procession. At length the Lord, Who led the way, paused at a selected point on the brow of the Mount of Olives, over against the village of Bethany. Possibly the Lord took care to arrange the Apostles and others who were present, if any, in some special order.

The Work of the Kingdom Directed by the Sovereign Head of the Church. Whatever the preliminaries, Christ continued at this time to speak of the work of His Kingdom. But there is here an obvious elevation in the point of view. There is here the voice of administrative authority. Christ speaks at this time more as the Divine Head of the Church, Who from His Throne in Heaven directs the affairs of His Kingdom on earth.

I. The Kingdom on Earth Defined, and Its Work Restated. Christ's own words on this occasion, prior to His Ascension, were in the nature of two final definitions. He spoke of His own Kingship as related to His Kingdom on earth; and He restated the working program of the Church.

For both of these points on which the Lord touched at this time there was an immediate occasion in the minds of the Apostles. Doubtless there was a certain exalted solemnity about these last official meetings with the Risen Lord. The Apostles would naturally have been deeply impressed with a feeling that something unusual was about to happen. The Lord had persistently spoken of His Kingdom and its work in the world. These discourses, almost certainly, had caused the Apostles to associate their feeling of an impending event with the expectation of something spectacular in connection with the Kingdom of Christ. Possibly they had, in a quiet way among themselves, discussed their feelings, on their way out from the City to this place of the Ascension.

Christ began His discourse, therefore, with a correction of a wrong surmise that had crept into the minds of the Apostles.

1. Christ's
Correction
Regarding His
Kingdom

They invited this correction, after they were arranged at the place of the Ascension, by, asking the Savior this question: "Lord, wilt Thou at this time restore again the Kingdom of Israel?" Thus it is seen that their old hope of a visible kingdom had revived, but with this qualifying attitude of uncertainty and cautious inquiry.

Acts 1:6-7

15

The Lord's reply was kind, but definite. He said neither

15On their old hope, here revived, see Luke 19:11; Matthew 20:20-28; Mark 10:35-45; Luke 24:21.

Yes, nor No; for the truth in either case would have been liable to misconstruction. They were looking for something spectacular on this occasion. The Lord therefore replied to the point of time in their question. "At this time," in the sense of their expectation and inquiry, the Lord had no such matter in hand.

Christ desired, however, at this time, in a permanent and constructive way, to turn the minds of the Apostles away from this hidden truth of the time element in the work of His Kingdom," to the working program which He was about to restate. He therefore said definitely, "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His Own Power." But they did have a present duty which should absorb all of their attention and energy. "But," continued Christ by way of

2. Christ's

Restatement of the
Program of the

Church

Acts 1:8

impressing this present obligation-"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

In those words the Lord Jesus defined again the present duty of the Apostles, and the permanent working program of the Church of Christ in the world. He set that for the supreme responsibility of His own Kingdom. He outlined a world-wide activity for the Church. He designated the appointed human means by which His Kingdom should be propagated in the hearts of men. He renewed His promise of an adequate power for carrying forward the right recognition of His Name, and His Sovereign Authority, and His saving grace, into all the world. Thus the Lord Jesus, in His last recorded words, gave again that Great Commission to the Church, by which His Kingdom would bring to pass the eternal purposes of God through the help of the Divine Spirit."

Sufferings of Christ

2. The Place and Work of Christ in the Program of His Kingdom. After Christ had corrected the Apostles, and had restated their work, and that of the Church in general, the interest of the Gospel narrative centers finally in the Lord Jesus Himself, and in the distinctly Heavenly aspects of His Kingdom. The story of the Ascension sets forth the re-enthronement of the Son of God in Heaven,

and the Glory That
Should Follow
1. Peter 1:11

16See Matthew 24:36-42; Mark 13:32-37; 1. Thessalonians 5:1-2; 2. Peter 3:9-15. 17On the power and activity of the Holy Spirit in the Early Church, see Acts 2; 4:8; 6:3-8; 9:31; 10:38-48; 13:2; 15:28; Romans 15:13-16. r. Corinthians 2:4-5; Ephesians 3:16-17; and Philippians 2:12-13.

