Ascension Day: is it still important?

Yes, indeed! It is a crucial part of our lives as believers.

On this day, 40 days after Jesus rose from the dead, He ascended back into heaven.
It was mission accomplished! Jesus had come into this world, taken upon Himself the sins of the world on the Cross, was raised from the dead and returned to glory.
The meaning of Christ's ascension:
It was a visible sign that His ministry was completed.
He had paid the full price for sin (Rom 5:8)
He had defeated Satan (Heb 2:14)
He had broken the power of death (Rev 1:18)
He had given instructions for receiving power to witness for Him (Acts 1:1-3)
It was a promise that He would return in a similar manner (Acts 1:11)
To give gifts to men (Eph 4:8)
To send the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:33)
To become our intercessor and advocate (Heb 7:25 & 1Jn 2:1)
Jesus is the ascended Saviour. He gave His all for you - give your life to Him.

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Some information from other sources:

Ascension Day: Its Importance

Posted by Chuck Grantham on May 21, 2009

After Jesus rose from the dead, He "presented Himself alive" (Acts 1:3) to the women near the tomb (Matthew 28:9-10), to His disciples (Luke 24:36-43), and to more than 500 others (1 Corinthians 15:6). In the days following His resurrection, Jesus taught His disciples about the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3).

Forty days after the resurrection, Jesus and His disciples went to Mount Olivet, near Jerusalem. There, Jesus promised His followers that they would soon receive the Holy Spirit, and He instructed them to remain in Jerusalem until the Spirit had come. Then Jesus blessed them, and as He gave the blessing, He began to ascend into heaven. The account of Jesus' ascension is found in Luke 24:50-51 and Acts 1:9-11.

It is plain from Scripture that Jesus' ascension was a literal, bodily return to heaven. He rose from the ground gradually and visibly, observed by many intent onlookers. As the disciples strained to catch a last glimpse of Jesus, a cloud hid Him from their view, and two angels appeared and promised Christ's return "in just the same way that you have watched Him go" (Acts 1:11).

The Ascension of Jesus Christ is meaningful for several reasons:

1) It signaled the end of His earthly ministry. God the Father had lovingly sent His Son into the world at Bethlehem, and now the Son was returning to the Father. The period of human limitation was at an end.

2) It signified success in His earthly work. All that He had come to do, He had accomplished.

3) It marked the return of His heavenly glory. Jesus' glory had been veiled during His sojourn on earth, with one brief exception at the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-9).

4) It symbolized His exaltation by the Father (Ephesians 1:20-23). The One with whom the Father is well pleased (Matthew 17:5) was received up in honor and given a name above all names (Philippians 2:9).

5) It allowed Him to prepare a place for us (John 14:2).

6) It indicated the beginning of His new work as High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16) and Mediator of the New Covenant (Hebrews 9:15).

7) It set the pattern for His return. When Jesus comes to set up the Kingdom, He will return just as He left-literally, bodily, and visibly in the clouds (Acts 1:11; Daniel 7:13-14; Matthew 24:30; Revelation 1:7).

Currently, the Lord Jesus is in heaven. The Scriptures frequently picture Him at the right hand of the Father-a position of honor and authority (Psalm 110:1; Ephesians 1:20; Hebrews 8:1). Christ is the Head of the Church (Colossians 1:18), the giver of spiritual gifts (Ephesians 4:7-8), and the One who fills all in all (Ephesians 4:9-10).

Recommended Resource: Jesus: The Greatest Life of All by Charles Swindol

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The Ascension of Christ - a most significant event
by By Wayne Jackson

The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the foundation truth of the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:13-19). For that reason, occasionally the “resurrection” narrative has overshadowed the “ascension” record. But the ascension event is of equal significance, and careful attention should be given to it.

Prophetically Announced

A thousand years before the Savior’s birth, David prophesied the ascension of Jesus when he announced the Lord’s enthronement at the Father’s right hand (Psalm 110:1). No other psalm is so frequently quoted in the New Testament – an indication of the importance of the event.

