Ascension- Good Bye!
(Acts 1:15-17, 20A, 20C-26; 1 John 4:11-16; John 17:11B-19)
Fr. Nelson Lobo OFM Cap
Introduction: The Ascension is largely overshadowed by the Incarnation and Resurrection. Christmas and Easter are great celebrations, but Ascension Day goes by without a trace, barely recognized—yet it is no minor event in the life of Jesus and His church. The Ascension means there can be no neutrality about Jesus. We cannot simply pick and choose from His teachings. We can’t treat him like any other religious leader or a political figure. The Ascension is the final proof that we are dealing with more than a man. All the Bible says about who Jesus is makes little sense without the Ascension. Through His ascent we know we are dealing with God.
It’s been said, Our Lord’s ascension is a climactic, glorious event—it is His exaltation to the right hand of the Father. Paul writes, “He who descended is the very One who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe” (Eph 4:10). Jesus humbly came to this earth; He descended to a sin-ruined planet, and went even to the gates of hell for us. Now He is seen returning to glory. It’s important that this event is described in the Bible. Luke tells us it took place “before their very eyes.” He wants us to know that something tangible, something real took place. Just as with the Resurrection, there were eyewitnesses to this historical event. It was a unique and spectacular moment! They saw the cloud take their Master to His heavenly home; this cloud was an OT image of the presence and glory of God, first seen in the wilderness wanderings of the Jews enroute to the Promised Land.
Easter Joy: On the day Jesus ascended to Heaven, 40 days after His Resurrection, His followers stood on the Mount of Olives grief-stricken. Their Easter-joy seemed short-lived. It took two angels to reassure them that this was part of the eternal Plan. Luke’s Gospel says that they “returned to Jerusalem with great joy” (24:52). The Ascension proved to be a blessing as it prepared for the coming of Jesus’ spiritual presence, no longer confined to the limitations of time and of a physical body. St Augustine reflects this benefit to us in a prayer: “You ascended from before our eyes, and we turned back grieving, only to find You in our hearts.” Jesus is present in us, wherever we go. He is our constant Companion. Author Philip Yancy suggests that, “ever since the Ascension, Jesus has sought other bodies in which to begin again the life He lived on earth…the Ascension represents my greatest struggle of faith—not whether it happened but why…by ascending, Jesus took the risk of being forgotten.” Like the disciples, we really don’t want Jesus to go. We feel detached from Him. We’re looking up into the blank sky, wishing Jesus were closer to us. Even though we may not feel His presence, we are assured that He will never leave or forsake us!
Why did Jesus say Good Bye to his apostles?
- So that He could keep His promise of sending the Holy Spirit. Jn. 16:7—It is necessary for you that I go away, for if I don’t the Comforter won’t come!
- So that He might serve as our High Priest. Rev. 1:13 and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. These are the garments of the high priest, in Exodus 28.
What has Jesus been doing since He left this earth? Resting?
- Intercession-(Heb. 7:25) We pray to the ascended Lord, “Thy will be done; Thy Kingdom come, on earth as it is in Heaven.” Jesus hears our prayers and intercedes for us; He responds to our prayers because we are His people. He is our Mediator, Advocate and great High Priest. No angel could adequately represent us. Calvin writes, “Jesus has entered heaven in our flesh, as if in our name.” So, in a sense, as Paul writes, we are seated with God “in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:6).
- Intervention-Our Lord’s ascension assures us that we too will be taken up to Heaven. He’s preparing a place for us. Many people fear or obsess over death, yet for believers, death is no longer an issue. Our eternal home is a settled promise. And Jesus is busy working to bring about His Kingdom rule on earth, in preparation for His return: “Jesus, who has been taken up from you into Heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into Heaven” (Acts 1:11). One day He’ll call us to cross over to Glory and join Him in His victory. In the meantime, we’re waiting, and often experiencing pain and hardship. When we focus on our losses, like the disciples on the day of Ascension, we need to take a step back and look beyond our personal experiences, and seek what God wants us to have—HOPE. Hope invites us to confess and to repent of our sins. 1 John 1:9 “If we confess…” That is not talking about salvation but rather the daily confession, repentance, and forgiveness needed in the life of a believer.
“Easter is incomplete, Pentecost is impeded, and the Second Coming is impossible without the Ascension” (Robert Ramsey).
