4/23/23 What’s so Essential About the Ascension?
What’s so Essential About the Ascension?
Acts 1:1-11
Is anyone familiar with the name ‘David Copperfield’? Actually, there are two famous David Copperfield’s – One is the name of a Charles Dickens novel from 1850. The other David Copperfield is a famous magician….this is the David Copperfield I’m speaking of.
David Copperfield is known for his elaborate illusions. He had a long running show in Las Vegas as well as numerous Television specials where he would supposedly make things disappear, such as an airplane or the Statue of Liberty. He also “walked” through the Great Wall of China, as well as filming an elaborate escape from Alcatraz Prison in 1987.
In 1992 when I was in college, I remember turning on the TV (And yes, It was a TV WITHOUT a Remote Control! – Imagine that Kids - If I wanted to change the channel, I actually had to physically get up and walk over to the 24” chunk of metal and plastic that weighed about 300 pounds!)
I turned on the TV and saw him levitating over the stage and the audience through clouds of fog…it was quite impressive. I knew that he must have been supported by something, but I couldn’t see anything holding him up.
Fun Fact: I actually researched the illusion and found out how he did it – talk to me after church and I’ll tell you what I discovered 😊
Stunts like this made David Copperfield a very rich man. According to Wikipedia, he has sold over 33 million tickets during his 3 decades of performing, his gross income over that period of time was $4 Billion dollars, that’s more than any other solo entertainer in history - by a very large margin. People like Elvis and Michael Jackson don’t even come close.
David Copperfield is so rich that he owns 11 private islands, all in the Caribbean.
I think People are fascinated with magic because their eyes are seeing something that isn’t really happening. In 1983, everyone knew that David Copperfield didn’t really make the Statue of Liberty disappear, but millions of people watched the prime-time special anyway – they were intrigued.
Our passage for today from the book of Acts reads like something David Copperfield would try doing – If he could!
But not even David Copperfield (Nor any other human being) would have been able to accomplish this feat. When its man by himself vs gravity – Gravity Always wins!
Throughout history, however, there was one individual not subject to the laws of gravity - an individual to whom gravity must itself surrender.
This individual represented a Kingdom where earthly laws don’t apply. In fact, this individual invented our laws of nature, including that pesky law of gravity that causes us to have bruises on our knees, scrapes on our chins, broken bones, a hunched back, droopy jowls, and numerous other bodily frustrations – you get the point!
This individual has a name – His name is Jesus.
Today’s passage describes what is referred to as the Ascension of Jesus Christ.
We hear so much about Jesus’ birth, his death on the cross, and his resurrection – we even have holidays for each of these events: Christmas, Good Friday, and Easter – and yet we hear very little about the Ascension.
For instance, go into Walgreens and ask to see the section containing greeting cards for the Ascension and you will probably get a strange look from the employee….And yet, the Ascension of Christ is absolutely vital to the overall story concerning the life and ministry of Jesus.
In fact, without the Ascension, every other salvation-related event in the life of Jesus would be ineffective. Now that’s a bold statement – but its true.
The Ascension is absolutely essential to our faith, and today we’re going to find out why.
Luke, who wrote the gospel of the same name (As well as the book of Acts) obviously viewed the ascension as important. Why? - He ends his gospel with the ascension and then he begins the book of Acts (His next book) describing the ascension in more detail.
First, let’s take a look at the last few verses in the gospel of Luke.
Luke 24:50-53 reads: “When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.”
In these four verses, Luke provides a brief account of what he would later expand on in our passage for today. We see Jesus and the disciples in the small village of Bethany on the Mount of Olives. In many ways, Bethany was probably much like LaValle, a quiet rural village of maybe a few hundred people situated about 7 miles away from Jerusalem, a much larger city. It was here that Jesus says his final goodbyes to the 11 disciples.
They discuss a few things before Jesus departs.
In verse 4, Jesus instructs the disciples to stay in Jerusalem until they receive a gift from Heaven, which (In verse 5) he specifies to be the Holy Spirit – We’ll be looking at that next week.
In verse 6, the disciples ask Jesus a question that reveals they still had not fully grasped the spiritual dimension of Jesus’ earthly mission, nor were they expecting him to leave so soon.
