The Ascension Matters

The Ascension by John Singleton Copley (1775)

6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”  (Acts 1:6-11)

Tomorrow, May 9th, is Ascension Day, which makes this Sunday, May 12th, Ascension Sunday (along with Mother’s Day). It doesn’t garner as much attention as the main holy days of the Christian calendar, like Christmas, Easter or Pentecost. Why bring attention to it? Isn’t it just an extension of Christ’s resurrection? After all, it was inevitable that he was going back to heaven from where he came at his birth.

Actually, Christ’s ascension to heaven is loaded with significance. The Heidelberg Catechism helps us understand how (Q/A’s #46-52):

1. Christ advocates and intercedes for us at God’s right hand (Rom. 8:34; 1 John 2:1).
2. An actual, physical human being is in heaven with God, demonstrating that other human beings (like us!), if we trust in him, will go to be with God as well (John 17:24; Eph. 2:4-6; Col. 3:1-4).
3. Because Christ has gone, he has left us His Spirit (John 14:16; Acts 2:33), who is the “down payment” of our inheritance (2 Cor. 5:5).
4. Because he sits at God’s right hand, Jesus is qualified to serve as the Head of His church (Eph. 1:20-23; Col. 1:18).

The bottom line of the Ascension is that Jesus Christ is KING! Not only did he live a perfect life, die for our sins, and rise again, but he lives and reigns at God the Father’s right hand with all the authority of God Himself. One day he will rule the world when he returns.

This means that we don’t need to live in dread of the present or in fear of the future. Christ holds the future, our future, and if our trust is in him, he holds us as well. He is sovereign even over this broken world and works for God’s glory and our good until he returns.

We can live confidently for him, even through adversity, knowing that one day he will restore and renew this sin-cursed world.

Hallelujah! Come, Lord Jesus.

Slow of Heart

13 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. 22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” 25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. 28 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, 29 but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” 33 And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread. (Luke 24:13-35)

Some people are highly observant. They notice new hairstyles, wedding rings on a person’s finger, new items of clothing, front porch furniture…things like that. While I’m liable to notice when someone gets a new car, the other things can often pass me by without a second glance. It’s easy to miss the obvious thing.

But we all missed the obvious thing when it comes to identifying Jesus as he truly is. None of us could see him as the Savior He has revealed himself to be until God opened our eyes. Cleopas and his friend should be near and dear to our hearts, because we know how they felt.

What’s curious to me about this passage as I read it today is this: just what “Scriptures concerning Himself” did Jesus talk about with them? Isaiah 52 and 53 alone provide us so many options:

“…his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance…” (52:14)

“…he had no form or majesty that we should look at him…” (53:2)

“He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief…” (53:3)

“…as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised…” (53:3)

“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows…” (53:4)

“But he was pierced for our transgressions…with his wounds we are healed.” (53:5)

“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth…” (53:7)

“By oppression and judgment he was taken away…” (53:8)

“And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence…” (53:9)

And possibly the most striking verse, in light of the fact that these disciples knew that the tomb had been found empty:

“…by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.” (53:11)

Here, on the other side of the resurrection, yet on this side of our own resurrection, let’s thank God that He opened our eyes just as He did for these our “slow of heart” brothers with whom we have more in common than we care to admit.