Some final thoughts today on the final act of Jesus' time here on earth —His ascension. It was, indeed, as J. Oswald Sanders says, the logical outcome. It left His disciples with certainty of where He was going and where He now is. During the 40 days after His resurrection, He would appear out of nowhere and disappear as well, so it was imperative that the disciples see Him ascend into heaven, to verify His claim to deity. "No one has ascended into heaven except he who ascended from heaven, the Son of Man" (John 3:13). This act has forever strengthened the faith of believers down through the ages.
Let me share with you a few observations of significance on Jesus' Ascension made by Sanders in his book, The Incomparable Christ:
- It was of tremendous importance that our Lord's final departure from earth should not be a mere vanishing out of their sight, as He did at Emmaus. This would result in uncertainty as to whether or not He might again appear.
- Accordingly, the ascension took place, not at night, but in broad daylight. "While they beheld." He rose from their midst, not because He must do so to go to His Father, but in order to make the act symbolic and intelligible to them.
- Significantly, it was not at Bethlehem, or the Transfiguration mount, or even Calvary that the event took place, but at Bethany, the place of His sweetest earthly fellowship.
- This appearance and disappearance of the risen Christ is represented as an episode as real and objective as His other appearances during the forty days. Those appearances were calculated to assure His disciples that He had conquered death and hell and was recognized as God's Messiah. The ascension was intended to convince them that they need not expect Him to appear again.
- No other mode of departure would have left the impression this did. The period of transition had ended, and they need no longer remain in suspense.
- He left His own in the very act of blessing. For He had come, and blessing He departed, not as condemning judge but as compassionate friend and High Priest, with hands outstretched.
An ascension such as the gospels record was essential for a number of reasons:
- The nature of our Lord's resurrection body necessitated it. Such a body would not be permanently at home on earth. He must depart, but by glorification rather than by moral dissolution.
- The unique personality and holy life of our Lord demanded an exit from this world as remarkable and fitting as His entrance into it.
- His redemptive work required such a consummation. Without it, it would have remained incomplete for it rests on four pillars —incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. The ascension was a complete and final demonstration that His atonement had forever solved the problem created by man's sin and rebellion. Only thus could He be constituted Head of the church (Eph 1:19-23).
- The gift of the Holy Spirit was dependent on His glorification. "The Holy Spirit was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified," was John's comment on the Lord's promise of the Spirit (John 7:39).
- It enabled the disciples to give to the world a satisfactory account of the disappearance of Christ's body from the tomb.
- To Him the ascension came as the culminating divine assurance that the work He had come to do had been completed to the entire satisfaction of the Father, to whose right hand He had now been exalted.
- It was a divine vindication of His claims to deity that had been disallowed by the Jews. He had claimed the right to ascend into heaven as His own prerogative. "No man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven" (John 3:13).
- It was His divine inauguration into His heavenly priesthood.
- For the believer, our Lord's ascension has blessed implications for us. Though physically remote, He is always spiritually near. Now free from earthly limitations, His life above is both the promise and the guarantee of ours. "Because I live, ye shall live also," He assured His disciples (John 14:19).
- His ascension anticipates our glorification and leaves us the assurance that He has gone to prepare a place for us (John 14:2).
- His resurrection and ascension to heaven involved nothing less than the making of His humanity eternal in transfigured and glorified form, even if in a manner wholly incomprehensible us. It brings Him very near to us as we remember that He carried His humanity back with Him to heaven (Hebrews 2:14-18; 4:14-16).
- "He led captivity captive (Eph. 4:18). His ascension was His triumphant return to heaven and indicated that the tyrannical reign of sin is ended.
"The ascension helped to clarify the nature of the Messiahship to the apostles," writes R.H. Laver. "They expected a Davidic king, whereas the crucifixion presented them with a suffering Servant. Then the resurrection proclaimed a king after all. The ascension further clarified the nature of His Kingship. The Kingdom of Christ is indeed not of this world. He will reign, but it shall not be simply from an earthly throne."
I do hope you'll read The Incomparable Christ, perhaps as we near Christmas or next year when remembrance of His Resurrection is approaching. Nancy Leigh DeMoss will soon be finishing her series on the subject, but you can dive into the archives and listen at Revive Our Hearts online from the beginning as I've done. The book and Nancy Leigh have greatly impacted my thoughts toward my Savior.