Though the disciples struggled with the concept of Jesus’ death, he told them plainly that he was going back to the Father (John 14:12). And, while on trial before the Jewish Sanhedrin, Jesus announced to the high priest that presently he would be “sitting at the right hand of Power” (Matthew 26:64). His “ascension” was one of the tests of Christ’s prophetic credibility.

Effected by God

Five times New Testament writers employ the Greek term analambano (to take up) of the Lord’s ascension (Mark 16:19; Acts 1:2,11,22; 1 Timothy 3:16). Each time the verb is in the passive voice, he “was taken up.” The passive voice represents the subject of the verb as being acted upon, thus, in this instance, indicating that the “taking up” was empowered from above, namely by God.

Historical Reality

The ascension of Christ presents a problem for the opponents of Christianity. If Jesus was not raised from the dead, or if he somehow survived the ordeal of Calvary and died later (as Hugh Schonfield speculated in his infamous book, The Passover Plot), surely the Lord’s enemies would have vigorously sought to reclaim his body, thus nullifying the “resurrection” story. With such a “trophy,” Christianity could have been crushed in its infancy. Those efforts, however, if they occurred, were in vain. That lack of evidence indirectly supports the record of the ascension; there was no earthly corpse.

The apostles themselves witnessed the Savior’s ascension (Acts 1:9-11). Luke’s record of this event was under-girded by his careful research (Luke 1:3; 24:51), not to mention his guidance by the Spirit. Mark, who wrote under the tutelage of Peter (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 2.15), also took note of the ascension (Mark 16:19), and the event was taken for granted in the balance of the New Testament (Acts 2:33; Ephesians 4:8-10; Philippians 3:20; Colossians 3:1; 1 Timothy 3:16; 1 Peter 3:22). At the time of his martyrdom, Stephen was permitted to actually see the ascended Christ, and petition him (Acts 7:55-60).

It is significant that Luke’s account of the ascension episode (Acts 1:9-11), consumes only 63 words in the Greek Testament. This brevity demonstrates:

1. the restraining influence of the Holy Spirit; strictly human journalistic impulses would have expanded the narrative considerably;
2. it suggests as well that the “ascension” event was never a point of controversy among the early disciples, thus requiring elaborate argumentation.

The Abiding Significance

There are several significant doctrinal points connected with the ascension of Christ. Let us consider some of these.

1. The ascension of the Savior is an integral part of the proposition that Christ is the “Lord,” who has the right to exercise “all authority” (Matthew 28:18; Ephesians 1:20-23). On Pentecost, after arguing for the resurrection and ascension, Peter contended: “Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly, that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts 2:36). Especially note the “therefore” connective.
2. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost was implemented by the ascended Christ (Matthew 3:11; Acts 1:5; 2:33). This supernatural event authenticated the fact that the circumstances of that day, resulting in the establishment of the church of Christ, were divinely orchestrated. The Christian regime is from God, not man.
3. The ascended Christ empowered certain early disciples with miraculous gifts, by which the Mind of God was revealed to humanity and subsequently preserved in a body of sacred literature (see Ephesians 4:10ff). The present availability of this ancient record allows the modern student to “put to the test” the credibility of the primitive documents, find them to be trustworthy, and happily anchor his hope of heaven therein.
4. The ascension of Christ into heaven clearly reveals that, contrary to Jewish expectations (and even that of the misguided disciples), the Lord’s mission to this planet was not to overthrow Rome, and establish an earthly, political administration reminiscent of David’s (cf. John 6:15; 18:36; Acts 1:6). In the words of a poet:
   
   They were looking for a king,
   To slay their foes,
   And lift them high.
   
   Thou camest a little baby thing,
   That made a woman cry.
   
