33. 基督的升天The Ascension of Christ
作者: 史鮑爾 (R.C. Sproul) 譯者: 姚錦榮
今天教會常常忽略基督升天一事。我們視紀念基督的出生（聖誕節）、死亡（受難節）和復活（復活節），為值得慶祝的聖日，但大多數教會都不重視基督的升天。可是基督的升天是一個極重要的救贖事件，它是基督再來之前被升至最高的時刻。基督是藉著升天進入自己的榮耀中。
耶穌論到祂離世時說，祂的離去要比與門徒朝夕相聚更好。當祂第一次向門徒宣告自己將要離開時，門徒非常悲傷，可是門徒後來明白這件事的重要性，於是路加這樣記載升天一事：「說了這話，他們正看的時候，他就被取上升，有一朵雲彩把他接去，便看不見他了。當他往上去，他們定睛望天的時候，忽然有兩個人身穿白衣站在旁邊，說：『加利利人哪，你們為什麼站著望天呢？這離開你們被接升天的耶穌，你們見他怎樣往天上去，他還要怎樣來。』」 (徒1：9-11）『』
我們知道耶穌是在雲中升天，這雲也許是指舊約時代神榮耀的雲彩而言，其光輝遠比任何雲彩都燦爛，那是神榮耀的彰顯。因此耶穌的離開非比尋常，乃是一個極榮耀的時刻。
升天一詞有「向上升」之意，但基督的升天還包含了一層更深遠、更豐富和更特別的意義。耶穌的升天是件很獨特的事，遠超過以諾的升天和以利亞乘火車、火馬上升。
耶穌的升天是為了特別目的，去一個特別的地方。祂升往父神那裏，坐在父祌右邊。祂升上宇宙權能之位，為自己將作萬王之王接受加冕。
耶穌的升天，也是為進入天上的至聖所，繼續擔當作我們的大祭司的職事。耶穌在天上不但作統治的君王，也作為我們代禱的大祭司。祂站在高升的權柄地位上，向教會傾出祂靈。加爾文這樣寫道：
「祂升到天上，我們再看不見祂的肉身。但這並不表示，祂不再跟那些仍在世上奔走天路的門徒同在，而是表示祂將要立刻憑著能力，統管天上和地下的萬有。」（註1）
當耶穌升到天上接受萬王之王加冕時，祂是坐在神的右邊。神的右邊乃權柄的座位，耶穌在這寶座上統治、管理祂的國，並作天上地下的審判者。
耶穌也以教會--------即祂的身體---------元首的身分，坐在天父右邊，但祂管治和審判的權柄卻遠超過教會的範圍，而包含了全世界。雖然在耶穌的掌管下，教會和國家是有區別的，但二者不能分開，祂的權柄擴及二者。所有地上統治者都伏在祂以上，將在祂作萬王之王、萬主之主的權柄下受審判。
神命令所有天上地下的人都當尊榮耶穌，受耶穌管理，並順服耶穌的權柄。每個人最終都要站在祂的面前，接受最終的審判。
耶穌有權柄傾下聖靈給教會，但祂必須先坐在神的右邊。聖靈從屬於父神和子神而行事，父神和子神一起差遣聖靈，將基督的救恩運作在信徒身上。
當耶穌坐在神的右邊時，祂不但以萬王之王的身分運作，祂也作宇宙的審判者，審判萬國、萬民。雖然耶穌作審判之主，但祂也被父神委派作我們的辯護人。在最後審判時，這位天上法庭所委派的辯護者也將是主審者。在司提反殉道時，我們預嘗了耶穌為聖徒的代禱：「但司提反被聖靈充滿，定睛望天，看見神的榮耀，又看見耶穌站在神的右邊， 就說：『我看見天開了，人子站在神的右邊！』」（徒7：55-56）
總結
1.今天的教會太不重視基督的升天一事。
2.基督的升天是祂在救贖歷史被高升的重要事件。
3.基督在榮耀的雲中升天。
4.基督升到一個特別的地方，乃為一個特別的目的：加冕作萬王之王。
5.基督升天後，成為我們在天上的大祭司，坐在神的右邊，宇宙權柄所在之座位上。
6.五旬節時，坐在神右邊的耶穌按其權柄傾下聖靈。
7.耶穌坐在權柄的位置上審判全世界。
8.耶穌也是自己百姓的辯護者。
思考經文：
路24：50-53；羅8：34；羅14：9-10；弗4：7-8；來9：23-28
註1. John Calvin, Institutes of the
Christian Religion, trans. Henry Beveridge, 2 vols, bk. II (Gran Rapids:
Eerdmans, 1975), 1:448.
