is not where they find their true citizenship. A couple of verses later he writes:

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance – an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay…So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure trials for a little while (I Peter 1:3-4, 6).

Peter not only offers them great hope by speaking about their inheritance, but he further reminds them of Christ’s current position, “Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers accept his authority” (I Peter 3:22). Peter is making sure that, despite their trials and sufferings, Christ is in control! Although it may seem that Rome has ultimate authority, Peter is making sure their orientation is a heavenly one, not merely an earthly one based on what seems to be reality. Like Paul, Peter is reminding the believers of unseen realities.

You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls…It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen (I Peter 1:8-9, 12b).

I love it that Peter acknowledges their lack of being able to see these realities; and yet, he speaks of a joy that is inexpressible, so wonderful that “even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen.” I love that.

It is amazing to read Peter’s letters to the suffering church. His writings are so mature and pastoral compared to the portrait of Peter in the Gospels. Personally, I believe that during the forty days before Jesus ascended, Peter had one “Ah-hah” moment after another. I’m sure Jesus taught the eleven disciples as he did for the two followers on the road to Emmaus: “Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27). I would have loved to have sat in on those conversations!

In addition to Paul and Peter, the apostle John offers us some of the most powerful images of heaven and the ascended Christ in all of Scripture. He also gives us insights into what the ascended Jesus is doing in heaven as well as the Holy Spirit’s role here on earth. In the fourth and fifth chapters of Revelation John gives us incredible windows into the worship of heaven. You get the sense that John is grasping for words to describe what he is seeing:

Then as I looked, I saw a door standing open in heaven…And instantly I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it. The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones—like jasper and carnelian. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow. Twenty-four thrones surrounded him, and twenty-four elders sat on them. They were all clothed in white and had gold crowns on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder. And in front of the throne were seven torches with burning flames. This is the sevenfold Spirit of God. In front of the throne was a shiny sea of glass, sparkling like crystal (Revelation 4:1-6).

John goes on to describe the rest of the company of heaven and the Lamb and the songs of worship that are being sung forever and ever. It was quite an amazing and mysterious vision, most unlike anything we have yet encountered on earth. John’s Revelation was written about thirty years after Paul and Peter wrote their letters; however, his impact on its recipients would be very similar, to encourage the believers that, ultimately, God will prevail. He is on his throne and his followers are called to persevere and maintain their witness, spurred on by a grand vision of unseen realities and a secure and victorious future.

In John’s Gospel we receive further insights into the current “job descriptions” of our ascended Jesus in heaven and our Advocate here on earth, the Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ long discourse with the disciples following his institution of the Lord’s Supper, Jesus offers some very comforting words and gives us clues to what he is doing right now in heaven:

Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am (John 14:1-3).

I think it is by no coincidence that, by faith, we believe that Jesus is in a real realm, the present heaven, and he is continuing his earthly skills and vocation as a carpenter by constructing a holy city for us! This is the type of passage that is a bit hard to truly imagine because we have so many barriers to thinking in literal, physical terms when it comes to Jesus’ present ministry and the nature of the present heaven.

Platonic philosophy has cast a long shadow on Western civilization, and has made it hard for us to really believe that spiritual realties have a physical nature about them. Platonic, Greek philosophy basically believed that the material, physical world was corrupt and the eternal, world of forms was good. Along with Hollywood portrayals of heaven and sentimentalized song lyrics, no wonder we tend to imagine spiritual realities as non-physical, formless, vaporous, and cloud-filled. Things that are material are too “earthy” and therefore couldn’t be a part of heavenly realities.

This is clearly not the biblical picture, however. I would challenge us to begin to think much more physically about heavenly realities. Right now, our ascended Lord Jesus is in a physical, though glorified body, most likely with tools in his hand, constructing a city…for us!
John also describes our Advocate here on earth. Though Jesus was telling the disciples that he is going to leave, he has to return to his Father, he will send a representative:

I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you (John 14:25-26).

In the same manner that we believe, by faith, in a risen, ascended Lord Jesus, ministering and constructing and praying for us right now; we also believe in another unseen reality, the Holy Spirit. Jesus told the disciples that the “Advocate” would be his representative here on earth for us. He will never leave us; he will lead us into all truth; he will be with us; and he will live in us (John 14:16-17). Those are great promises and a great encouragement. The Holy Spirit is our source of wisdom and guidance as we live on earth as citizens of heaven.

