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Luke 24:50-53

INTRODUCTION: This coming Thursday is the fortieth day after Easter which means it is Ascension Day. We do not normally celebrate Ascension Day as a church, but it is the day which marks the ascension of Christ into heaven. When churches do celebrate the ascension, they usually do so either on the actual Thursday or the Sunday following, but I wanted to take some time this week to reflect together on the ascension of Christ and what it means for us today. (Read Luke 24:50-53)

After Jesus rose from the dead, he spent forty days on earth before returning to heaven. We read in Acts 1:3: “After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.” (Acts 1:3) Forty is a pretty significant number in Scripture, and this is another one of its many occurrences.

Now stop and let that sink in for a moment. Forty days is a long time. It’s been five weeks since we celebrated Easter, and a lot has happened since then. Well during that same period of time, Jesus was still here on the earth following his resurrection. For forty days he continued to appear to his disciples, showing them he was alive and teaching them about the kingdom of God. It wasn’t until the fortieth day – which would be this Thursday – that Jesus finally ascended into heaven.

You might wonder: “Why does that matter? I know it matters that Jesus died on the cross, and I know it matters that Jesus rose from the dead, but what does it matter that Jesus ascended into heaven?” Well that is the question we want to answer this morning. Why does Christ’s ascension matter? What does the ascension mean for us today? I would like to share with you from the Scriptures five reasons why the ascension matters to us today.

I. Jesus returned to the Father (John 16:28, 20:17)

First of all, Jesus’ ascension matters because Jesus returned to the Father. God is a trinity, and from the beginning of time and even before the beginning of time, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit always lived together in perfect union.

But then the unimaginable happened. God the Father sent his Son, and Jesus left the glories of heaven to enter our broken and sinful world. He left the Father’s side to come to our side. He took on flesh to live a human life within this human world, and then he died on the cross for our sins.

The night before he went to the cross, Jesus told his disciples: “I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.” (John 16:28) Do you see what he did there? Jesus summed up his entire earthly ministry in just two sentences: “I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”

And oh, how Jesus longed to return to his Father. When Jesus first rose from the dead and he met Mary Magdalene in the garden, he told her: “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” (John 20:17) Before his death Jesus set his sights on Jerusalem and the cross. But now that he had risen, he set his sights on heaven and his great reunion with his Father.

We often talk about the empty cross and the empty tomb, but we rarely talk about the empty earth. The cross is empty because Jesus died. You don’t take a person who is still alive down from the cross. The tomb is empty because Jesus rose. As the angels told the women who came to the tomb that day: “He is not here. He has risen!” (Matthew 28:6) But someone might wonder, if Jesus rose from the dead never to die again, then where is he? Shouldn’t he be walking around the earth somewhere? What’s his address? Where does he live? But Jesus is no longer on earth because he went back to the Father. The earth is empty of Christ’s physical presence because Jesus ascended.

The empty cross tells us Jesus died. The empty tomb tells us he has risen. And the empty earth tells us he has ascended to heaven. The first reason why the ascension matters is that Jesus returned to the Father. He came from the Father and entered the world. He left the world and returned to his Father.

II. Jesus took his place on the throne (Daniel 7:13-14; Rev 3:21)

The second reason why the ascension matters is because Jesus took his place on the throne. When Jesus first began preaching, he had a very simple message for the people: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” (Matthew 4:17) The kingdom of heaven was near because the king of heaven was near. He was right there in the midst of them. But it was not until after Jesus’ ascension and his return to heaven that he took his rightful place on the throne.

And what an amazing sight it would have been to see Jesus take his place on the throne. When we have presidential inaugurations or royal coronations here on earth, we have great celebrations that go along with them, but nothing compares to the spectacle of Jesus taking his place on the throne of heaven.

The prophet Daniel had a vision of this amazing event hundreds of years before it happened. We read about it in Daniel 7: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:13-14)

And here Daniel’s vision telescopes the events of both Christ’s ascension and return when all people will bow before him in heaven. But what happened at Jesus’ ascension is he took his place on the throne, and what is even more amazing is that Jesus wants to share his throne with you. In John’s vision in the book of Revelation Jesus told the church in Laodicea: “To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.” (Revelation 3:21) When you put your faith in Jesus, you are not only forgiven of your sins. You are destined to rule with Christ one day in heaven. Now that is amazing grace!

Why does the ascension matter today? Because the king is on his throne, and he has been given all authority, glory and power. Jesus is king in heaven. And just as we pray in the Lord’s Prayer, his kingdom will come to earth. All that is wrong will be made right, and we shall reign with him forever. It was at the ascension that Jesus took his place on the throne.

