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Four Reasons the Ascension Matters [Ascension Day]

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Today is Ascension Day, marking the 40th day after Resurrection Day.

This historic event is recorded in three passages of Scripture: Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:6-12.

Here are a few thoughts from John Walvoord on the Ascension:

In the general theology of the historic church, the ascension of Christ has not been given much attention. It has been overshadowed, on the one hand, by the importance of the incarnation, the death, and the resurrection of Christ; and, on the other hand, it has been eclipsed by the present work and future work of Christ.

…

In the light of these facts, the ascension becomes important, not only for its obvious significance, but also as an introduction to the present work of Christ in that it lays down a number of guidelines concerning the nature of His work prior to His second advent.

The ascension of Jesus Christ is significant for at least four reasons:

It was the end of the period of His self-limitation

In many respects, the ascension marked the transition from the old sphere of ministry under the self-limitations of the kenosis which Christ endured on earth and the new sphere of release and glory of the ministry of Christ in heaven. While the resurrection was perhaps more important—in that it was the first step in the self-exaltation of Christ which freed Him from humiliation, weakness, and the limitations of the flesh—in the ascension, Christ returned to His infinite glory which was veiled not only during His lifetime but during the forty days of His post-resurrection ministry.

Not only did the ascension mark the end of the period of Christ’s humiliation but also the end of the important ministries carried on while on earth. Completed now was His sacrificial work on the cross in which He provided a propitiation for our sins. Ended too was His prophetic work which now was to be carried on by the Holy Spirit, though His office as a prophet continued. Christ no longer was to do miracles in His bodily presence on earth, though miracles continued to be done in His name and power. The ascension, therefore, provided a climax to the period of kenosis which characterized Christ’s entire life on earth.

It was the occasion for exaltation and glorification

The ascension of Christ was also an anticipation of the exaltation and glory which was to follow. The ascension, in some respects, bears the same relation to His glorification as His birth did to His humiliation. Both indicated a passage from one state to another. The new glorification which Christ entered upon His ascension included a number of important factors.

  1. It marked the resumption of His preincarnate glory in keeping with His prayer in John 17:5 that He receive the glory that was His before the foundation of the world. This meant that He not only cast aside the limitations which characterized His life on earth, but that He added a positive quality of manifestation of His inherent glory of the Second Person of the Trinity.
  2. In His glorifications, there was the added glory of being the Savior and Mediator who had triumphed over sin and death. While His inherent glory was unchanged, the new glory as given to Christ was based on His work rather than His person, though it included now victorious humanity as well as deity.
  3. His glorification also had the aspect of reward, in that the Father bestowed upon Him added glory in recognition of His triumph over death and sin. Hence, in Ephesians 1:20-23, it is declared that all things are under His control or dominion (cf. Heb 2:8), and Philippians 2:19 states that God “hath highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is above every name.”
  4. The glorification included His position at the right hand of the Father’s throne in which He would share the dominion and glory of the Father (Ps 110:1) and would be in a position to plead for believers on the basis of His finished work on the cross.

It marked the entrance of resurrected humanity in heaven

In the ascension, for the first time a resurrected man entered heaven. As such, Christ is the forerunner (Heb 6:20) of believers who would thus enter heaven either through resurrection or translation, and His presence in heaven is a pledge that every believer in Christ would also enter into the heavenly sphere. The entrance into heaven, therefore, was not simply a return to the preincarnate glory of deity but it constituted, for the first time, a glorification of humanity. As Charles Hodge expressed it, “the subject of this exaltation was the Theanthropos; not the Logos especially or distinctively; not the human nature exclusively; but the Theanthropic person.”

It introduced His present work in heaven

The ascension also marked the beginning of His present work which differs dramatically from that which occurred between the incarnation and the ascension. In the present age, Christ is carrying out the peculiar purpose of God for this age, namely, the calling out of the church from both Jew and Gentile, bringing to consummation the revealed will of God for creation, for the Gentiles, as well as for other aspects of the divine program. The nature of His new work implies His presence in heaven in glory and the administration of the plan of God from heaven rather than from the earthly sphere.

 

Today’s post has been adapted from an article published by Dallas Theological Seminary called Bibliotheca Sacra, January – March 1964, Volume 121, Number 481. You can view the article in full at the Blue Letter Bible.

Comments

  1. Well God Bless us ALL for what Christ has done!!!!!

    It’s interesting to note–the Devil himself can’t and can not resurrect anyone, ONLY God can. But it’s also interesting to see God’s power and the Devil’s power. So that being said, the Christ in you,– has more power with in you — then you may think.

    You have that hope of Glory with in YOU, the Devil desires the same thing for his worshipers but he can’t have it, that’s cool.

    Over the years the Devil will try and try again to convince us that he does have that kind of power, sorry dude.

