Reformed Baptist Sermons from Southern Africa : WHY ASCENSION DAY STILL MATTERS IN 2026

Today we commemorate the day when our dear Lord Jesus Christ ascended up into Heaven, 40 days after His resurrection from the dead. If you add 40 days from Resurrection Sunday (5^th April 2026), you get to Ascension Thursday, 14th May 2026.

The church in history has always observed this day in her calendar.

· According to Augustine the bishop of Hippo in North Africa (354-430 AD), the Feast of Ascension originated with the apostles.[1] Augustine urged believers to celebrate the Ascension by letting their hearts ascend with Christ to heaven.

· John Chrysostom and Gregory of Nyssa, contemporaries of Augustine, refer to it as being one of the oldest feasts practiced by the early Church, possibly going as far back as AD 68. [2]

· At the council of Nicaea (325 AD) it was established that the memory of the death and resurrection of our Lord should occur after the Jewish festival of Passover, which also follows a lunar schedule. It is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon (the "Paschal Full Moon") that occurs on or after the spring equinox (March 21).

Ascension day is a public holiday in Namibia, Botswana, Eswatini, and Lesotho, but no longer in South Africa. Ascension Day was removed as a public holiday in 1994. At that time Easter Monday was also renamed ‘Family Day’. Sadly, many of our citizens have used these days simply to take a long weekend. Hardly anyone you might ask on the street remembers what the Ascension is all about. No wonder then that it has been removed from our public calendar. This is the finger of God. But, we ought not to depend on the government to legislate such days for the church. These days are sacred to our memory without government legislation, and so we will remember the Birth, Death, Resurrection, Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ plus Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit whether we have the day off or not. It is not about having a public holiday. It is all about honouring the great work of God.

In connection with this day then, we read these three texts from Scripture:

· Acts 1:6-11: The actual happening. Jesus appeared to many of His disciples during the 40 days following His resurrection. On the 40th day, He appeared again to the apostles and He then led them out to the Mount of Olives where He instructed them to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Holy Spirit. The 11 disciples saw Him ascending into the clouds. As they continued to watch, two angels appeared and declared to them that, just as He ascended, He would also return in glory.

· John 14 :1-3 tells us what He is doing in heaven for us. He is preparing a place for His people.

· 1 Peter 3:21-22 tells us about the amazing authority of our ascended Christ.

So why should we continue to observe Ascension day? 6 reasons

1. We remember that the Ascension is also the promise of His Descension. Not only do we remember today that Jesus ascended to heaven. We remember that Jesus is faithful to all His work which He came to do. He ascended in order to descend again. He promised not to leave us as orphans. He promised that He will come again to fetch His bride, the church and to be the Judge of all the earth.

2. In this regard we remember then also that our future lies where He is now. John 14:1-3 reminds us that our future is with Christ, in heaven. This helps us to maintain an ultimate perspective on our life, which does not consist only of 70 or 80 years. We are made for eternity!

3. We remember that Jesus our ascended King, is endowed with great authority (1 Peter 3:21-22). We remember Who is really in charge of this world and of this Universe! We affirm that this Lord Jesus is now exalted and enthroned at the right hand of God the Father, Almighty. We remember that He is above every other name and authority as King of kings and Lord of lords. Ascension Day is a bold affirmation about ultimate authority. Jesus is in charge of all things. Abraham Kuyper, the prime minister of the Netherlands at the turn of the 1900’s (and also Founder of the Free University in Amsterdam and also a pastor of the reformed church) famously declared: “There’s not an inch of this universe of which Jesus (God) does not say “Mine”. That is an echo of Psalm. Oh, how we need to hear this truth in our fear and anxiety driven society - fears that make us feel insecure, vulnerable, exposed – many of the fears are driven by untruths, fake news, social agendas, political agendas – you name them! What fears, what anxiety such news brings to the hearts of many people. How will I survive? How will I eat, how will I drink, how will I clothe myself (Sounds familiar? see Matthew 6)

Ascension Day deals with authority. Christ “has gone into Heaven and is at God’s right hand – with angels, authorities and powers in submission to Him” 1 Peter 3:22. Ascension Day deals with who its is that ultimately rules- about who it is that is ultimately in charge! This is why Jesus, could say to his disciples on the eve of His departure, “All authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations . . . teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you . . .” Matthew 28:18-20.

