The Essential Ascension
Don’t look now, but you are about to miss a major holiday! What, you’re not getting off work?! Didn’t even realize there was a celebration approaching?! Don’t worry, because you are certainly not alone. Falling between Easter (Resurrection of Jesus) and Pentecost (the sending of the Spirit), oh so close to Mother’s Day, graduations, and the coming of summer, the Ascension is an important Feast Day of the Church marking Jesus’ return to heaven from earth (Acts 1:9-11; Hebrews 9:24). Its significance, however, lies far beyond a simple commemoration of an event in Jesus’ life. Indeed, the Ascension is a statement about the very identity of Christ that has profound implications for us.
The Ascension demonstrates the permanence of the resurrection. Jesus’ resurrection is different than that of Lazarus. Lazarus rose from the dead, certainly, but rose back into a mortal body. Jesus rose and ascended into heaven. This simple fact gives us hope because Jesus is the “firstfruits” of the resurrection (1 Cor. 15:23).
The Ascension guarantees Jesus’ presence at the throne of God representing, mediating, and interceding for the very mankind whose sin he bore. Romans 8:31-37 presents this beautifully: “Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died – more than that, who was raised – who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us” (Romans 8:34). Having ascended, Jesus presents us to God (not on the basis of our work, but his own), mediates our relationship with God (as the one who is both divine and human), and intercedes on our behalf before God. That, friends, is an amazing thought!
The Ascension assures us of God’s heavenly reign. We declare in the Nicene Creed that Jesus “ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.” This is a position of power and authority from which Jesus reigns over all of the created order (Eph. 1:20-21, for starters). Almost the whole book of Revelation is based upon the fact that Jesus alone is worthy to unroll the scroll of history and bring all things into fulfillment under his rule (Revelation 4-5 particularly speak to this).
The Ascension, we ultimately realize, is about Jesus’ authority. It is good news because the one who rules over us is also the one who died for us that we might be raised with him. Furthermore, he is actively interceding on our behalf. It is of great comfort, then, to know that the glorified Christ, ascended into heaven, is for us and has won the victory over the suffering and death that is ever present before us. Therefore let us bow before his throne with the confidence of his grace and sing praise to the ascendant Christ:
Crown him with many crowns, as thrones before him fall;
Crown him, ye kings, with many crowns, for he is king of all!