1. Christ's Ascension to His Throne in Heaven

and suggests, in sweeping outlines, the extent of His work there until the purposes of God shall have been fully accomplished. This Exaltation of the Lord Jesus, as recorded in the Scriptures, included three separate things. It began with a Benediction. "And He lifted up his hands and blessed them." Then came the Ascension proper, which took place while Jesus was yet blessing the Apostles. Luke has stated, in The Acts, that this Ascension was gradual, and carefully observed by the Apostles: for "while they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight." The Exaltation was completed, according to Mark's statement, in the re-enthronement of the Lord Jesus, "Who was received up into Heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God." "

Mark 16:19

Luke 24:50b-51
Acts 1:9

18

From that Throne with His Father, Christ shall exercise His Sovereign Authority until His Coming again in person for the consummation of His Kingdom. That was

2. Christ's Sovereign the meaning of the Heavenly Messengers, Work Suggested by who stood by in white apparel. While the the Heavenly Messengers Apostles were watching closely the Son of Acts 1:11-12 God, as He gradually ascended out of their sight, these "Two Men," as they were called, stood by and said, "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into Heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into Heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into Heaven." Between the limits here suggested lies the sovereign program of the Lord Jesus Christ on His Throne in Heaven, as is partially surveyed in the last chapter of this book." 3. The First Response of the Church to the Royal Command of Christ. The assurance last quoted was sufficient for the immediate re-action of the Apostles. It is true that Mark, in his last dynamic verses, projected his Gospel record into the future activities of the Early Church, going to a point beyond the time when the Church received the gift and power of the Holy Spirit. But the immediate response of the Apostles has been recorded

Waiting for the
Spirit and Power
Luke 24:52-53
Mark 16:20

Acts 1:12-14

18See Psalm 68:18 (Ephesians 4:7-10); John 3:13; 6:62; 20:17; Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25; 1. John 2:1; Philippians 2:9; Colossians 3:1; 1. Timothy 3:16; 1. Peter 3:22; John 17:5.

19These same limits of the Lord's work are set in the words for instituting the Lord's Supper, I. Corinthians 11:26. See also John 14:1-3. On the Lord's Coming Again, see Zechariah 14:5; Matthew 16:27-28; 25:31; Mark 8:38; 1. Thessalonians 4:16; 2. Thessalonians 1:7-10; Revelation 1:7; 22:7.

by Luke, whose statements in the Gospel and in The Acts are in perfect accord. Altogether, in closing his account of the Gospel, Luke has mentioned the following points of interest.

First, the Apostles, there on the Mount, worshipped the Ascended Lord. Then they returned to the City with great joy. Next, they assembled in the Upper Room for prayer. They were all present, according to the roll-call recorded; and they seem to have taken up permanent lodging in that place. The women from Galilee also were present, and the Lord's brethren, and Mary, His Mother, who is mentioned here for the first time. since John took her away from the Cross of her dying Son. With these, the Apostles "continued with one accord in prayer and supplication," dividing their devotions, as it seems, between the Temple and this Upper Room.

So ends the Life-Story of the Lord Jesus Christ. The curtain falls upon this devout group of appointed witnesses and faithful friends of the Exalted Lord and Savior, who are here waiting for the promised power of the Holy Spirit to carry forward the work of Christ's Kingdom to the uttermost ends of the earth. Here the book might close, except for the possibility of misunderstanding. The Life-Work of the Son of God began in the eternity of the past. It will continue into the eternity of the future. Hence there was need for the prologue materials in the first chapter of this book. Hence there is also a need now for an additional chapter, which will be in the nature of an epilogue of very great importance,

CHAPTER XXX

THE SOVEREIGN CHRIST TO-DAY

"Jesus Christ. . . . is gone into Heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto Him." 1. Peter 3:21-22. cf. Acts 7:55.

"Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the blessed and only Potentate, the KING of kings, and the LORD of lords." 1. Timothy 6:14-15. Revelation 19:16.

"I am persuaded that .

(nothing)

shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39.

"Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book." "Even so, come, Lord Jesus." Revela tion 22:7, 20.

Jesus Christ is in Heaven to-day. He is there seated on the Throne of God, at the right hand of God the Father. Christ is King over all things. His authority must be recognized. It is an announced purpose of God, "that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, . . . . and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." In these words God has defined for every life its supreme responsibility. Concerning this responsibility every man is daily deciding what he will do. The work of the Church, as has been emphasized already, is to help men to acknowledge Christ aright. For that purpose, the world stands, and the power of God's love and mercy and grace is operative in the world to-day.

The re-enthroned Christ has appeared to men since His Ascension. The purpose of this final chapter is to survey briefly the present Divine administration of Jesus Christ, the Royal Son of God. That administration will be viewed in its three principal aspects as Mediatorial at the Throne of God; as Personal within the Early Christian Church; and as Triumphant in the culmination of the world. This survey of the Lord's Kingship will bring into view all of His later appearances, and will also show them in their several relations to the work of His Kingdom in the present world.

I.

Christ's Mediatorial Administration at the Throne of God Jesus Christ is the Divine-Human Mediator between God and Man. His Mediatorial Administration is conducted from His place at His Father's Throne in Heaven. There He mediates, or goes between, representing the interests of God and of Men.