Jesus’ authority in heaven is not an abstract authority. It is not simply related to heaven. He is not simply ‘the man upstairs’ (Deistic worldview), far removed from reality. He is Lord over all, heaven and earth and in that setting Peter says, “He knows how to rescue the godly from trials“ (2 Peter 2:9). From His heavenly throne, He empowers His true church. When she lives in His strength, and in obedience and submission to Him, she shall have His power and authority. Pentecost (remembered on Sunday, in 10 days time) proved this.

Jesus is LORD everywhere and in all areas of life. There is no area of life that is outside of the authority of Christ

· He is Lord over every continent, country and city. He has authority over every people group. For reasons known only to Him, some people groups are presently more favoured with the gospel than others. Others have been more favoured in the past (see North Africa, and the Middle East and in the Western world). The reason why the gospel is scarce in Iran and Saudi Arabia is not because Jesus is powerless and helpless in those countries. He is not! There are more believers in these countries than we dare to assume. Our Jesus possesses the hearts of the kings of the nations. Some are handed over others are in possession of His mercy.

· He is Lord over every area of life, and again we are reminded of Abraham Kuypers dictum. He cares about what we see, and what we listen to. He cares about our business ethics and our legal practices, our schools and governments and the decisions that our parliamentarians make. He cares about our treatment of the vulnerable – the widow and the orphan and the sick. And we do well to remember that everyone will have to individually stand before this ascended, enthroned King and coming Judge on the Day of Judgment. All will have to give an account to Him (see Matt 25).

4. We remember this day because it reminds us that the ultimate victory over all evil belongs to Christ. Many rulers think that they have unlimited power and authority in themselves. But do they? History shows us otherwise. Think of Bible times. Think of Caiaphas, the high priest, Herod the king and Pontius Pilate the Roman governor. They all thought that they had authority over Christ in their day. But where are they?

They are awaiting the coming final judgement reserved for all the enemies of God at His descension. It did not occur to them that they who judged Him, would one day have to stand before Him, the righteous Judge. The Emperor Augustus issuing a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world, requiring everyone to return to their town of birth, did not realize, that this baby born under his rule would one day judge him.

5. The Ascension is a great comfort to believers who suffer persecution for righteousness sake. “Therefore, since we have a great High Priest Who has gone through the Heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the Faith we profess.” Hebrews 4:14. Remember then that,

· We have an Advocate in Heaven.

· He hears our prayers.

· He ever lives to make intercession for us.

· He will come again.

· He will crush all His enemies.

Therefore, do not fear governments or evil systems. Like Daniel and his friends do not bow before idols. Do not compromise the essential principles of our Faith. Wait for Him to act. Though He is physically absent from the earth, yet, by His Holy Spirit, He is spiritually present. We must wait patiently, for “He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.” 1 Corinthians 15:25.

The Ascension is a wonderful reminder and assurance to us that “. . . the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” Habakkuk 2:14

7. We remember this day, because it gives us gospel opportunities. Whenever people, or our children ask, “What day is this?” tell them the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Such days stand out like the memorial stones of Joshua 4:6.

The Lord God commanded Israel to observe a number of important days in Israel. The most regular one was to be the Sabbath (the 7th day). Apart from that Israel was commanded to keep an additional 3 feast days (see Ex 23:14-17). The Christian church also has memorial days: Christmas, Easter, Ascension and Pentecost, and although the NT does not insist that we shall keep them (for fear that we make the day greater than the person of Christ – Col 2:16,17), we do well to see Christ in them. Whatever glorifies our Lord Jesus must be upheld by the Christian Church. Thank God for the remembrance of the Ascension of our Lord Jesus!