In verses 7 and 8, Jesus tells them that instead of being concerned about times and dates, their concern should be about proclaiming the news of the resurrected Christ to not only the land of Israel, but to the very ends of the Earth.
It is this mission that we – the church – carry on to this day.
Verse 9 describes a scene that would leave even David Copperfield in awe. It reads: “After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.”
We know that this was no act of illusion – no stage production. There were no wires, no pulleys, no helicopters, no drones, no airplanes, and certainly no Television crews to film it.
This was the miraculous ascension of Jesus back into heaven – his home from which he had originally come some 33 years earlier. Only 11 human beings were granted the privilege of witnessing this event.
At first, they were shell-shocked. Verse 10 and 11 tell us that two angels suddenly appear and tell them to stop staring at the clouds and get moving with the mission that Jesus had given them.
This is also a lesson for us today as well, is it not?
I don’t know about you, but too often I find myself (In a spiritual sense) “Staring at the clouds” rather than boldly proclaiming the name of Jesus Christ to a world that doesn’t think it needs him.
Instead of bringing up the name of Jesus to that agnostic relative at the holiday get-together, we stare into the clouds and settle for a meaningless conversation about the Packers – or the weather – or something other than our faith.
Instead of telling the customer service rep who’s having a bad day that you will pray for them, we stare into the clouds and just tell them to ‘have a good day.’
Instead of visiting our elderly & lonely relative in the retirement home, we stare into the clouds of a self-made busy schedule with no room for down-time or chit-chat.
Instead of eliminating that area of sin in our lives, we stare into the clouds of self-deception. We tell ourselves that we deserve a little bit of the world in our life – a slice of sin. We say to ourselves: God understands….He “gets me”
Folks, Satan wants nothing more than to keep us staring into the clouds. The effect (result) of this IN-effectiveness for the Lord!
STOP STARING INTO THE CLOUDS !!
This was the admonishment from the angels to the disciples and it’s the same admonishment to us today!
The angels reveal something else to the disciples in verse 11. They tell the men of Galilee that “This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into Heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
Lisa & I were at a Badger basketball game a few years back sitting close enough to the floor where we could occasionally hear the players talk to each other. Unfortunately, a UW player dislocated his shoulder to the point where he needed to hit the locker room and have it put back into place. Before he left the floor, he yelled to his teammates “I’ll be Back!” – Keep playing hard fellas, keep fighting. I’ll be back!”
After a few minutes, he indeed came back out of the tunnel onto the court and the entire Kohl Center erupted with applause. He checked back into the game and continued to battle with his teammates.
Brothers and Sisters, our Savior is coming BACK! Jesus will return someday to the thunderous applause and praise of all creation - and we will be with him!
But in the meantime, we are to fight the good fight. We are to go into battle for the Kingdom of God. We are to proclaim to a diseased, decaying, and deceived world that there is hope – and it is found only in Christ Jesus.
So, what does Jesus do after ascending into the clouds and out of view of the disciples?
Fortunately, scripture tells us the rest of the story.
Mark 16:19 says “After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God.”
Hebrews 12:2 says: “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
And
Peter proclaims in Acts 2:32-33 “God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.”
These verses give amazing insight into the ‘unseen’ portion of the Ascension.
Jesus returns to heaven in his resurrected human form and assumes his rightful place of authority alongside the Father – At the Father’s right hand.
The term “Right Hand” had special significance to people of Jesus’ day. The ‘Right Hand’ meant power and authority. Jesus, now being at the ‘Right Hand’ of the Father signifies that he would be the manifestation of God’s power and authority over everything in the cosmos. Jesus is Lord of All !!
This is who we praise today! This is why we lift up the name of Jesus!
So, why is the Ascension so essential? What is its significance?
Let me put it this way: The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus are ineffectual without the Ascension.
The Ascension is the spark that sets ablaze the dry wooden logs of the events of Easter.
Has anyone here seen those videos of falling dominos that make elaborate picture patterns and sequences? (I think there’s even a TV show about it…?) Sometimes the dominos will knock a tinker toy on a string across a puddle, or they will hit a ball and it will roll into another domino, continuing the sequence.
