What Has Jesus Been Up To? – Part 1

May 3, 2017
Brad Mullins
Jesus

What Has Jesus Been Up To Since the Resurrection?

When Jesus was resurrected from the dead, it was not the end of His ministry. It actually was a beginning of a new phase of ministry for Him.

Some think that once Jesus ascended into Heaven, that He simply sat down and is waiting for the Father to lean over and say that it is time for the end of all things. That simply is not the case.

You may remember when you graduated from high school or college, there was a commencement. We all thought that meant the end but we all found out that it was only the beginning. We may have had a break for a couple of months, but most of us began a new phase of our lives in college or on a job.

In this part of our study, we are going to look at the different ministries that Jesus has been doing:

Jesus, Our Mediator
Jesus, Our Advocate
Jesus, Our Heavenly Intercessor
Jesus, Our Great High Priest

Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJV Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, (2) looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

When Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven, He went and sat down on the right hand of the throne of God.

I believe that there are literally three thrones in Heaven. In the center is God’s throne. On the right hand of God’s throne is another throne where Jesus was seated and on the left is another throne; the throne of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit’s throne is empty because He is not in Heaven but here in the earth.

Jesus is in Heaven right now.

Understand this: Easter was a commencement; Easter was a beginning for Jesus.

Jesus came to earth to represent God to us. He came to earth to tell us all about God.

Now He has gone to Heaven to represent us before God.

1 Timothy 2:5 GNB For there is one God, and there is one who brings God and human beings together, the man Christ Jesus,

John 14:8-11 NKJV Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” (9) Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? (10) Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. (11) Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.

Jesus is God made flesh. Everything that Jesus had and did was the Father’s.

Why did God have to come Himself? Because you could not save yourself. You and I could not even help God do it.

Jesus had to do that Himself.

Hebrews 1:3 NKJV who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

It also says that Jesus is the express image of His person.

The Greek word translated “express image” is “khar•ak•tar”

χαρακτήρ – charaktḗr; gen. charaktḗros, masc. noun from charássō (n.f., see cháragma [G5480]), to carve. Occurs only in Heb_1:3 where it is translated “express image,” referring to Jesus Christ. Here He is described as the charaktḗr tḗs hupostáseōs autoú (tē̄́s [G3588], the [gen. fem.]; hupostáseōs [G5287], essence [gen.]; autoú [G846], he [gen. masc.]), “the exact image of His [God’s] essence” (a.t.). Whatever the divine essence is, Jesus is said to be its perfect expression. The writer of Hebrews thus sets forth a high Christology affirming the deity of Jesus Christ.

This represents the image of God that was Christ Himself. When Jesus was conceived and born, God Himself took His image and pressed it into the earth and when He pulled it back a baby was born who was His exact representation.

In His deity, He is the glory of God. In His humanity, He is the express image of God Himself.

He has to be unique and be God-man because He has to stand between God and man and pull two impossible entities together. It is impossible for man to come to God and it is impossible for God to come to man and so someone had to stand in between the two and pull them together. The only one that can do is Jesus Christ the God-man.

Job 9:1-3 NKJV Then Job answered and said: (2) “Truly I know it is so, But how can a man be righteous before God? (3) If one wished to contend with Him, He could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.

Job 9:32-33 NKJV “For He is not a man, as I am, That I may answer Him, And that we should go to court together. (33) Nor is there any mediator between us, Who may lay his hand on us both.

Job 9:33 AMP There is no umpire between us, who might lay his hand upon us both, [would that there were!] [I Tim. 2:5.]

Jesus Christ is the Mediator for all mankind. He is the only one that could and does bridge the gap between God and man.

Galatians 3:20 NKJV Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one.

Galatians 3:20 NLT Now a mediator is helpful if more than one party must reach an agreement. But God, who is one, did not use a mediator when He gave His promise to Abraham.

Hebrews 8:6 NKJV But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator (Agent) of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.

Hebrews 12:24 NKJV to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.

In this four part study, we are looking at the different ministries that Jesus has been doing:

Jesus, Our Mediator
Jesus, Our Advocate
Jesus, Our Heavenly Intercessor
Jesus, Our Great High Priest

Job 1:6-12 NKJV Now there was a day when the sons of God (angels) came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. (7) And the LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” (8) Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” (9) So Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? (10) Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. (11) But now, stretch out (retract) Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” (12) And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.

Satan does have access to heaven and will until the halfway point in the tribulation period.

Revelation 12:10 NKJV Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.

