WHY THE THOUGHT OF CHRIST'S ASCENSION SHOULD BRING US GREAT JOY

I have two texts for us. Our first text leads us to the consideration of our second text: 

Luke 24:50-53

Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God.

Taking leave of our loved ones is never easy. Sometimes there are goodbye’s where we even have to say to one another,  “see you in heaven!”  The thought of parting always fills us with sorrow.  It was now  time for Jesus to  go back  (to ascend)  to the Father and amazingly,  we read  here that this parting   was not characterized by grief  or sorrow – in fact,  it was characterized by  great joy. We read that they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy! What made the disciples so joyful  at Christ’s ascension?  And what implications might the thought of the ascension have on our joy?  

There are at least  four  reasons  why Jesus’ ascension, should bring us joy, and for this I refer you to our next scripture reading :

John 17:4 -11   (Context: Christ’s high priestly prayer)  

[4]“I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. [5] And now Father glorify  me in  your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the  world existed. [6] “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. [7] Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. [8] For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. [9] I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. [10] All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. [11] And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.“

FOUR REASONS  WHY THE THOUGHT OF CHRIST’S ASCENSION SHOULD BRING US JOY

 (i)         The thought of His finished work

(ii)        The thought of His present heavenly ministry

(iii)       The thought  of  our empowerment for effective ministry  in this world

(iv)       The thought of His return,  and the prospect of our finished work

1.         The  Joy that comes at the thought that Jesus’ Work is truly finished.  [John 17:4]

I don’t know about you, but my present work as a pastor never feels as if it is finished. There is always more to do; more people to visit and to attend to; more  counsel and help to offer; more church admin, and emails, what-apps  and writing to do ; more  preparation for many different kinds of meetings; more prayer, more preparation for the Bible studies and Sunday sermons. Our work never seems to have an end. There are aspects  here and there  where I can say, “Well, thank God  that  this is  now finished”, but then when I look at the bigger picture,  there is still so much that is not finished, and it won’t be finished   until Jesus returns.  The Lord Jesus, however at this moment can truly say that His work on earth was   now finished! He had accomplished what He had come to do. He could now  go back to the Father  knowing that He had glorified Him on earth, having accomplished the work that the Father  had given Him to do. The night before He died, He told His disciples: “I came from the Father and  have come into the world and now  I am leaving the world  and going to the Father” (Jn. 16:28). His work was now truly finished! 

How can this fact make us joyful?   Let us think about this for a moment.   He accomplished His work for us on the cross.  By this work He made atonement for our sin, in two ways. 

Firstly, He fully dealt with the consequences of our sin by substituting His life for ours (expiation), and secondly He fully bore the just wrath of an offended, holy God (propitiation). Jesus therefore   perfectly accomplished His work  as Mediator between God and men.   From our perspective in particular  the joy comes  as a result of knowing  that  we have been freed to go  to heaven, knowing that there is no condemnation awaiting us there  (Rom. 8:1).   

Your sins are forgiven in His name.  

You are ready for heaven. 

You  can worship Him and rejoice in Him because His earthly ministry for you and for all His church  is  now completed. Nothing more needs to be added on your part to Christ’s finished work. 

The only thing that you can do  is to be obedient to His commission   for you  in terms  of sharing this good news in your generation,  so that people may hear, believe  and be saved from their sin and go to heaven!

2.  The Joy of  thinking about   Jesus'  heavenly ministry.  ( John 17:5)

In  John’s gospel Chapters 13 – 17 (The Upper room discourses)  the Lord  Jesus had told His disciples on a number  of occasions  that He was going to leave them.  At that  stage their hearts were troubled  and He needed to remind them,  “If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father  is greater  than I” (John 14:28). He is reminding them here that they did not need to grieve, for  in  returning to the Father, He would be restored to that  place of glory and power that was His before  He became the incarnate Son of God.    

How does the fact of Jesus’ ascension, and session  in  heaven help us to be  joyful? 

