The Ascension of Christ
Acts 1:6-11
So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?”
He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
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!”
REFLECTION
In 2005 I wrote a song called "King of Glory" that began my journey with the doctrine of the ascension. The ascension is a highly neglected doctrine in our current day and age although it is a prominent theme throughout the Scriptures. It is not a doctrine which many Christians have studied, heard, or read about to the same degree as Christ's birth, death, and resurrection. In a profound way, a robust doctrine of the ascension causes us to think seriously about present spiritual realities - about what Jesus is doing right now!
Personally, it has shaped and formed the way I think about and pray to Christ. To know that we are not alone as we struggle with temptations, fears, and addictions should bring us great courage and comfort. To know that Jesus is interceding (Hebrews 7:25) and advocating for us is powerful. In his book Jesus Christ our Lord, John Walvoord writes: "The wonderful results of the intercession give assurance to the believer of security in Christ, hope for eternal salvation, protection from spiritual and physical dangers in life and a pledge of ultimate sanctification. Spiritual triumph for the believer is inevitably linked to the heavenly intercessor."
This is good news! This is the gospel of the ascension.
RESPONSE
1. Why is the event of the ascension so important?
2. What are the benefits of Christ's intercession for us as believers?
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