Satan asks questions because he does not know the answer.
God asks questions because He knows the answer and wants you to know you don’t.

There are some things that we need to understand about Satan.

He is a fallen angel.
He is not omniscient.
He is not omnipresent.

We can see from Job 1:10, when you walk with God and are doing the best you can to be obedient to God, God will protect you, your house, your belongings and everything associated with you.

Job 3:25 NKJV For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, And what I dreaded has happened to me.

But Job had let down on his protection. He had gotten over into fear and was offering sacrifices out of works and not worship. He was trying to somehow protect his family by his own doing.

He also was holding un-forgiveness in his heart toward his friends. Once he repented before God and forgave his friends, the ending of his life was twice as good as the beginning.

The three other ministries of Jesus (Advocate, Intercessor and Priest) in heaven are centered around Christians.

Satan is not the accuser of the sinner. He is the accuser of the brethren.

Sinners are already accused and judged because of sin.

Jesus was our means to the Father when we got Born Again and Jesus is still our means to the Father now.

Jesus Christ is our advocate. He fights for us.

In Heaven there is praise and worship going on but in God’s presence in His throne room, it is more like a courtroom situation.

Satan comes into the presence of God with a handful of notes. He is constantly collecting information on us.

Let’s notice something about this courtroom situation. The Judge is your Dad and the defense attorney is your elder Brother, Jesus.

Satan, the prosecuting attorney is no relation to any of us and in fact is an outsider.

If you have confessed your sins before the Father (1 John 1:9) when Satan comes into the courtroom to accuse you, the Father immediately informs him that the sin has already been paid for, cleansed from your record and the case is thrown out. All of the work that he did to gather that information is for nothing!

What does a Christian do when he sins?

1 John 1:8 NKJV If we say that we have no sin (singular), we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

This verse is saying that we have the ability to sin.

1 John 1:10 NKJV If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

This verse is referring to the act and deeds of sin.

1 John 1:9 NKJV If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Sinners do not need to confess their sins in order to be saved. There is no way one can remember all of the sins.

Confession of sins is not part of salvation, it is part of the Christian life.

The only confession that we need to make to be saved is confess that we believe in our hearts that Jesus has been raised from the dead and that Jesus is our Lord and Savior.

Acts 16:30-31 NKJV And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (31) So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

Romans 10:9-10 NKJV that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (10) For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

1 John 2:1 NKJV My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

Advocate (Dictionary) – One who speaks or writes in support or defense of a person; a person who pleads for or in behalf of another person; counsel for the defense.

When we sin, Satan tries to bring it before God and accuse us but we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ. He is our defense attorney and pleads our case before God.

Notice that God has given us things to help to keep us from sinning.

“…these things write I unto you, that you sin not…”

God has given us His Word to keep us from sinning.

Psalms 119:11 NKJV Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.

God has given us the Holy Spirit to keep us from sin.

The Holy Spirit works with the Word and brings that Word up out of hearts to keep us from sin.
He also reminds us the love of God. He reminds us of how much God loves us.

When you received the Lord Jesus as Savior, all of your sin was transferred (consigned) to the cross and then washed away by the Blood of Jesus.

Legal Principle of Double Jeopardy – cannot be judged again.

Colossians 2:14 AMP Having cancelled and blotted out and wiped away the handwriting of the note (bond) with its legal decrees and demands which was in force and stood against us (hostile to us). This [note with its regulations, decrees, and demands] He set aside and cleared completely out of our way by nailing it to [His] cross.

Romans 6:10 NKJV For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.

Romans 3:25-26 NLT For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed His life, shedding His blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when He held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, (26) for He was looking ahead and including them in what He would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate His righteousness, for He Himself is fair and just, and He declares sinners to be right in His sight when they believe in Jesus.

All of our sins before the New Birth, once we received Christ were nailed to the Cross.

Another look at the courtyard scene in heaven:

Zechariah 3:1-5 NLT Then the angel showed me Jeshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD. The Accuser, Satan, was there at the angel’s right hand, making accusations against Jeshua. (2) And the LORD said to Satan, “I, the LORD, reject your accusations, Satan. Yes, the LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you. This man is like a burning stick that has been snatched from the fire.” (3) Jeshua’s clothing was filthy as he stood there before the angel. (4) So the angel said to the others standing there, “Take off his filthy clothes.” And turning to Jeshua he said, “See, I have taken away your sins, and now I am giving you these fine new clothes.” (5) Then I said, “They should also place a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean priestly turban on his head and dressed him in new clothes while the angel of the LORD stood by.