In the next few posts we'll begin to reflect on the implications of the ascension and how they should shape and inform our worship. First we'll look at the book of Hebrews, understanding how Jesus is our true worship leader.

Open Up the Heavens (2): The Center of Luke's Writings

“But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God...And he told them, ‘Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!’” - Acts 7:55-56 (NLT)

In the second post of this blog series entitled "Open Up the Heavens," we're continuing to look at the doctrine of the ascension as it is found in Scripture. In the previous post we looked at the ascension as "The Prophetic Vision of the Psalms" and focused on Psalm 24. In this post we're looking at how the writer Luke seems to have placed the ascension at the center of his two-volume work, Luke-Acts.

At some point in my journey of discoveries about the ascension, I came across an obscure little footnote for a journal article written in 1980 by Kenneth Wolfe. The title of the article was “The Chiastic Structure of Luke-Acts and Some Implications for Worship.” Immediately I was intrigued and went to the theological library at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology. There I found and printed off the article. It was another piece of evidence I would collect and chew on in my discoveries of the riches of the ascension.

According to Wolfe, the ascension is at the center of Luke’s two-volume work. The movement of the Gospel of Luke is toward Jerusalem and the ascension, and the movement of the book of Acts is outward from Jerusalem and the ascension to Judea and Samaria, and eventually to Rome. Here is the outline of Luke-Acts as Wolfe describes it:

A Birth of Jesus in the Context of World History and Roman rule (Luke 1-2)
B Jesus in Galilee (Luke 3-8)
C Jesus in Samaria and Judea (Luke 9-18)
D Jesus in Jerusalem (Luke 18-23)
E Jesus’ Ascension from the Mount of Olives (Luke 24 & Acts 1)
D’ Church in Jerusalem (Acts 2-7)
C’ Church in Judea and Samaria (Acts 8-9)
B’ Church throughout the Gentile World (Acts 10-20)
A’ Preaching of the Gospel by Paul extends as far as Rome (Acts 21-28)

This outline and perspective on Luke-Acts seemed so utterly clear. I remembered from seminary that whatever is at the center of a chiasm is very important to the author. Thus, if Luke had this chiastic structure in mind when he wrote his two-volume work, and if he placed the ascension at the center of this chiasm, then the ascension, for Luke, was of great importance

Think about it this way. As an author, Luke has placed the ascension at the center of his body of work that represents roughly one-quarter of the New Testament writings. That is significant! In light of that, why is it that the ascension has become such a neglected biblical subject? In what is commonly known as the “travel narrative," Luke begins with the following statement:

As the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem (Luke 9:51-19:10).

Interestingly, even though Luke makes it clear that Jesus’ reason for traveling to Jerusalem is so that he can ascend to heaven, commentators will go right to the cross and the resurrection and gloss over the ascension.

Another key passage in discerning the flow and movement of Luke's writings is found in the book of Acts just before Stephen is martyred:

But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand. And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!” (Acts 8:55, 56)

Thus, the last thing Stephen saw was the ascended Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father. After this event, the church scattered. These two passages (Luke 9:51 and Acts 8:55, 56) are important mile-markers in the overall flow and movement of Luke-Acts. For Luke, the ascension was what Jesus had on his mind as he set out for Jerusalem, and the ascended Jesus was who Stephen saw before the church spread out from Jerusalem. Clearly, Jerusalem and the ascension were important for Luke, theologically and geographically.

I believe the Mount of Olives was also an important geographic location. It is from the Mount of Olives that Jesus descends into Jerusalem at what is known as his “triumphal entry.” And it is from the Mount of Olives that Jesus ascends to heaven. When all of this is coupled with a statement by the prophet Zechariah, an interesting detail about the future emerges:

Then the Lord will go out to fight against those nations, as he has fought in times past. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:3, 4).

This is part of an eschatological chapter in the book of Zechariah speaking of the day when the Lord will rule the earth. This is most likely a chapter describing the new heavens and the new earth. And it seems to reveal that when the Lord returns, he will descend upon the Mount of Olives. This is not too far fetched when one remembers what the two white-robed men said to the disciples as they watched Jesus ascend:

“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!” (Acts 2:11)

I am not one to take eschatological language too literally, but this seems pretty clear. Thus, it is quite possible that when our Lord returns to make all things new, he is going to come back to this specific geographic location, the Mount of Olives.

In the next post we will look at the ascension as "The Hopeful Orientation of the Apostles."