"We Believe Jesus Ascended into Heaven" Acts 1:9 -11 Pastor Allan Wooters, D.Min.

We come to the statement in the Apostles’ Creed which declares that Jesus “ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.” This is one of the most remarkable statements in the Apostles’ Creed. But the statement is also one of the most neglected areas of Christian belief, at least among us Protestants.  Ironically, Catholics have emphasized the ascension in their tradition. Observances of Ascension Day and Pentecost figure prominently for them but not for us Protestants for the most part.  

Even though we believe in the ascension of Christ, we tend not to think that much about it, at least when compared to the death and resurrection of our Lord. Could it be that the ascension does not seem all that important to us? We know that Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead for our salvation, and we know that we could not be saved without Good Friday or Easter Sunday. But, where does the Ascension fit in? Why does it matter?  

A quick glance at church history tells us that there is more here than meets the eye. For one thing, every major Christian creed includes the ascension of Christ. But more than that, Scripture affirms the historic Christian belief. The most detailed statement of the ascension is Acts 1:9 – 11. Right from the start we can say that the ascension is a literal reality.  

It is a Literal Reality 

The text states the facts as historical. This was not a vision but in a moment’s time, Jesus began to ascend towards the sky where a cloud received Him, and He vanished from sight. Strange isn’t it? Some write it off as a bit of mythology with Jesus soring back to heaven flying nun style. Skeptics have mocked the ascension calling it the “launching the Lord.” Clever! 

But let us be clear. The ascension is not making a statement about cosmology or saying that heaven is “up.” Unlike the resurrection, which no one saw as it was happening, the disciples actually witnessed Jesus ascend into heaven. Both Luke and Acts say that Jesus was “taken up” into heaven. The verb has the idea of being lifted straight up into the air. They saw Him rise, then they saw Him disappear into a cloud, then they didn’t see Him at all. Note that Jesus ascended bodily—not as a spirit, but in His glorified body. The same body that was crucified, and the same body that was raised incorruptible, in that body our Lord ascended into heaven. It forms the decisive end of Jesus’ appearances to His followers. It did not, however, mark the end of His involvement with them. Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus was still very much with them and He is still with us. So, the ascension really happened. What else? Well next, the ascension affirms the identity of Jesus.  

Affirms the Identity of Jesus 

One of the major facts about the nature of Jesus is that Scripture declares He is both fully God and fully human. We see this teaching affirmed here. That Jesus could defy gravity points to His divine nature. That He was still in a body shows His human nature. I want to touch on the human side of the ascension for a moment. Here we are introduced to the fact that God has placed a human being at the helm of the universe. We must realize that Jesus did not cease to be human at the ascension. He did not morph into some humanoid ghost, shedding His human nature to become pure spirit. He ascended as a human being and remains human.  

The reason for Jesus retaining His human nature involves God’s will for humankind. God commissioned Adam to rule over creation on His behalf. Not only Genesis 1 – 3, but Psalm 8 declares this fact. But Adam failed in this. Jesus came to undo this failure. When Jesus ascended, He took the fullness of His human nature back to heaven where He rules as Lord over all things. Are you seeing this? The enthronement of Jesus constitutes the restoration of the task that God had always intended for humanity: to reign over a created world on behalf of God. Biblical scholar Bruce Metzger draws out the implications of this:  

Ascension Day forever states that there is no sphere, however secular, in which Christ has no rights – and no sphere in which His followers are absolved from obedience to Him. Instead of it being a fairy tale from the pre-space age, Christ’s ascension is the guarantee that He has triumphed over the principalities and powers, so that at His name “every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God father. ¹ 

While this fact might make our head spin a bit, someone actually found some humor in it. “Why can God the Father only use His left hand? Answer: because Jesus is sitting on His right hand.” It’s a Dad Joke! I had to put it in for Father’s Day.  

What is no joke is that the ascension, along with the life of Jesus, His death, and resurrection, completed the mission of salvation God had planned. This mission was not just about the forgiveness of sin as amazing as that is. It was also about bringing all of God’s people back to Eden and to have them reign with Christ. What an amazing reality! But one other matter remains to address in this subject of the ascension. It is that the ascension is essential to the gospel of Christ.  

It is Essential to the Gospel of Christ 

There’s not just one essential factor of the gospel the ascension declares but several. First, it stands as God’s seal of approval on all Jesus said and did. How do we know Jesus fulfilled all that He was meant to do? The cult leader Sun Myung Moon taught that Jesus failed in His mission because He was crucified. Jesus died a failure Moon said and God had called him to fulfill what Jesus botched up. What utter blasphemy! But how can I be so sure Moon is wrong? Well because the ascension shows that God has accepted what Jesus did. Jesus would never have been raised from the dead or be lifted up to heaven if He had not fulfilled the mission God had given Him to fulfill.  

In Philippians chapter 2, Paul summarizes this fact. He recounts how Jesus “existed in the form of God,” but left the glory of the reality to descend to earth and die on the cross. Paul then states, “For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow… and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  

Second, the ascension proves that believers are indeed saved. In John 14, Jesus is trying to prepare His disciples for His fast-approaching death. To encourage them He said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places… I go to prepare a place for you…” (vs.1 – 2). The ascension is crucial if Jesus’ promise is to be realized. Of course, it will be realized because it is impossible for God to lie! But we now know that Jesus did not ascend to heaven to become idle. He went there to work for me and for you! He is actively preparing a home for all His followers. Hey, one day you are going to live in a house Jesus built! He built things on earth! There is no reason He should stop in heaven.  

Now that’s great but this all goes to show that we know we are saved because Jesus paid the price for our sins on the cross and promised eternal life to all who believe. The ascension being the act which shows God accepted Jesus’ life and mission, means we have proof that by grace through faith we have been saved.  

Third, the ascension opened God’s power for us. In His talk with His disciples before His death, Jesus told them “it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you…. When He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth…” (John 16:5 – 11). The ascension opened the way for Jesus to be personally present with you and me. That means we have His power dwelling in us and having this power means that we can be “more than conquerors” through Him. No problem is too hard. No challenge is too difficult. No fear need consume us. We can now “do all things through [Christ] who strengthens us” (Phil. 4:13).  

Fourth, the ascension gets us ready for Jesus’ return. Here in Acts, as the disciples stand there looking to heaven, two angels declare that “this same Jesus will come again….” Are you ready? There is a new world coming because Jesus is coming again! J. A. T. Robinson said that the ascension is “the advanced notice of the end.”  

There are so many amazing facts and implications about the ascension. I have tried to share a few of these in this message. But when all is said and done, along with the cross and resurrection, the ascension trumpets the fact that we can live with confidence and gratitude. All that humans have failed to do, Jesus has accomplished and more, God let’s us share in that accomplishment! In light of Jesus’ exaltation as Lord let us heed Paul’s challenge in Colossians 3:  

Therefore, if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. 

Amen!  

For Further Reading 

The Case for Christ, Lee Strobel