Believe and Speak--He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father

 

John 20:17

Mark 16:19

Acts 1:6-9

Acts 5:30-32

Psalm 68:18

Ephesians 4:8-10

1 Timothy 3:16

Hebrews 2:9

Hebrews 12:1-2

1 Peter 1:3-5, 8

1 Peter 3:21-22

2 Corinthians 4:13

Mary Magdalene was at Jesus' grave when He appeared to her, risen!  She must have tried to touch Him, because Jesus essentially said to her "Do not handle me to see whether I am still clothed with a body." (Greek lexicon explanation) He hasn't ascended to the Father yet, but He will soon.  Jesus gave His disciples the Great Commission "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation", and then He ascended to heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.  And He will someday return the same way.  The psalmist paints a beautiful picture of the ascension of Jesus, years and years before it happened.  Paul quotes this verse in Ephesians, saying "There wouldn't have been anyone to ascend to heaven if He hadn't first descended, come from heaven to earth." {Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation.💓} 

I identified most closely with Timothy in our reading today-- "Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness"! It's all so much to take in and process.  That's why we call this creed a statement of FAITH, which is loyalty to a person and/or promise.  If we believe anything that Jesus teaches is true, we must believe  EVERYTHING He teaches is true, because He is steadfast, trustworthy, and unchanging. If I know that Jesus saved me by dying on the cross, being buried, and rising again, then I know Jesus is at the right hand of the Father--His Father and our Father, His God and our God.   Jesus paid the price for us to be born again to a living hope, and He is our inheritance kept in heaven--imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.  We wouldn't be able to utter one word of a creed on our own--Jesus requires faith and He provides it.  (Tara-Leigh Cobble quote 😇) So, let us lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.  Who for the JOY set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.  Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, we also believe and so we also speak.