    God new what He was doing, didn’t He?

    We don’t have the Christ walking around to touch his garment do we?

    As students of the Word of God, we must ask the question—If there isn’t a Christ present to physically touch, what do we have?

    If your born from above or born again–Romans 10:9,10. You have Christ in You–the hope of Glory. Christ in You!!!!

    We have each other to help each other!!! How? YOU HAVE CHRIST IN YOU. The power is with in YOU.

    It goes like this— God in Christ in YOU. That’s Power people, that’s the power today.

    And as for the absence Christ—WE HAVE THE WORD, woulden you know it—it’s the Word, the Word.

    Jim

    • Jim~

      I responded to a couple posts of yours on the May 2 blog. While we know that God desires to bless us, we need to be careful about how we expect this blessing to come about. Let me know what you think.

      Have a blessed day~
      Barbara

    • 2Cr 12:10 HNV – Strong when I’m weak?
      Mar 9:35 HNV – First when I’m last?
      Jhn 11:25 HNV – Live if I die?
      2Cr 6:10 HNV – Rich when I’m poor?
      Act 20:35 HNV – Giving is better than receiving?

      These are Messiah’s selfless principles; the current world kingdom of Satan does not recognize these because Satan’s world kingdom is self-centered and always wanting. In mankind’s eyes the principles described above are upside down and inside out and they confound and contradict what mankind is looking for.

      “God new what He was doing, didn’t He?”

      J.

      • Jerry~

        He absolutely did, and the verses you’ve cited are a teaching and a warning that we are to align ourselves with His Word and to speak truth into the darkness when others don’t. Today, we are seeing a fulfillment of II Peter 2:1-3 through the faith/prosperity movement. Whether through mega churches or small fellowships, we are seeing the lusts of the flesh rise above the sovereignty of God. God’s Word does, indeed, teach that He desires to bless us, but it also teaches us that we will have trial and tribulation and although He will not always get us out of it, He will always get us through it. God’s Word doesn’t teach us that if we believe it, we can achieve it. What it does teach us is that we are to “…seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:33). What it does teach is to “Be [anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phl. 4:6-7). This verse teaches the exact opposite of the faith/prosperity movement. It teaches that our prayers do not always have the end we desire but, regardless of the end, we will have God’s peace because we have submitted our requests to the same God we have surrendered our hearts and minds to.

        Barbara

  2. Thank you for this Ascension day message. I like Ascension day also because being 10 days before Pentecost it kind of reminds me of the 10 day interval between the Feast of Trumpets and Day of Atonement also. I love PENTECOST!!! I hope BLB does a nice article on that wonderful day too!

  3. Who really knows what “Kenosis” means? What’s your take?

    What does the word Kenosis mean?

    What’s the context of the areas where it used, if you have an area and know and worked the Word, what is it, can you share that?

    What’s the foundational spiritual understanding of that gk Word?

    How did God use this gk word and what was or is He wanting us to understand? Ya we have the articles point of view, do you have a different one?

    * I’m personally studying this word Kenosis now because I didn’t have enough understanding to mention or respond to the article. And so far I’m getting a lot of point of views on what it is and what it means. So I have an understanding on what other “people think”, now it’s time to turn to the Word of God and see.

    II Tim.2:15 is the key to understand anything in the Word of God, so why do we as believers keep reading and studying outside of the Word of God. Has anyone actually done this and what did you come up with, I’m interested in it.

    * Studying key–open the Word up and read and study for what IT says, not what YOU think it says. Or in other words–bring the Word to your understanding, instead of your understanding to the Word.

    So anyway, I’m going to track this word backwards and forwards and learn on what God is telling us about this Word. I was just wondering if someone already did that?

    Jim

    • Have you spent any time studying “Prosperity Gospel” and what it means yet? You mentioned previously that you had not heard of it. What you write is very similar to what it pushes and understanding a False Teaching like that one might be more beneficial for you than the Greek word “kenosis” might be.
      J.

      • Ya I checked it out and that’s wild.

        Well let me tell ya, the “law of Believing” works for Saint and Sinner alike. It’s a law set up from God and it works.

        It seems they mentioned a lot about what I’ve been teaching for years. For example they had:
        *focus-what you focus on, you will become
        *Words being stated–which I call confession
        *Word of faith–which I call it believing
        *Visualization–which I call picturing or vision of victory

        Wow that’s so crazy to see other people using this, well it’s the Word when you get into the Believing part of the Word of God. And if you think about it–They have to use what works, they just have to–think about it, if it didn’t work (the principle) they wouldn’t use it now would they?

        All the self-help books come to think of it uses some sort of formula to be successful. What makes you success or healed or whatever your goal maybe? It’s principle, they have to come it, they have to.