To initially get the whole thing started, however, the first domino has to move – It has to fall. The first domino to fall is actually the last act before the entire show begins.
Likewise, the Ascension is the last act of Jesus while on Earth – but it sets the entire gospel mission into motion….it is the first spiritual domino to fall.
The Ascension puts into motion what all of Jesus’ other acts have already established.
Many of you probably own guns. Think of it this way – the birth, ministry, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus are all like parts of a gun (The stock, barrel, magazine, sight, etc ….think of the Ascension as the trigger. The Ascension puts everything else into motion.
The Ascension explodes the power of the glorified Jesus Christ – King of the Universe!
The Ascension makes sense of everything else Jesus had done in his 33 years while on the earth.
Here are 7 reasons why the Ascension is vitally important – why it is so significant:
1) The Ascension marks the completion of the Lord’s Earthly work.
When Jesus cried “It is Finished” from the cross, the work of atonement had indeed been accomplished. The vehicle for the salvation of man had been made. The Resurrection was the ignition key to this vehicle of salvation. The Ascension….was the act of turning that key.
2) The Ascension signals the end of Jesus’ limitations
While in the flesh, Jesus had voluntarily given up some of His divine attributes and prerogatives.
Philippians 2:6-8 reads: “Who, being in the very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross!”
Jesus came to this Earth in a form that had not yet taken on the nature of humanity, but he left this earth taking his humanity with him!
Many theologians believe that He will still bear the marks of his crucifixion for all eternity as a reminder of his sacrifice for us.
John writes in Revelation 5:6 “Then I saw a lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders.”
Has anyone heard the Casting Crowns song called “Scars in Heaven”?
I love the lyrics of the chorus: “The only scars in Heaven, they won’t belong to me and you. There’ll be no such thing as broken, and all the old will be made new, and the thought that makes me smile now, even as the tears fall down, is that the only scars in Heaven are on the hands that hold you now.”
We will serve a limitless Savior in Heaven, and his scars will forever remind us of why we serve him.
3) The Ascension establishes the Universal and Eternal worship of our Lord
As Stephen is being martyred, he shouts these words in Acts 7:55-56 “But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to Heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. ‘Look’, he said ‘I see Heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’”
Everyone who has ever lived will one day worship Jesus – even those who currently live in rebellion and unbelief.
Philippians 2:10-11 says “That at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
4) The Ascension signaled our Lord’s sending of the Holy Spirit
Jesus actually tells his disciples before his death that it will be more beneficial for them if he leaves them.
John 16:7 reads “But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.”
Remember, while Jesus was incarnate (In the flesh) he was not omnipresent. He could not be everywhere all at once.
The Holy Spirit, however, can be everywhere on Earth at one time. In fact, he indwells every believer, giving us comfort, discernment, and guidance.
This is why Jesus told his disciples that it was good for him to go so that the Holy Spirit could come.
In other words, it would be more beneficial having the Holy Spirit with them ALL of the time, rather than having Jesus with them SOME of the time.
5) The Ascension marked the beginning of the Lord’s preparation for our Heavenly home
John 14:2-3 reads “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
Right now, Jesus is interceding for us before the Father – but he is also doing something else….He is preparing our eternal home. How glorious it must be!
Remember, it only took him 6 days to create the entire universe, imagine what he has been creating over these last 2,000 years!
6) The Ascension marks the passing of the task of evangelism from himself to his followers – the church.
Matthew 28:19-20 says: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you….”
The work of preaching, teaching, discipleship, and praying have been given to us – the church.
It is now our responsibility to tell others about the savior, Jesus Christ.
7) The Ascension means that Jesus is now our High Priest
Hebrews 4:14-16 reads “Therefore, since we have a great High Priest who has ascended into Heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
Jesus is continually interceding for us before the Father. When we repent of sin, God the Father is able to forgive us because Jesus took the penalty for that sin on the cross. It has already been atoned for. We are then justified before the Father because of what the Son has done for us!
In conclusion, the Ascension of Jesus Christ is so much more than the act of Jesus rising up into the clouds.
The Ascension puts the fullness of the gospel into motion.
Let’s respond by putting ourselves into motion and telling others about Him!