The Ascension of Christ
The significance of the
Ascension is often overlooked in the modern church. We have special
celebrations and holidays (holy days) to commemorate the birth (Christmas), the
death (Good Friday), and the resurrection (Easter) of Christ. Most churches,
however, make little or no mention of the Ascension. However, the Ascension is
a redemptive event of profound importance. It marks the moment of Christ's
highest point of exaltation prior to His return. It is in the Ascension that
Christ entered into His glory.
Jesus described His
departure from this earth as being better for us than His abiding presence.
When He first announced His departure to the disciples, they were saddened by
the news. However, they later came to realize the significance of this great
event. Luke records the Ascension for us:
Now when He had spoken
these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out
of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up,
behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, "Men of
Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken
up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into
heaven."
(Acts 1:9-11)
We notice that Jesus
departed in a cloud. This is probably a reference to the Shekinah, the cloud of
God's glory. The Shekinah exceeds in radiance any ordinary cloud. It is the
visible manifestation of God's radiant glory. Therefore, the manner of Jesus'
departure was not at all ordinary. It was a moment of remarkable splendor.
To ascend means
"to go up" or "to rise." However, when the term ascension
is used with respect to Christ, it has a deeper, richer, and more specific
meaning. Jesus' ascension is unique. It goes beyond Enoch being taken directly
into heaven or the departure of Elijah in a chariot of fire.
Jesus' ascension refers
to His going to a special place for a special purpose. He goes to the Father,
to the Father's right hand. He rises to the seat of cosmic authority. Jesus
goes to heaven for His coronation, His confirmation as the King of Kings.
Jesus also ascended to
enter the heavenly Holy of Holies to continue His work as our great High
Priest. In heaven Jesus reigns as King and intercedes for us as our High
Priest. From His position of ascended authority He poured out His Spirit upon
the church. John Calvin remarked,
Being raised to heaven,
he withdrew his bodily presence from our sight, not that he might cease to be
with his followers, who are still pilgrims on the earth, but that he might rule
both heaven and earth more immediately by his power.
When Jesus ascended to
heaven for His coronation as King of Kings, He was seated at the right hand of
God. The right hand of God is the seat of authority. From this position Jesus
rules, administrates His kingdom, and presides as the judge of heaven and
earth.
At the right hand of
the Father, Jesus is seated as the Head of His body, the church. Yet in this
position, Jesus' authority and governmental jurisdiction and administration
extend beyond the sphere of His church to embrace the whole world. Though
church and state may be distinguished within Jesus' domain, they are never
separated or divorced. His authority extends over both. All earthly rulers are
accountable to Him and will be judged by Him in His office as King of Kings and
Lord of Lords.
Everyone in heaven and
on earth is called of God to reverence Jesus' majesty, to be ruled by His hand,
to do Him proper homage, and to submit to His power. Everyone will ultimately
stand before Him as He sits in final judgment.
Jesus has the authority
to pour out His Holy Spirit upon the church. But Jesus did not pour out the
Spirit until He was first seated at the right hand of God. The Spirit ministers
in subordination to the Father and the Son, who together sent Him to apply
Christ's work of salvation to believers.
While seated at the
right hand of God, Jesus not only exercises His role as King of Kings, He also
fulfills the role of cosmic judge. He is judge over all nations and all people.
Although Jesus rules as our judge, He has also been appointed by the Father to
be our advocate. He is our defense attorney. At the last judgment our
court-appointed defense lawyer will be the presiding judge. A foretaste of
Jesus' intercession on behalf of saints can be seen in the martyrdom of
Stephen:
But he [Stephen], being
full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus
standing at the right hand of God, and said, "Look! I see the heavens
opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!" (Acts
7:55-56)
1. The Ascension
receives too little attention in the modern church.
2. The Ascension marks
a critical point of Christ's exaltation in redemptive history.
3. Christ departed in a
cloud of glory.
4. Christ ascended to a
specific place for a specific purpose: His coronation as King of Kings.
5. In His ascension,
Christ entered His role as our heavenly High Priest and was seated at the right
hand of God, the seat of cosmic authority.
6. From His position at
the right hand of God, Jesus authorized the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at
Pentecost.
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