All Our Enemies Under Christ’s Feet

Ascension Observed| Mark 16:14-20| Pastor James Preus| Trinity Lutheran Church| May 12, 2024

So then the Lord Jesus, after He had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs. Mark 16:19-20

Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.

Who is this King of glory?

The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle! Psalm 24:7-8

We recite this Psalm on the first Sunday in Advent to commemorate King Jesus entering Jerusalem riding on a donkey. Yet, at the Ascension the angels of heaven sing these words, so that the even more ancient gates, which had been closed for much longer, would open themselves for this same King of glory, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Psalm 47 also speaks of Christ’s ascension when it says, “God has ascended with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet. … God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne.” And of course, King David famously prophesied of his descendant according to the flesh, when he declared in Psalm 110, “The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool.” This is what St. Mark is telling us when he writes that Jesus was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.

Christ Jesus, who is true God and true man is victorious over all His enemies. Like King David, who defeated his enemies on every side, so that his son Solomon could reign in peace from his throne, Christ Jesus has defeated every enemy, which stood against us, and He now enjoys His victory from His throne in heaven. The enemies Christ defeated are sin, death, Satan, and hell. These were our enemies. Through our sin came death and eternal damnation. And Satan, who goaded our first parents into sin and death, continues to harass us with the hope of our damnation. But Christ came in human flesh to battle against these enemies. There was nothing these enemies could do against Him. Christ is eternal God. His throne at the Father’s right hand has been His dwelling from eternity. Neither sin nor death nor hell nor Satan had any claim on Him. Yet, Christ took on our human flesh and battled these enemies of ours as our brother. And now He is victorious over them.

Christ, who sits on God’s throne in heaven is a man. The Apostle Paul summarizes it well to the Philippians in chapter 2, “Christ Jesus, who though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (vss. 6-11)

To be at God’s right hand means to be God. A man sits at God’s right hand, victorious over man’s enemies. We have a representative of our human race in heaven, who has defeated all our enemies. This gives us good reason to rejoice and celebrate His ascension. It is no surprise that God sits on His own throne, impervious to Satan’s attacks, unaffected by sin and death. Yet, now it is a man, who is God sitting on God’s throne! Under our brother’s feet, Satan’s head is crushed. Christ came to earth, not to attack us for our sins, not to wage war against us, though we deserved it, but to free us from Satan’s clutches. Scripture teaches us that mankind is so corrupted by sin, that our very hearts produce corruption. You cannot separate sin from the sinner any more than you can remove a leopard’s spots (Jeremiah 13:23). Yet, Christ has done what only God can do! He has made a distinction between the sinner and his sin and removed it, and He has made a union between God and man, which can never be separated forever. Christ’s victory over sin is our victory over sin.

In the book of Exodus, God commanded Moses to build the tabernacle, where God would dwell with His people. The tabernacle had two parts, the nave, and then behind a curtain, the Holy of Holies, or the Most Holy Place. Behind that curtain, in the Holy of Holies, stood the ark of the covenant upon which was the mercy seat, where God Himself sat. The High Priest would go daily into the nave, but no one went into the Holy of Holies, except once a year on the Day of Atonement. In Leviticus chapter 16, Moses writes how the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies once a year on the Day of Atonement to sprinkle blood on the mercy seat and make atonement for the people. Atonement means to cover the sins of the people.

Yet, the tabernacle with its nave and Most Holy Place were just an earthly pattern of the heavenly reality. The fabric of that tabernacle would eventually wear away, and the blood of the bulls and goats, which was sprinkled on the mercy seat never actually made atonement for anyone’s sins. Rather, these ceremonies looked forward to their fulfillment in Christ. The Apostle writes in Hebrews 9:

9 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of His own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.  … 23 Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25 Nor was it to offer Himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26 for then He would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him.

This is why there is no longer any need for the temple or the sacrifices and festivals of the Old Testament. Christ Jesus has established a New Testament with His blood, and has entered once and for all into the Holy of Holies in heaven. He now intercedes for us at all times at the Father’s right hand, so that whenever you pray, “Have mercy on me, a sinner!” God has already had mercy on you and forgives you. We have an ever forgiving, an ever merciful, an ever hearing and answering God, because we have an ever present Jesus at the Father’s right hand making intercession for us. And His intercession is complete. His blood lacks nothing. We do not need to pray to Mary to appease her Son for us. Her Son is already mediating for us. We do not need her to mediate. We have no need to pray to any of the saints. We have direct access to a gracious and willing heavenly Father, who constantly looks at us through the intercession of His Son Jesus Christ.

Although Christ has ascended to the Father’s right hand, so that we cannot see Him anywhere here on earth, Christ is still very much present with us. St. Mark writes that the Lord, meaning Christ, continued to work with them after He ascended. Although an ordinary man cannot be present in more than one place at one time, Christ is no ordinary man. He is true man and true God at all times and in all places. So, our crucified Savior is able to be with us always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20), as He promised, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in their midst.” (Matthew 18:20). The right hand of God is not a physical location like a bird’s cage up in the sky, so that Christ is kept away from us. No, the right hand of God is the right hand of power, where there are no limitations placed on Him. This is why St. Paul writes to the Ephesians about Christ’s ascension, “He who descended is the One who also ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.” (4:10) When the Gospel is preached to us, it is Christ who preaches it, although you do not see Him. Baptism is Christ’s work, whereby He saves you by clothing you with Himself and washing away your sins. The very body and blood of Christ are present in the Sacrament of the Altar and are truly eaten and drunk by the recipients. Sinners should consider the voice of their pastor forgiving their sins as the voice of Christ Himself, who always holds us in His presence.

St. Paul writes to the Ephesians that even now, God has lifted us up into the heavenly places and seated us with Christ (Ephesians 2:6). Even now, we are being built up as members of Christ’s one body, the Holy Christian Church. And so, we have a firm connection to heaven right here on earth, through the means of grace. To neglect the means of grace is to neglect Christ Jesus Himself, who is the only way to the Father. Through the means of grace, Christ gives to us what He has gained and received at the right hand of God. You should consider your Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and the preaching of the Gospel as gifts directly from Christ’s throne in heaven, which, if you receive in faith, will draw you up to Christ in paradise. This is why Jesus says, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” Baptism gives what faith receives. But without faith, nothing Christ gives you can save you. So, guard your faith by diligently receiving what Christ pours out to you from His throne.

When Adam and Eve sinned, God expelled them from paradise and placed cherubim with flaming swords to guard the gates of paradise to keep mankind out. But now Christ, the man, has entered through the gates of paradise, and the angels have sheathed their swords. The angels no longer keep our kind out of paradise, but they welcome with singing and joy, all who follow Christ into paradise.

So, dear Christians, consider your own ascension. “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you will appear with Him in glory.” (Colossians 3:1-4) So, put to death what is earthly in you, and put on Christ in faith, love, and purity, until you finally experience your own ascension. Amen.