Have you ever noticed that when Jesus told his disciples that he would be leaving them, they reacted with sorrow, but then, when it actually happened, they reacted with joy? (Compare John 16:16 with Luke 24:50) What can account for this change? In his book The Work of Christ, R.C. Sproul provides a simple answer: the disciples had come to understand why and where Jesus was going. From here he shows four great results of Christ's ascension. ~ Tim Challies
#1. Glorification. "When Jesus departed this world on the shekinah cloud, He was going back to the realm of glory. He was going to receive the glory that He enjoyed with the Father from all eternity. So, the ascension was a glorious thing. That is why, after He ascended, the disciples went back into Jerusalem and praised God in the temple. They understood that their Master was getting His glory back. His humiliation was over, and His exaltation had begun."
#2. Coronation. "In the ascension, Jesus went up to His coronation. He did not go up simply to enter into His rest. He went up for His investiture service. He ascended to the throne, to the right hand of God, where He was given dominion, power, and authority over the whole earth. The Lamb who was slain became the Lion of Judah, who now reigns over the earth."
#3. The Gift of the Comforter. "One of the most important reasons for Jesus' ascension was that Pentecost might take place, that the Father and the Son might pour out the Spirit on the church to strengthen it and empower it for its earthly mission. As we all know, to witness for Christ in a corrupt world requires strength greater than our own. John Calvin said that the most important task of the church is to be the visible witness of the invisible kingdom, and for that we need the Holy Spirit."
#4. The Ministry of the High Priest. "We have a great High Priest who offered a sacrifice for us on the cross once and for all—His own blood. That portion of His priestly ministry is finished. But His priestly work for us goes on as He intercedes for us. … Today, Jesus is in heaven, interceding for you and me, if indeed we belong to Him, and His prayers for us are equally effective. We should rejoice that He has taken up this priestly ministry on our behalf in the heavenly tabernacle."
("4 Results of Christ's Ascension" by Tim Challies and R.C. Sproul published on Christianity.com on May 30, 2012)
Did the Old Testament Predict the Ascension?
What most clearly foretold the ascension of Christ to heaven is in Psalm 68:18, which is quoted by the apostle Paul and applied to the ascension of Christ (Ephesians 4:8-10), and all the parts of it agree with him. Jesus is the Lord that was among the angels in Sinai, who spoke to Moses there; and from whom he received the oracles of God to give to Israel. He is the God of salvation, the author of it to his people. And of him it may be truly said, that he "ascended on high," far above all heavens, the visible heavens, the starry heavens, and into the third heaven, the more glorious seat of the divine Majesty.
Jesus has led "captivity captive" - either those who had been prisoners in the grave, but freed by him, and who went with him to heaven, or the enemies of his people who have led them captive. The allusion is to leading captives in triumph for victories obtained.
Christ "received," upon his ascension, "gifts for men," and, as the apostle expresses it, "gave" them to us. He received them in order to give them; and he gave them in consequence of receiving them. In fact, he received them for, and gave them to, "rebellious" men, as all by nature are "foolish and disobedient." Such a one was the apostle Paul, as the account of him and his own confessions show, who received a large measure of those gifts of grace.
The end of bestowing those gifts was "That the Lord God might dwell among men," gathered out of the world, through the ministry of the Bible, into gospel churches, which are built up for an habitation for God through the Spirit.
Adapted from A Body of Doctrinal Divinity, Book 5, Chapter 7, by John Gill.
What Is Jesus Doing Now That He Has Ascended?
Have you ever wondered what Jesus is doing, now that He has ascended to heaven? [Hebrews 10:10–14] tells us that after offering Himself as a sacrifice for our sins, He sat down at the right hand of God. Verse 13 might lead us to believe He is simply sitting up there waiting for the time when He comes back to rule and reign on earth. But when we consider other passages, we soon realize He is quite active on our behalf.
First of all, even though the Son is with the Father in heaven, He is also residing within every believer in the person of the Holy Spirit, whom He sent to be in us and with us (John 15:26; Romans 8:9–10). Christ is actively working within you to shape your character and empower your obedience.
Next, Jesus lives to intercede for those who believe in Him (Hebrews 7:25). He makes requests on our behalf and brings our prayers before the Father.
Then, we see in 1 John 2:1–2 that Jesus is our Advocate when we sin. Positioned between us and holy God, Christ declares our righteous standing because of His sacrifice and our faith in Him.
What’s more, Christ is preparing a place for us in heaven (John 14:1–3). He is also arranging all the events necessary for His return.
Jesus is busy in heaven carrying out the Father’s will. And we, as His followers, should be doing the same thing. He saved us for the purpose of reflecting His life in our work, attitudes, words, and behavior. We are His body—His eyes, ears, voice, feet, and hands—pointing others to Him.
Taken from “Jesus Is Alive and Active” by In Touch Ministries (used by permission).
How Did Jesus Ascending Set the Stage for Pentecost?
There is still another vital aspect to the "why" of Jesus' departure. He said, "If I do not go away, the Helper (Paraclete) will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you." Jesus' departure was tied to Pentecost. There is no Pentecost without ascension. As the invested King of kings, Jesus had the authority together with the Father to send His Holy Spirit in a new and powerful way upon the church. Jesus spoke of a certain necessity of His leaving in order for the Spirit to come. Herein was another great advantage. He declared, "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you" (Acts 1:8, KJV).
Two remarkable things happened to the disciples after Jesus departed.
1. The Disciples' Joy
The first is that they "returned to Jerusalem with great joy" (Luke 24:52). They were not despondent over the departure of Jesus. Obviously they finally understood why He was leaving. They understood what, for the most part, the church since then has failed to understand. We live as if it would not have been better for Jesus to leave.
2. The Disciples' Spiritual Strength
The second obvious change in the lives of the disciples was in their spiritual strength. After Pentecost, they were different people. No longer did they flee like sheep without a shepherd. Instead, they turned the world upside down. They turned the world upside down because they fully understood two simple things: the "where" and the "why" of Jesus' departure.
Great joy and spiritual strength are two of the benefits of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Let Him release these benefits in your life today.
Taken from "Receiving Joy and Strength" by Ligonier Ministries (used by permission).
Pentecost was not only a significant, historical event. In the video below, check out Philip Nation discussing why Pentecost is significant today.
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