God raised Christ to the highest position, far above all rule and authority and power and lordship and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is coming (Eph. 1:21). Christ ascended to the height of the universe far above all things, transcending time and space.
Christ is the God-man, having both the divine nature and the human nature. In His divine nature are the divine attributes, and in His human nature are the God-created human virtues (Phil. 4:8). Human virtues are the image of the divine attributes (Gen. 1:26-27) to express what God is. Christ was God; therefore, He possessed the divine attributes. Then He became a man; hence, He also possessed the human virtues. While He was on the earth, He as the God-man lived out the divine attributes in His human virtues, thus expressing what God is in humanity (Heb. 1:3a). Then in His resurrection He uplifted the human virtues that the divine attributes might be expressed in an uplifted way in this resurrected Man (Rom. 1:4). Finally, when He, as the God-man in resurrection, was exalted by God to the height of the universe, far above all, He attained the peak where He expresses the divine attributes in His human virtues to the highest degree, expressing what God is in His humanity in the universe unto all the generations of the age of the ages.
In His ascension, the Lord Jesus was seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb. 12:2). His throne is forever and ever (Heb. 1:8). In eternity He will be sitting with God on this throne (Rev. 22:1) forever and ever. This throne is the throne of authority for God’s administration and also the throne of grace (Heb. 4:16). Authority is for Him to rule over all things for the church, and grace is for Him to dispense Himself into us. When we pray, we come before Him at this throne to contact Him.
The Lord Jesus was glorified in resurrection (Luke 24:26) and crowned with glory in ascension (Heb. 2:9). Before His death He prayed to the Father, saying, “Glorify Your Son,” and also, “...that they [the disciples] may behold My glory which You have given Me” (John 17:1, 24). This prayer was fulfilled in His resurrection and ascension. His glorification was the manifestation of the God of glory from within Him to become His glory, thus making His person full of splendor.
The Lord Jesus in His ascension was also crowned with honor (Heb. 2:9). Glory refers to the splendor related to His person; honor refers to the preciousness related to His worth and the dignity related to His position. In His ascension He has obtained both.
In the Lord Jesus’ ascension, God bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue should openly confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:9-11). The Lord’s person is glorious, His worth is precious, His position is dignified, and His name is the highest, that God may be glorified.
Acts 2:36 and 10:36 tell us that after the Lord’s ascension God made Him Lord and gave Him the lordship over all things that He may be the Lord of all things and all men. This is for the salvation of the believers, the building of the church, and the accomplishment of God’s eternal plan.
Acts 5:31 says that God has exalted the Lord Jesus to His right hand as a Leader, a Prince. Revelation 1:5 also says that after His death and resurrection He became the Ruler of the kings of the earth. Revelation 19:16 further says that He is Lord of lords. In His ascension the Lord Jesus received the kingship from God to be the highest Leader in God’s administration, ruling over all the kings. This is for the spread of His gospel that God’s chosen ones may be saved and that the church may be built, in order to accomplish God’s New Testament economy.