        The World or Christian movements use these common sense principles to get what they want. Now the World will do it for money every time and it wont be enough.

        The Christian world uses these to build a relationship with God and the household around them. You can document these principles everywhere in the Word of God. What gets messed up is some of these movements will share what works like these few principles and then put something totally off the Word and deceive people, that’s not good.

        Jim

        • Jim~

          I think you’re missing the point. The faith/prosperity movement isn’t good; it’s not of God. It doesn’t seek to submit our desires to God; it seeks to obligate God to our desires, using a formula, the formula you use. In addition, what you term the “law of Believing” isn’t “a law set up from God” for “Saint and Sinner alike.” (Just a side note here. That phrase is very misleading. While believers are no longer governed by sin; they still sin). Anyway, how God blesses His children and what God has promised His children has nothing to do with those who are unsaved, and when you use the “World and Christian movements” in the same breath as though there is some correlation between them, I have to really doubt your understanding of either. What you also don’t seem to understand is that there is a power behind what you are doing, but it is not God. No where in the Bible is what you believe, taught. The only place it is taught is in the New Age movement, and you know that isn’t of God. I don’t know if you read my posts or not, but I have addressed what the believer’s attitude and prayers are supposed to be on the May 2 blog.

          I pray that your heart and mind will be open to the truth of God’s Word regarding this issue because it has no place in the body of Christ.

          Barbara

        • Mat 6:24 HNV

          You wrote – “the “law of Believing” works for Saint and Sinner alike. It’s a law set up from God”

          Where in the scripture can I find the “Law of Believing” that God set up for saints and sinners?

          Why would the Son of the GOD of Abraham, Isaac and Israel suffer the punishment for sinners as HE did on the tree and then perpetuate a sinner’s life of bondage if they just believe?

          Where are you getting this message from or are you making this stuff up as you go? Did you miss where I called “prosperity gospel” a “false teaching”?

          2Pe 2:1 HNV

          1Jo 4:1 HNV

          1Cr 12:3 HNV – Jim, after several conversations with I wonder…what say you about this verse?

          J.

  5. As a Christian, when I talk about believing I am speaking of faith in Christ as a person whom I can trust based upon his being “God with us” who suffered on the cross to save me from my sins. It does seem to me that this notion of “self-help” is something that makes us successful in reaching our goals in life is really foreign to Christianity. It strikes me as something that is actually opposed to the Christian Faith. Our faith must be in Christ not in ourselves. Christians trust in Christ for their salvation and depend upon God for all their blessings. Our confidence is in God. There is a sense in which one could consider helping themselves and it is found in Acts 2:40 when Peter while preaching the very first gospel sermon after Christ’s Ascension pleading for his hearers to “save yourselves from this untoward generation” by responding to and obeying the gospel which included his admonishment for them to “repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” Acts 2:38 But even this could not be done until one had “faith” in Christ. For even Christ himself said, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; he that believeth not shall be condemned”. Mark 16:16. All of the actions that a sinner is called upon to take by Christ are motivated by faith in him as opposed to faith in one’s self. While self-confidence is essential to being able to have the courage to do things in life it is really a misnomer. Who can have genuine “self-confidence” that does not realize that his abilities come from the fact that he was created by God in His own image thereby endowing him with power to achieve whatever God calls upon him to do and accomplish? Once we know that God has made these things possible we can come to understand the truth stated in God’s word, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Phil. 4:13

    I have read from those that preach what some have called a “prosperity gospel” advocate for prayer on the basis that it is good for your mental health and that it somehow magically makes you successful because it fills your mind with positive visualizations of yourself reaching your goals and that one day they will appear because you kept them in your mind and your inbuilt goal seeking mechanism produces the result. But this notion is, it seems to me, quite contrary to the genuine Christian and scriptural view of prayer. Prayer is not merely a great self-motivating action that stimulates or activates our natural powers but a genuine request to an actual personal deity that in truth responds to the request with His supernatural power to do “above all that we ask or think”! It is not mere mental gymnastics to build our “self-confidence” so we can succeed. It is an act of reliance upon God who in reality supplies our every need. It is a means of “casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. (1 Peter 5:7) instead of coalescing all your cares within yourself in order to engage your natural powers to solve the problems yourself!
    I am aware that it sounds good and appears quite harmless to teach people to have confidence and to plan, work, strive with diligence to succeed in life. Men of the world work in this way and achieve many great things. But the Christian has the added advantage of real help from the living God of heaven wherein his faith and confidence is placed that will solve all of his difficulties the main one being the curse of sin and death which no amount of “self-confidence” can resolve! It is only through faith in Christ Jesus that we can have forgiveness of our sins and the hope of everlasting life whether we are “prosperous” in life or not.