I wanted to take a break from writing my next post to celebrate Ascension Day, which is Thursday, May 29th in the Protestant liturgical calendar, 40 days after Easter.
The Ascension of Jesus Christ to heaven is a very important element of the Christian gospel. In reference to my previous posts, the Great Commission (series A) was given by Jesus to His disciples just before His Ascension.
In series C, the interlude about the Paraclete, Jesus told His disciples that it was better for them (and the world) that He leave, otherwise He would not be able to send the Holy Spirit promised by God to dwell within those of us who respond to the gospel and are saved. This promise was fulfilled 10 days after the Ascension during Pentecost.
The first chronological mention of Jesus ascending was by Luke at the beginning of his second book, “The Acts of the Apostles.” Luke wrote:
After Jesus had said these things, He was taken up before their very eyes, until a cloud hid Him from their sight.
The disciples were looking intently up into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two angels dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking up 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 disciples then returned to the upper room where they had been staying in order to await the Holy Spirit as they had been instructed to do by Jesus.
This entire scenario, starting with Jesus’ promise in John 14 that He was going to prepare them a place in His “Father’s house,” and then come back for them so they may be with Him forever, mirrored the Jewish marriage practices of His day.
First there would be the betrothal ceremony and feast at the girl’s parents house. The bridegroom would return home and spend his spare time building an addition onto his parent’s home for them to live in.
When it was done and he was ready, about a year later, the bridegroom would return to his bride’s village, retrieve his bride and take her to his parents’ house where there would be a big wedding feast before the marriage was consummated in the room he had prepared.
John’s gospel, written later than Acts, quotes Jesus mentioning His departure several times, although John points out they really didn’t understand it because their expectation was the Messiah would come to set up the world-wide Kingdom of God in a physical sense.
The prophecy of the Messiah in Psalm 110 hints at the delay between the enthroning of the Messiah in heaven and the establishing of the world-wide kingdom:
The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”
There is clear indication of a gap in time between when the Messiah sits down at the right hand of God and when He actually exercises rulership.
To summarize, the Ascension of Jesus is important for many reasons in the Christian faith. Most importantly, it completes the supernatural act that began with the resurrection of Jesus, that proved His actual deification from God limited to a man’s body, into a glorified Being, sitting at the right hand of God in heaven, having been given all authority on Earth, as well as in Heaven.
to Abraham that all the nations of the earth would be blessed by his descendents through Isaac. The prophecy of a Messiah that would rule all the world in peace. The supernatural birth and life of Jesus as the Savior of the World leading to His death burial and resurrection. The Great Commission Jesus gave to His disciples to carry this good news (gospel) of salvation throughout the world. The Ascension of Jesus, then outpouring of God’s Spirit onto all who had believed in Jesus, resulting in an empowerment to proclaim the gospel–all the way down to us.
We who have also believed in Jesus the Christ are beneficiaries of God’s plan of salvation to redeem as many people as possible from the kingdom of sin and darkness into His Kingdom of life and light.
Take advantage of this Ascension Day to thank God for His grace and mercy toward us and the world.
Thank Jesus for His willingness to suffer and die as a sinless sacrifice to God to pay the penalty for our sin and reconcile us to God.
Thank the Holy Spirit for dwelling within us, for putting up with our continuing sinfulness, for our often ignoring Him, for our selfish self-centeredness – yet still staying with us.
Thank Them that They stick with us, even when we walk away from Them, that in Their grace they gently call us back to Them, that They are always there, waiting for us with open arms and a heart filled with love, when we return.
But don’t just stop with yourself. Commit to be faithful to walk as a Christian, as a disciple of Jesus Christ–to learn, to grow, to mature as a disciple–to reach the point where you are participating in the Great Commission–sharing the gospel with those around you and…who knows? Maybe even to the ends of the Earth.
One day we too will ascend to meet the Lord Jesus in the air and be taken to the place in Heaven He has prepared for us who believe. Remember, we are a part of something bigger than ourselves now, let’s live like it.
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