Ascension Today    Ps 47; Acts 1:1-11; Eph 4:7-16; Luke 24:44-53

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tu1WJUhU9Co

Introduction

Since unlike the resurrection[1] Jesus’ ascension was a visible event, we must conclude that witnessing Jesus with their own eyes going into heaven (Luke 24:1; Acts 1:9-10) was essential to the faith of the disciples. It certainly bolstered their faith that they now had someone in the immediate presence of God on their behalf. Jesus had been appearing and disappearing for the last 40 days (Luke 24:30; Acts 1:3), but the ascension was the final parting that Jesus had promised would be for their lasting benefit (John 16:7). In particular, this gracious act of love also intensified their expectation that everything Jesus had promised about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit would soon take place. Christ’s withdrawal from the world impelled those who followed him them to wait earnestly in prayer for the gift of Spirit (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4, 8). These things were all important to the disciples, but what did the ascension mean for Jesus?

Taken Up

The first thing that strikes us in the ascension scenes is that Jesus is “lifted/taken up” (Acts 1:2, 9, 10, 11) or “carried up into heaven” (Luke 24:51). Christ did not elevate himself but was elevated by the Father (cf. John 12:31). The ascension completes what was commenced in the resurrection, as Jesus explained to Mary, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” (John 20:17). It is a mistake to share, teach or preach about Jesus as if he is still the pre-resurrection Messiah of the Gospels [2] or even a resurrected person, the Jesus who exists for us today in heaven is a fully glorified person beyond anything imaginable in our space and time[3]. Any picture of Jesus less than this will minimise our submission to his sovereign Lordship. The ascension confirms what the Incarnation commenced, the taking of humanity into God. To quote a famous theologian, “The breath taking import of all this … is that our human nature has been taken up and in Jesus to the top and summit of being, and that with him and in him man is located in the very centre of all things!” (T.F. Torrance). Jesus is no longer limited to a single time and space; he is everywhere “filling all things” (Eph 4:10; Heb 1:3) with his own glorious life.

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Soon after teaching on the ascension of Jesus most Bible teachers quickly move on to expound his ongoing ministry at God’s right hand in heaven. This focuses on Christ’s Lordship (Acts 10:36) during which he progressively places his enemies of sin, Satan and death under his feet for the sake of the Church (Mark 12:36;1 Cor 15:25; Eph 1:22-23; Heb 1:13; 10:13) and how he intercedes for us as his Bride (Rom 8:34; Heb 7:25; 1 John 2:1). This teaching is wonderful and indispensable[4]; but it omits the important step of the majestic arrival of Jesus in heaven.

If Jesus’ descent to the earth (Eph 4:9) was to a house of mourning (Eccl 7:2) this tough Reformation teaching is correct, “during his whole life on earth, but especially at the end, Christ sustained in body and soul the anger of God against the sin of the whole human race.” (Heidelberg Catechism Q37). On earth Jesus had to endure the trials of hunger, thirst, heat, cold and physical torment[5]as well as being misunderstood even by those closest to him (Mark 3:21; John 7:5). In the language of the story of a famous parable the ascension is the Son of God returning from “a far country” (Luke 15:13) back to the infinite eternal glory of God and residing once again in his Father’s house of endless festive joy (Luke 15:24-25).

In its desire to show the superiority of Jesus to the angelic host Hebrews declares, “when he brings the firstborn into the [heavenly] world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.” (Heb 1:6 from Deut 32:43 L.X.X.), then he exciting proceeds to prophecies from the psalms  about the arrival of the Son of God in heaven. “In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God…should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. 11 Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. 12 He says, ‘I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly/ecclesia/church I will sing your praises.’…‘Here am I, and the children God has given me.” (Heb 2:10-13). As the premier witness to the kingdom of God (Rev 1:5; 3:14) Jesus arrival in heaven brings the cloud of Old Testament witnesses to their perfection (Heb 11:32-12:2) and through his blood brings us to the Father in the heavenly Zion (Heb 12:18-24 etc.). The homecoming of Jesus to heaven (John 17:5) means a gathering of perfected people (Heb 12:23) around his throne as the Lamb of God. This is pictured for us most dramatically in Revelation chapter 5. A scene which corresponds in the bigger picture of Revelation with the son of the woman being “caught up to God and to his throne” (12:5), a clear image of the ascension. When Jesus is manifested in heaven all creation breaks forth in blessing, honour and praise because his ascent assures the holy creatures that the family of God will certainly reach its completion. This is the unfinishable source of their ecstasy.

