Ascension

ASCENSION

a-sen'-shun:

The Ascension is not only a great fact of the New Testament, but a great factor in the life of Christ and Christians, and no complete view of Jesus Christ is possible unless the Ascension its consequences are included. It is the consummation of His redemptive work.

These passages show that the event was constantly in view, and anticipated by our Lord. The Ascension is also clearly implied in the allusions to His coming to earth on clouds of heaven (Matthew 24:30; 26:64).

1. The story in Acts 1:6-12 is clear. Jesus Christ was on the Mount of Olives. There had been conversation between Him and His disciples, and in the course of it He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight (Acts 1:9). His body was uplifted till it disappeared, and while they continued to gaze up they saw two men who assured them that He would come back exactly as He had gone up. The three Greek words rendered "taken up" (eperthe) to lift up, raise up, raise on high (Acts 1:9); "went" (poreuomenou) (Acts 1:10);to lead over, carry over, transfer,to pursue the journey on which one has entered, to continue on one's journey "received up" (analemphtheis) (Acts 1:11); to take up, raise  deserve careful notice. This account must either be attributed to invention, or to the testimony of an eye-witness. But Luke's historicity now seems abundantly proved.

And after He had said these things, He R19 was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And as they were gazing intently into the F8 sky while He was going, behold, two R20 men in white clothing stood beside them. 11 They also said, "Men R21 of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the F9 sky? This Jesus, who has R22 been taken up from you into heaven, will come R23 in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven."

While for its purpose Romans necessarily lays stress on the Resurrection, Ephesians has as part of its special aim an emphasis on the Ascension. In 1:20 God's work wrought in Christ is shown to have gone much farther than the Resurrection, and to have "made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places," thereby constituting Him the supreme authority over all things, and especially Head of the church (1:20-23). This idea concerning Christ is followed in 2:6 by the association of believers with Christ "in the heavenly places," and the teaching finds its completest expression in 4:8-11, where the Ascension is connected with the gift of the heavenly Christ as the crowning feature of His work. Nothing is more striking than the complementary teaching of Romans and Ephesians respectively in their emphasis on the Resurrection and Ascension.

3. Philippians:

In Philippians 2:6-11 the exaltation of Christ is shown to follow His deep humiliation. He who humbled Himself is exalted to the place of supreme authority.

The emphasis placed on the second advent of Christ in 1Th is an assumption of the fact of the Ascension. Christians are waiting for God's Son from heaven (1:10) who is to "descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God" (4:16).

His position there implies that He has obtained eternal redemption for His people and is appearing before God on their behalf (9:12,24). This session at God's right hand is also said to be with a view to His return to earth when His enemies will have become His footstool (10:12,13), and one of the last exhortations bids believers to look unto Jesus as the Author and Perfecter of faith who has "sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (12:2).

The Session is connected with Psalms 110,

1The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool." 2The LORD shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies!

5 He shall execute kings in the day of His wrath. 6He shall judge among the nations, He shall fill the places with dead bodies, He shall execute the heads of many countries.

The gift of the Spirit is said to have come from the ascended Christ. The Ascension is the culminating point of Christ's glorification after His Resurrection, and is regarded as necessary for His heavenly exaltation.. It is the culmination of the Incarnation, the reward of Christ's redemptive work, and the entrance upon a wider sphere of work in His glorified condition, as the Lord and Priest of His church (John 7:39; 16:7).

The Ascension meant very much to Christ Himself, and no study of subject must overlook this aspect of New Testament teaching. His exaltation to the right hand of meant

(1) the PROOF of victory (Ephesians 4:8); Therefore He says: "When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men."

(2) the POSITION of honor (Psalms 110:1); The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool."

(3) the PLACE OF POWER (Acts 2:33); Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.

(4) the PLACE OF HAPPINESS (Psalms 26:11); But as for me, I will walk in my integrity; Redeem me and be merciful to me.

(5) the PLACE OF REST ("seated");

(6) the PLACE OF PERMANENCE ("for ever").

X. Its Teaching for Christians.

The importance of the Ascension for Christians lies mainly in the fact that it was the introduction to our Lord's present life in heaven which means so much in the believer's life. The spiritual value of the Ascension lies, not in Christ's physical remoteness, but in His spiritual nearness. He is free from earthly limitations, and His life above is the promise and guarantee of ours. "Because I live ye shall live also."

7. Expectation:

Our Lord's life in heaven looks forward to a consummation. He is "expecting till his enemies be made his footstool" (Hebrews 10:13 the King James Version). He is described as our Forerunner (Hebrews 6:18), and His presence above is the assurance that His people will share His life hereafter. But His Ascension is also associated with His coming again (Philippians 3:20,21; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Hebrews 9:28). At this coming there will be the resurrection of dead saints, and the transformation of living ones (1 Thessalonians 4:16,17), to be followed by the Divine tribunal with Christ as Judge (Romans 2:16; 2 Timothy 4:1,8). To His own people this coming will bring joy, satisfaction and glory (Acts 3:21; Romans 8:19); to His enemies defeat and condemnation (1 Corinthians 15:25; Hebrews 2:8; 10:13).