   Modern millennialists would do well to learn this important truth.
5. The ascension of Christ demonstrated the manner of Christ’s final return. The disciples “beheld” Jesus vanishing into the clouds (Acts 1:11b). The verb theaomai is employed 24 times in the New Testament, and never is it used in a figurative sense. They literally saw Christ ascend. Additionally, Luke emphasizes that “in like manner,” i.e., in a visible fashion, the Lord will return. The combination of these terms clearly indicates that the Savior’s second coming will be a literal coming. This eliminates the spurious notion that Christ’s representative “coming” (via the Roman armies — Matthew 22:7), in the overthrow of Jerusalem (Matthew 24:30), was his second coming (cf. Heb. 9:28). And yet the advocates of “realized eschatology” contend otherwise. Luke’s language also eliminates the theory that the Lord’s next “coming” will be an invisible “rapture-coming,” as dispensationalists project.
6. The ascension of Jesus provides us with a supreme confidence that we have a heavenly High Priest who, having been “crowned with glory and honor” (Hebrews 1:13; 2:7,9), ever lives to make intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25; cf. 1 John 2:1-2). This concept of a heavenly high priest is a prevailing theme in the book of Hebrews.
7. The ascension argues for the proposition that our eternal destiny will not be upon a “glorified earth,” as many affirm. Jesus entered heaven as a “forerunner” (one who goes in advance of others) for us (Hebrews 7:20). By his return to heaven, Christ “dedicated for us” a new and living way that is not earthly in nature (Hebrews 10:20). Earth is not heaven (Matthew 6:19-20).
8. The ascension of Christ underscores the fact that Christians are charged with the responsibility of implementing his will on earth, as he reigns from heaven. The Teacher’s parting words commissioned his people to make disciples of every creature among the nations throughout the earth (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:47).
   
   In the Parable of the Pounds, the Nobleman (Christ), who went into the far country (heaven), expected his servants to wisely utilize, on his behalf, that which had been placed at their disposal. The servant who ignored this obligation was rejected and punished, along with those characterized as “enemies” (see Luke 19:12-27; cf. Matthew 25:30).
   
   The Lord uses no “feet” to go, nor “tongues” to proclaim, save ours. The treasure has been deposited with “earthen vessels” (2 Corinthians 4:7). Let us, therefore, shoulder the responsibility, and be honored thereby.

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The Importance of the Ascension of Christ

I was glad to see Calvin's emphasis upon the ascension, and I was reminded of a teaching I gave several years ago as I began to realize how little Christians think about or emphasize the ascension today. I thought it might be good, then, to share this teaching here. What follows is my own teaching outline:

Teaching Outline on the Ascension of Christ

Introduction: Ask for contribution from the congregation to answer the question: “What are the most significant events of Jesus' life or aspects of His work for us?” Answers will do doubt include such things as His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, crucifixion, and resurrection.

Sadly, I have yet to hear anyone mention the ascension when I ask this question. But what about His ascension? What can we learn from it, and why do we need to know about it?

Many Christians have not given Jesus' ascension much thought, except, perhaps, as a part of a discussion of His return – which we will see is indeed important. But there are a number of things the Bible has to say about why Jesus ascended into Heaven. In fact, we will examine nine reasons for His ascension.

1. Jesus ascended to demonstrate the manner in which He would return.

NKJ Acts 1:9-11 “Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.'”

Application: This passage is the primary reason why Christians have consistently affirmed the visible, bodily return of Christ in the future. We do not have to worry that He might have come back already and we somehow missed it! He was seen going into heaven, and He will be seen coming back to earth!

2. Jesus ascended to complete His exaltation.

NKJ Acts 2:33-36 “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. 34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: 'The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, 35 Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”' 36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

NKJ Acts 5:31 “Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.”

NKJ Philippians 2:9-11 “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

NKJ 1 Timothy 3:16 “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory.”

Application: We should never cease to praise Jesus as our risen and ascended Lord. We should seek to praise and honor Him as Lord in all that we do. And we should remember to include this as part of the Gospel message in our witness to others just as the Apostles did. When you tell others about Jesus, do you ever emphasize His exaltation at the Father's right hand? Do you stress His exalted status as Lord over all creation?

3. Jesus ascended to begin His reign in Heaven.

NKJ Ephesians 1:20-23 “... which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. 22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”

NKJ 1 Corinthians 15:25 “For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet.”