Consider  these 4 facts:

(i)         We are joyful because we have a glorious, enthroned King in heaven.  He is our representative and guarantee before the Father.  Jesus is our man in heaven. He is our Advocate before the Father.  He is our brother in heaven (Hebr. 2:11). He is the firstborn from the dead (Col. 1:18) and therefore He is the hope of our resurrection (1 Thess. 4:14-18).   When we shall receive our resurrected bodies one day, we will also share in His glory (John 17:22-24). But think also about this: He is now  worshiped, loved and adored by our    departed brothers and sisters gathered before the throne, saying “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honour and glory and blessing.”  They also say, “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honour and glory and dominion forever and ever” (Rev. 5:12, 13).

(ii)        We are  joyful   that He represents us  and intercedes  for us in heaven. (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25). This  prayer involves not only presenting our prayer petitions and needs before the Father. Hebrews 9:24 tells us that He appears in the presence of God on our behalf.  1 John 2:1, 2 tells us that He is our Advocate in heaven. We have  continual access to God through  Jesus our Advocate. 

(iii)       We are joyful knowing that He is preparing a place for us,  knowing that we may be where He is. (John 14:1-3).

(iv)       We are joyful   knowing that that at the ascension Jesus has declared His  dominion over heaven and earth.  Peter tells us that Jesus is now “at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him” (1 Pet. 3:22). Paul says that Jesus is seated at God’s “right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet” (Eph. 1:20b-22a). There is, of course  a sense in which all things are not yet subject to Him (1 Cor. 15:27-28; Ps. 110:1; Heb. 10:13). But when He comes again in power and glory, He will conquer every  enemy and reign forever and ever. So,  it is as good as done, and this knowledge fills us with joy.

3. We may be joyful because we may effectively continue His work in the world until He comes.  (Jn. 17:14)

"I have given them your  word..." 

Why did the Lord Jesus not take His followers with Him into heaven when He ascended? The answer is simple. He has work for them to do in His name.   Future generations still have   to be reached. The church’s mission   is to continue to proclaim the saving work of Jesus to every generation and to all nations.  However, the Lord Jesus also knew that in our own strength  we could not do  it. So He promised  us to send the Helper- the Holy Spirit.  He told the disciples, “It is to your advantage that I go away;  for if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you; but if I  go, I will send Him to you” (Jn 16:7).  Jesus had promised,   “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” (Jn. 14:18) He had to provide His church with power and authority.  For this reason the church had to wait until it was endued with His power (Lk 24:49 ; Acts 1:4,8).  When Christ ascended, the Holy Spirit descended. It is essential that we are clothed with the power of the Holy Spirit if we want to succeed in that mission. So, joyfully thank God that  we  have the Holy Spirit who effectively enables us   to do this work.  

We need Christ’s blessing in order   to be effective representatives for Him in the world. Note that He blessed the disciples before He left (Lk.  24:51; Acts 1:12). “He lifted up His hands and  he blessed them. While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven” (Lk. 24:50b-51). The picture is that of the Old Testament priest blessing the people after offering the sacrifice for them (Lev. 9:22).  Jesus wasn’t just wishing the disciples well when He blessed them. His blessing was absolutely essential for them and for us, if we are to carry on His work. Without Jesus’ blessing, we are reminded   of Psalm 127:1, “unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labour in vain”.  In God’s work, His blessing means everything.  Thank God that we are empowered  to do this work by our ascended Christ.

4. We may be joyful at the thought of His return and the prospect of our finished work

The promise of Christ’s ascension is also the promise of His descension, that is, His second coming. No man knows the day or hour (Matt. 24:36). We are to be prepared at all times (Matt 25:1-13). But this we know, that when He comes, our work will be done and then we too shall ascend with Christ to heaven (John 14:3; 1 Thess. 4:17). Then too all suffering, challenges, tears, sorrow, sadness, sickness, pain etc. will be over and our work will be done, and our eternal rest (Hebr.  4:9-16)   will have begun.

The ascension of our Lord Jesus began the final step of His great plan of salvation. 

It is the pen ultimate step. 

The next step will be his descension, His second coming. 

What a day that will be!

I trust that this brief meditation on the ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ has helped you too, to worship our Lord Jesus  with greater expectancy and  with greater joy!  

We thank and bless our God for the remembrance of this day. Amen