Introduction

This week, we’re continuing our dive into the Apostles’ Creed, the statement of faith that described the Christian faith to generations of Christians before the New Testament was a recognized body of scripture and before the majority of Christians could read the bible. The text of the creed is

I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.

Amen.

Last week we looked at the suffering and humiliation of the Son, today I want to look at the shocking twist int hat story: the exaltation of the risen son.

‌Glory in Humiliation

I remember a song that came out when I was 10 years old called, “I’m Gonna Be (500 miles) in which the singers, a Scottish Rock duo called The Proclaimers, sang about the depths they would go to win the love of a woman. The chorus lyrics are

But I would walk 500 miles And I would walk 500 more Just to be the man who walked a thousand Miles to fall down at your door

Collapsing on someone’s door doesn’t seem like an act of strength. But it can be understood as such because of the context: it is the result of a supreme act of love (although, in the case of the Proclaimers, also undoubtedly a hyperbole). It speaks of their determination to demonstrate commitment. So it is with Jesus.

If Jesus’ primary concern is a political kingdom, where he gets to replace the Roman Emperor as the person who holds life and death power over many, then his crucifixion, judged by that standard, is an utter failure.

But the cross wasn’t about power, but about love. God gave everything to be reconciled to the world he created and loves, even though that world lives in rebellion against him. Jesus isn’t some loser who, thinking he could be king, bit off more than he could chew. Instead he is the father’s grandest expression of extravagant love to his creation. But more than that, Jesus’ resurrection shows that he is lord over death, the common enemy of all people, the one thing we will all find inescapable.

The creed says Jesus descended into hell. But it seems hell could not hold him. The scriptures don’t go into much detail, but in 1 Peter, we read:

​1 Peter 3:18–22NIV

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits—to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

Church tradition calls this the harrowing of hell. That Jesus preached the good news to the imprisoned spirits. Some people believe this was the the Old Testament righteous dead, others say that salvation was offered to all, but Jesus brings God’s presence to the lowest place. And then he is exalted.

‌He Arose

Jesus had told his disciples what was going to happen to him, but it was so far outside of what they could accept that they didn’t get it. And so on the third day, we encounter the women who spent time with Jesus trying to get into his tomb to anoint his body (which had been buried in such haste in the lead-up to the Passover that there was no time to properly prepare it). When they encounter two angelic messengers:

​Luke 24:1–8NIV

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” Then they remembered his words.

“Why do you look for the living among the dead?” What incomprehension must have filled their hearts. “Uh, this is where we left his body. In the case of corpses, we find that’s usually the best place to start looking.” Some people say they can’t be a Christian because they can’t believe in resurrection. I get that. Your experience says that dead people stay dead. Period. But Christianity doesn’t say that resurrection is an everyday event. Just like the virgin birth, Jesus’ resurrection is unique in history. Of course, there are other stories of the dead returning to life (Lazarus, for example) but these are different. Those people resumed the life they had previously had, and eventually they died again. Jesus’ resurrection is qualitatively different.

Jesus’ resurrected body appears to be different. He can appear in a room with locked doors, yet his body is still physical (He invites the disciples to touch his wounds and asks them for something to eat). Then there is the odd comment John makes in the story where the disciples encounter the risen Jesus after a miraculous fishing trip:

​John 21:12NIV

Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.

Why would it suggest there could possibly be any doubt about Jesus’ identity? Something is different about Jesus. Paul also hints at this in his discussion about the nature of the resurrected body

1 Corinthians 15:35–37, 42-44a (NIV)

But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?” How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else…. So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.

Just a quick note: the translation of “Natural Body” and “Spiritual Body” are misleading. The adjective Natural is elsewhere translated as ‘unspiritual’ or ‘without the spirit’. Paul isn’t contrasting a body made of flesh with a disembodied spirit. He’s not talking about what the bodies are made of, but what animates them. The mode of life we live now is the “natural” or “Unspiritual” body, but Jesus’ resurrected body shows a new mode of life—one enlivened by the power of the Holy Spirit. Christ is the ‘first fruits’ (v.20) so he serves as an example of what our post-resurrection bodies will be like.