III. Jesus poured out the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17, 16:7; Acts 2:32-33)

A third reason why the ascension matters is because Jesus poured out the Holy Spirit at his ascension. Once again the night before Jesus died on the cross he told the disciples: “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” (John 14:16-17) Jesus was talking about the Holy Spirit who would come in his place to be with us, to live in us, to give us strength for living, power for witness, peace in trials and to make us holy like Christ.

Jesus went on to tell the disciples: “I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” (John 16:7) We need the Holy Spirit, but unless Jesus went away, he could never have sent us the Holy Spirit. It is because Jesus ascended to heaven that he poured out his Holy Spirit upon his people.

Pentecost Sunday is just two weeks away. It is the Sunday when we remember the initial pouring out of the Holy Spirit which is recorded for us in the book of Acts. The believers were all together in one room when the Spirit came like a mighty rushing wind and tongues of fire separated and came to rest on each one of them. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, giving glory to God and declaring his wonders.

When the people of Jerusalem witnessed this event, they asked, “What does this mean?” Peter explained to them: “God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.” (Acts 2:32-33)

Basically Peter told them about the empty cross, the empty tomb and the empty earth. He told them Jesus died, Jesus rose again, and Jesus ascended. And because Jesus ascended, he poured out the Holy Spirit who now lives in you and me as believers in Jesus Christ.

IV. Jesus prays for us (Romans 8:34; 1 John 2:1)

Why does the ascension matter to us today? 1) Jesus returned to the Father. 2) Jesus took his place on the throne. 3) Jesus poured out the Holy Spirit. And 4) Jesus prays for us. When Jesus ascended to heaven, he completed his earthly ministry and began his heavenly ministry of prayer and intercession for his people.

Now anytime someone tells me they are praying for me, I find that a wonderful help and encouragement. It is a great comfort knowing that your church family and Christian friends are praying for you in your time of need. But the ascension tells us something even more amazing. Jesus himself prays for us. In fact, that seems to be his main ministry in heaven today. Jesus prays for you constantly.

We read in Romans 8:34: “Christ Jesus, who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” (Romans 8:34) There you have the empty cross, the empty tomb, and the empty earth once again – Jesus died, was raised to life and ascended to the right hand of God. But what is Jesus doing at the right hand of God? He is interceding for us. He is praying for us. He is at the Father’s side, but he is still on our side. God is for us, not against us. “And if God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:31-32)

What does Jesus pray for us? He prays for comfort and strength and peace and holiness. He prays that you will look to him in times of trial. He prays that you will grow as a Christian and stand strong against temptation. And when you do sin, he prays for you and speaks to the Father in your defense. We read in 1 John 2:1: “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense – Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.” (1 John 2:1)

Did you know that Jesus prays for you? He prayed for you this morning. He prayed for you last night. He is praying for you right now. It’s probably the only reason you are still alive at this moment. Why does the ascension matter to us today? Because Jesus prays for us.

V. Jesus will come again (John 14:1-3; Acts 1:11)

And now we come to the fifth reason why the ascension matters today. Jesus will come again. When Jesus left earth to return to the Father, he did not leave us permanently. He promised he would return to us. Listen to Jesus’ words in John 14: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:1-3) It doesn’t make sense that Jesus would go and prepare a place for you if he wasn’t planning on coming back to get you as well.

When Jesus ascended into heaven, the disciples looked intently up into the sky as he was going. Suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11)

The ascension means that Jesus left, but it also means that he is coming back. And that means we’ve got work to do. Jesus is coming again, and so we are not supposed to be standing around looking at the sky. We need to be busy about God’s work, the work of his kingdom: sharing Christ so that others might follow him – and following Christ so that we might share him. The ascension means that Jesus will come again.

CONCLUSION: The world around us is in so much trouble and distress, and it would be easy for us to get discouraged. But that’s where these five truths about the ascension give us great hope.

We may not talk about the ascension as much as we do about the cross or the resurrection. But it is still a vital part of our Christian faith. The cross is empty because Jesus died. The tomb is empty because Jesus rose. The earth is empty because Jesus ascended.

And because Jesus ascended you can take comfort in these five amazing truths: 1) Jesus is back again with his Father. Everything is as it should be. 2) Jesus has taken his rightful place on the throne. He is king and he is in control. 3) Jesus has poured out his Holy Spirit into our hearts. You have God with you every hour of every day. 4) Jesus prays for you constantly. It is his prayers that keep you going. And 5) Jesus will come again. Every eye will see him, and every wrong will be made right. All glory and honor to Jesus our Lord.

© Ray Fowler

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