The Ascension and You

by | Apr 6, 2012 | 2012 | 0 comments

Ascension Day was a holiday in South Africa before 1994. It was always on a Thursday, and it was one of the annual long weekends. After 1994 the government started reviewing holidays, including Christian holidays. Ascension Day was one of them. At that time, when Ascension Day was being abolished, I don’t remember many Christians raising any objection. If it was Christmas or Good Friday, there would probably have been a lot of noise. I conducted a simple survey on Facebook to check how many people know when Ascension Day was this year. Sadly, I found that almost half of professing Christians did not know.

Ascension was such a central belief of Christians that it was included in most of the Christian Creeds of the early church. For example, we have what is called the Apostles’ Creed. It was not developed by the apostles, but it is believed to have summarized what the apostles believed in. One of the statements in the Apostles Creed is the belief in Jesus Christ who “…ascended into heaven; and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty…”

In the early church they used to recite this when they met. In the Reformed church which I used to attend, we used to recite this creed. At that time I had no clue why we recited it, but today I realize why this is crucial for believers. They have helped the church to preserve doctrinal soundness throughout the history of the church. For the believers in that age, the belief in the ascension was as important as the belief in the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus.

The same way

For most Christians today it is easier to understand why the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus are important. But why does the ascension matter to us today as something we believe in? The ascension event is recorded in Acts 1:9-11 (New Living Translation throughout, emphasis mine). “After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. ‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!’”

During the 40 days after his resurrection, Jesus appeared and disappeared to his followers on various occasions. But on this particular day, he did not just disappear. He was lifted up into the clouds before their very eyes.

But why was it important that Jesus ascended in this way, and did not simply disappear like he did during the previous 40 days? If he did not leave this way, there would have been stories today about where he is. Some would be saying they saw him here or there. Jesus himself emphasized this point of knowing where he will be and how he will come back. “So if someone tells you, ‘Look, the Messiah is out in the desert,’ don’t bother to go and look. Or, ‘Look, he is hiding here,’ don’t believe it! For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man comes” (Matthew 24:26-27).

So, Jesus ascended visibly because he would return visibly. When Jesus returns, no human on earth will not be aware. All humans will be aware, and even those who are asleep will wake up. In fact, believers who are dead will also wake up and join him in the descent.

Concerning the ascension, Paul tells us, “For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:6). “For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:3). So if it is true that we have ascended with Jesus, and are now seated with him at the right hand of God, we will descend with him when he returns. Those who have died in the faith, and those that are in the faith and alive, will together be caught up in the clouds to meet Jesus, and the world will see Jesus descend with all the believers with him. By then they will be transformed into a similar body he ascended with, and will share in his glory.

Implications of the ascension for Christians

But what are the practical implications of the ascension for Christian believers today? I believe this is found in Paul’s letter to the Colossians. He says to them, because we have been raised with Christ, and are seated with him in the heavenly realms, “set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” (Colossians 3:1-2). The hope of the resurrection and the return of Christ makes believers live like kingdom citizens, because they are citizens of heaven. (Philippians 3:20).

The Ascension gives us hope

It is this belief which spurred the Apostles to forsake everything and pursue the kingdom of God at great cost. The same belief made Paul write the following to the Philippians with tears in his eyes: “Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control. (Philippians 3:17-21 NLT).

Christians are like the woman who was engaged to be married when war broke out. Her fiancé was sent to war. Before he left he promised her that he would come back, and when he came back she must be ready to marry him. After he had left she got the wedding dress done to her size. Since then she started watching her weight to make sure that when her man returns she will be able to fit into her dress. She stopped flirting with other men. Everybody knew she was waiting for her man. Her whole life reflected that. Each month she would go into her bedroom and fit the dress to make sure she had not gained weight. One day as she was busy fitting her dress, there was a knock on the door. She went to check who it was, still wearing the dress. As she opened the door, there he was! Her man was back! He could not believe his eyes. His bride was ready. With tears in his eyes, he said to her, “When I said you must be ready to marry me when I return, I had no idea you would be this ready…”

Like this woman, Christians also await their bridegroom, and as they wait, they live like those who wait, those with hope. The bridegroom says to us: “Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds.” (Revelation 22:12). When people in the world look at you, can they say, “Yes, this man, this woman, is waiting for her LORD.” We live like people with hope for something. The ascension gives us that hope.

May the Ascension be a perpetual reminder for you that this Jesus who ascended into heaven “will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go.” And may that knowledge transform you and how you live your life today!

Incidentally, Ascension Day this year falls on Thursday 17th May.

If you would like to learn more about the resurrection and ascension, you may visit our website: www.gci.org/jesus/inchrist

 

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