So Jesus’ natural body can be destroyed by the crucifixion, but he is raised with a new Spirit-empowered body. And that spiritual body points towards our future hope of the resurrection. Jesus’ glory was once hidden, but in his resurrection it is clearly seen.

‌He Ascended into Heaven

He commissions the disciples to tell everyone about his lordship and then he is taken up into heaven

​Acts 1:8–11NIV

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

The Ascension of Jesus might seem strange. Why must he go away for the Spirit to come? Why does Jesus leave? The answer can be found in a vision in the OT prophet Daniel. The vision begins with a glimpse of the heavenly throne room. The Father judges a series of beasts who represent powerful empires. and then this curious scene happens:

​Daniel 7:13–14NIV

“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

The Son of Man is “coming” from heaven’s perspective. When Jesus refers to the Son of Man Coming on the Clouds of Heaven (Mark 14:62) he’s not talking about his return, but about his ascension. The Ascended Jesus is given all power and dominion. Sitting at the right hand of the Father means that Jesus participates with the Father in his reign over the world. Jesus’ reigning in heaven and interceding with the Father (Romans 8:34) means that the church is able to cary out God’s mission of love and redemption to the world in the power of the Holy Spirit.

‌He Will Return to Judge

Jesus coming to judge the world isn’t a popular subject. Part of this is we like to emphasize the stories about Jesus offering grace while downplaying the places where he warns of judgment. The creed and the scriptures tell us that Jesus will judge the world, including us.

Judgment, though, does not mean the same thing as condemnation. Jesus’ judgment of the world means that he exposes all of our pretences and shows our actions and our motivations for what they truly are. The hidden things we did, will be exposed. That time someone cheated on a test, the time they spread malicious rumours about someone out of spite, or the time someone cheated on their taxes will be exposed. But it’s not just secret behaviours, but also the secret motivations that Jesus will lay bear. There are many actions that look acceptably pious that are done for impious reasons. The person who prays long and theological sounding prayers so everyone in church will be impressed. The person who sings songs of praise to God to show off their abilities to others (Yep, I’ve been guilty of that), or the person who generously gives in order to get recognition will be exposed for their self-serving piety.

Jesus also promises that we will be judged according to the standard we have judged others.

​Matthew 7:1–2NIV

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Jesus reminds us that we cannot excuse in ourselves the very thing we condemn in others. This is a natural thing to do because we judge ourselves according to our intentions (if we’re even honest with ourselves about our intentions) and we judge others according to their actions. I know I’ve found myself complaining about something someone did, only to have the Holy Spirit says, “What about the time you did this or that?” It’s easy to respond with, “Well that’s different.” but if often isn’t. Jesus will expose everything to the light. The parts of ourselves that rejoice in the light will rejoice. The parts of us we would rather stay hidden in the shadows of self-justification won’t rejoice. Paul describes it this way.

​1 Corinthians 4:3–5NIV

I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.

But the good news is that the one doing the judging is Jesus. We know that Jesus is wise and knowing enough to judge fairly. We also know that his motivation isn’t power or self-importance but love. Reconciliation requires truth. So Jesus must expose the truth for ultimate reconciliation to take affect in his creation. That reconciliation is a necessary step for God’s kingdom to come in its fulness.

And in the end it isn’t Jesus who condemns. Those who are condemned, are condemned by their rejection of truth and light, not by the purpose of Jesus. As Jesus explains to Nicodemus in

​John 3:16–21NIV

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

Those who love the truth, should rejoice at Christ’s coming judgment. Those who prefer the darkness, should fear his coming. The truth is that most of us are a mixed bag. In principle, we want the truth to prevail, but there are places in our lives where we make excuses for serving ourselves. God’s judgment doesn’t mean condemnation, but we might experience it as a painful process of purgation. Fourth-Century church Father Gregory of Nyssa spoke about it like this:

The divine judgment … does not primarily bring punishment on sinners.… It operates only by separating good from evil and pulling the soul toward communion in blessedness. It is the tearing apart of what has grown together which brings pain to the one who is being pulled.

‌Conclusion

While Jesus humbles himself and suffers what, from a human perspective, is a scandalous and shameful death, he is vindicated by God at the resurrection. His new, glorified body acends to heaven to reign alongside the Father, and it is the Son of God and Son of Man to whom we will all one day give an account.