The story is told of an 11-year-old boy who in fear and trembling set out to undertake a voyage from England to the South Pacific. Seeing him churned up with anxiety people asked him why he was pressing on to make the journey, “Oh” he said, “Don’t you know? My older brother is there.” He wasn’t going on a voyage to enjoy a tropical paradise but be with his beloved older brother. The ascension points us to our future with our beloved Older brother, Jesus (Rom 8:29).

To expound the greatness of Christ’s ascension, in Ephesians 4 Paul employs the imagery of a Roman military triumph where a conquering general would parade through the city in procession trailing behind him booty and captives[6]. “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,” (Eph 4:8). These “captives” are the evil demonic rulers in the heavenly realms conquered by the cross and resurrection (Eph 1:20-22; 3:10; :12; Col 2:15). Through his ascended triumph Jesus also “gave gifts to people”[7], spiritual gifts for the upbuilding of the Church so that it might spread his victorious presence through the whole world and fill “all things” (Eph 4:10), every dimension of life and culture, with Christ’s glorious presence. This raises an important question why is it that we [8] are not seeing the triumph of the gospel.

Descent Ascent

The answer lies in these words, “He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe” (Eph 4:9-10). There is an unchanging order in the Bible, descent precedes ascent, through humiliation comes exaltation, fulness follows emptiness (Phil 2:5-11; James 4:10; 1 Pet 5:6).  The prophecy about Jesus’ life in Isaiah 53:12 makes this crystal clear when it says of the conquering Jesus, “I will divide him a portion with the many… (because) he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors”. Only when we are emptied of human ability can we be filled with God’s glory (2 Cor 12:8-10). Only believers who live a crucified life can experience Jesus’ ascended glory (Gal 2:20).

The long and arduous journey of life has a destination about which we can have complete assurance in reaching in the light of Christ’s ascension. As the visible ascent of Elijah was a sign to Elisha that he would receive the spirit of his mentor (2 Ki 2:9-10, so the visibility of the ascension of Christ was a sign for the Church that all believers will likewise receive Jesus’ Spirit and his power (Acts 1:8ff). We can confidently “run the race set before us with perseverance” (Heb 12:1-2) because Jesus has successfully completed it for us. There is one final element of Christ’s ascended life amongst his people that must not be overlooked.

Ascension and Eucharist

When the disciples saw Jesus ascend they had “great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple blessing God” (Luke 24:2-53). Having seen Jesus’ human body lifted up to heaven on their behalf  they were completely assured of their own glorious future and had continuous pleasure in the Lord (1 Pet 1:8)[9]. When we have a Spirit-inspired sense of the worship we share with the heavenly beings in Christ we too with open hearts will “bless the Lord”.

In many churches the “eucharist” is the high point of the church’s gathering. The Greek for “eucharist” simply means “thanksgiving” and the ascension teaches us that our rejoicing is one with the unbridled joy of the angels and saints in heaven. Scripture teaches that we are blessed in Christ “in the heavenly places” (Eph 1:3), we are seated “with Christ in God” (Eph 2:6; Col 3:1-2), we have “come to the heavenly Jerusalem with thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly” (Heb 12:22), in the Spirit we are united with that vast throng of saints and angels pictured in the visions of Revelation. Their joy is our joy and our joy is theirs because we are all share a holy unity in the ascended King. The Lord’s Supper is the place where this celestial joy is designed to be most real because the Holy Spirit who lives in us is the Spirit of the ascended and glorified Jesus (Acts 16:7) and the bond joining heaven and earth in an unbreakable and eternal way. A vision of Christ’s body raised high above all the heavens fills us with a sense of his power and presence extending to the farthest horizons of creation and is also with us today.

Conclusion

The early Christians were empowered by the revelation that our welcome into heaven will be nothing less than a share in Jesus’ welcome into heaven (Matt 25:34; Luke 16:9) to a fearless obedience. As Jesus was caught up to the glory and throne of God we too will be “caught up” in the clouds (1 Thess 4:17) to meet the Lord and his glorious entourage of heavenly beings (cf. Matt 16:27; 25:31). We shall share in his splendour and radiance of forever. [This was the secret of the irrepressible joy of the early Church which from time to time returns in revival.] To live in the reality of such great things we must anticipate by faith the gift of the Holy Spirit. Between seeing the ascension and receiving the outpoured Spirit at Pentecost the first Church devoted themselves to prayer (Acts 1:14). Last week I exhorted us to pray for one another before out meeting together today, now I appeal to us all to pray throughout the coming week for a supernatural visitation of the Spirit.