NKJ 1 Peter 3:22 “...who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.”

Application: Many of us rightly think of Jesus as one day returning to establish His Kingdom, but we should also remember that He is already reigning over all things. He is already the King to whom every knee ought to bow, and our allegiance to Him takes precedence over all other allegiances.

4. Jesus ascended to demonstrate the completion of His sacrificial work.

NKJ Hebrews 1:1-3 “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high....”

NKJ Hebrews 10:11-12 “And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God....”

NKJ Hebrews 12:2 “....looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Application: Jesus' work was finished, and there was nothing left to be done in order to accomplish forgiveness for our sins, so – unlike the Levitical priests – He sat down. If He needed to do nothing more for us in His atoning work, then we can certainly do nothing to add to what He has done! We can fully place our trust in what He has done for us, confident that there is nothing left to do!

5. Jesus ascended in order to prepare a place for us.

NKJ John 14:1-3 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

Illustration: When we have guests coming, we get ready for them in advance, especially when we are glad to have them coming to stay with us. And we aren't going to spend all that time getting ready for the visit only to forget to pick our guest up at the airport!

Application: Jesus is already making preparation for the eternity we will spend with Him in Heaven! What a tremendous encouragement for us all. And if He is working to prepare this place for us, then we know He is doing it for a reason, to come for us and take us home with Him.

6. Jesus ascended in order to send the Holy Spirit to us.

NKJ John 14:16-18 “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever -- 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”

Application: The Holy Spirit enables us to experience the presence of Jesus in our lives at all times.

NKJ John 16:7 “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.”

Jesus doesn't say why He must go for the Spirit to come. It was apparently a part of a plan that must be followed.

Application: The Holy Spirit has come to us in a way that He would not have come if Jesus had not ascended back to Heaven. And His empowering presence is a blessing that we wouldn't have known aside from Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascension.

7. Jesus ascended in order to continue His intercession for us at the Father's right hand.

NKJ Romans 8:34 “Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.”

NKJ Hebrews 7:25 “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”

Application: It is such an encouragement to know that Jesus went to bend the Father's ear, so to speak, on our behalf! He is right there, in the most exalted place, nearest to the Father, interceding for us constantly.

8. Jesus ascended in order to demonstrate His victory.

NKJ Ephesians 4:8 “Therefore He says: 'When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men'.”

Quote: John Gill has aptly commented on this passage (Exposition of the Entire Bible, e-Sword):

[This] is expressive of Christ's conquests and triumph over sin, Satan, the world, death, and the grave; and indeed, every spiritual enemy of his and his people, especially the devil, who leads men captive at his will, and is therefore called captivity, and his principalities and powers, whom Christ has spoiled and triumphed over; the allusion is to the public triumphs of the Romans, in which captives were led in chains, and exposed to open view.

The victory that He demonstrated through His ascension was the victory He wrought upon the cross:

NKJ Colossians 2:13-15 “And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”

Application: What an encouragement that Jesus did not ascend without first winning the decisive battle over all our enemies! His ascension proves that the victory is ours through His work and power.

9. Jesus ascended in order to give gifts to the Church.

NKJ Ephesians 4:8-13 “Therefore He says: 'When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.' 9 (Now this, 'He ascended' -- what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) 11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ....”

Application: Not only did Jesus leave us the Holy Spirit (as we saw earlier), but He also made sure that He gave us the leaders and the teachers we will need – and that the Holy Spirit will use – to help us achieve maturity as Christians and to serve him in the Church and in the world. Do you often think of your pastor-teachers, for example, as gifts from Jesus to you? Do you thank Him for these gifts?

Conclusion: Will you all think about the ascension of Jesus the next time you are pondering the most important events in His life or the most important aspects of His saving work on our behalf? Will you remember to worship Him as your risen and ascended Lord, as you ought to do? Will you remember to speak of His exalted status as the ascended Lord when you tell others about Him?

I hope the blog's readers find this brief teaching outline helpful, not only in reminding themselves of the importance of Jesus' ascension, but also as an aid to help remind others as well.

Soli Deo gloria!