Ascension of Christ our Saviour
The final proof of who Jesus Christ is rests on His Ascension, without which all that the Bible teaches does not make any sense. This aspect of Christ’s life is often overshadowed by His incarnation and the resurrection. The much celebrated Christmas as well as Easter makes the Ascension of Christ almost a “no event”. But it is not to be ignored or missed. Someone once said, “Easter is incomplete, Pentecost is impeded, and the Second Coming is impossible without the Ascension.” (Robert Ramsey)
Acts 1 records how, after 40 days of being seen by His followers after His resurrection, and speaking to them about the kingdom of God, they assembled at Mount Olivet. There Jesus promised His followers that the Holy Ghost will come upon them and that they will be His witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth. (Acts 1:8). And after He had spoken these words, He was taken up into the clouds, out of their sight.
Jesus’ disciples saw Him go up into heaven with their very eyes. They were eyewitnesses to this glorious event. This has never been said of any other religious or influential leader in the world. It is what Paul wrote about when he said in Eph 4:10 that “He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.”
1. Christ ascends into heaven in His physical body
Jesus’ ascension was a bodily ascension. He ascended into the presence of God the Father. Hebrews 9:12 says “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” Christ’s Ascension completes His ministry on earth, and with this final event He displays His Lordship over the earth.
2. Christ’s Holy Spirit descends and fills
After His ascension, Christ’s followers returned to Jerusalem with joy in their hearts (Lk 24:52), awaiting the promise of the Holy Spirit. It must have saddened the disciples to see their Master leave them. But if Christ did not ascend into heaven, then we will never have His eternal companionship through the coming of the Holy Spirit. Though Jesus is no longer present with us physically, He is with us in the Spirit. He is not confined by space and time. He is with us wherever we go. And we do not need physical images, icons or ornaments to remind us that He with us. His Holy Spirit dwells within us (1 Cor 3:16-17; 6:19); He teaches us, purifies us through the blood of Jesus (1 Jn 1:7); convicts us of sin and guides us to the truth (Jn 16:8, 13); and He comforts us (Jn 14:15-17). This is the wonderful promise which Christ left with His followers at His ascension. He is God living in those who have accepted Christ as their Savior.
3. Christ’s Spirit empowers us every day
Rom 8:11 says “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.”
Christ’s Holy Spirit will work in us daily, helping us to conform to who God is in Christ (Rom 8:26).
The Holy Spirit uses the Word of God and helps us to bear fruit in our lives (Gal 5:22-23), and changes us so that we will have the outpouring of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness and self- control.
We need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s prompting every day: to flee from youthful lusts; to resist temptation; to put on the new man and put off the old man in us. The Holy Spirit will keep us from sinning, and seek God’s wisdom in our lives. But if we do not obey the Spirit’s prompting, we will make wrong decisions in life and will have to bear adverse consequences.
Christ commissions His followers to spread the Good News to the uttermost parts of the earth. His death, resurrection and ascension into heaven is fulfillment of God’s will for those who would turn from their sins. Christ continues to work in and through our lives so that many more will have eternal life with the Heavenly Father through believing in Christ.
4. Christ sits on the right hand of God interceding for us
“Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” (Rom 8:34)
Jesus now sits in the heavenly Holy of Holies at the “right hand” of the Father. This signifies the place of highest honor and authority. The right hand is also the place of power and majesty. When Christ died, His mission on earth was accomplished as we note what He said on the cross: “It is finished.” But at His Ascension, He returns to His rightful place in heaven as Lord of the heavens and earth. He continues to care for and prays for us in our daily battles with sin.
He is our Mediator, Advocate and great High Priest. (Heb 10:19-22). Jesus says: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no man comes to the Father but by Me.” (Jn 14:6).
The Apostle Paul wrote that we are seated with God “in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:6). We have access to the presence of God because Christ grants us access through His redemptive work on the cross. So let us seek God’s face daily. Let us go directly to God through Christ Jesus alone; not through any of our human efforts.
May God grant us strength to live victoriously through Christ’s Holy Spirit every day.
Pastor Bob Phee