Happy Ascension Day, friends!
Many people actually celebrate this day without fully realizing what the day means. The good news of Jesus is in his life, death, resurrection, ascension, and sending of the Spirit.
When Joshua took the children of Israel into the Promised Land in the fortieth year after the Exodus (Josh 4:19), he foreshadowed what Jesus was to do. In the forty days after his resurrection, he appeared to his disciples, then he entered bodily into the holy of holies, the Promised Land, and we too entered in him. Jesus himself is our Promised Land. He is our salvation!
Jesus didn't just float up into the sky, he was raised bodily, and ascended bodily into heaven. Luke tells us that the resurrected Lord Jesus appeared to his disciples with many convincing proofs over a period of forty days. After blessing them, he was taken up into heaven (Acts 1:1-3, 9). In Luke 24 we read that his disciples: did not find the body of the Lord Jesus (vs. 3, 22-23); he had risen [from the dead, bodily] (vs. 6); Peter entered the tomb where Jesus was buried and saw only the burial clothing that was placed on Jesus’ body after he had died, but did not see Jesus (vs. 12, 24); [Jesus] entered into his glory [in a glorified human body] (vs. 26); he vanished from their sight (vs. 31); [Jesus said] see my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; touch me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have (vs. 39); he showed them his hands and his feet (vs. 40); he ate a piece of broiled fish [to convince his disciples that he was still the same Jesus - still human] (vs. 42-43). Jesus fulfilled (filled to the full) the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms and he opened their minds to understand the scriptures (vs. 44-45). Jesus appeared to the women, to Peter, to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, and to five hundred believers at one time. He appeared to James, and lastly he appeared to the Apostle Paul. The Apostle Paul tells us that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Jesus entered another dimension in a transformed body (imperishable, glorified, in power, spiritual body, bearing the likeness of the man from heaven, immortal – yet still human) (1 Cor. 15:42-44, 49-54).
Jesus entered into the holy of holies once for all, not with the blood of goats and calves but with his own precious blood, having obtained eternal redemption (see Hebrews 9:11-12, 26; 10:4, 10-12, 14). He is both the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29), and our High Priest (Heb. 7). He made purification of sins, and then sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high (Heb 1:1-3; 8:1).
Jesus ascension pictures what is already reality. Jesus is the head over every power and authority - God is King over heaven and all the kingdoms of this world (Eph. 1:21-22; Col. 2:10). Ascension pictures Reality. Jesus is in his rightful position of authority in the heavenly realm, on his heavenly throne, above all power and authority as King of kings, and Lord of lords.
The great theologian, Thomas F. Torrance says, the ascension means man has been exalted into the life of God, and onto the throne of God.
The apostle Paul tells us that the Pioneer, Jesus Christ, has brought us with him into the heavenly realm. Even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together in Christ [two early manuscripts have in Christ, not with Christ] (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:5-6 NASB).
God has decided not to live without us. In the transformed and ascended Lord we are united with him forever. We share in his resurrected, ascended, and cruciform life.
Watch my latest video on the ascension:
Many people actually celebrate this day without fully realizing what the day means. The good news of Jesus is in his life, death, resurrection, ascension, and sending of the Spirit.
Jesus didn't just float up into the sky, he was raised bodily, and ascended bodily into heaven. Luke tells us that the resurrected Lord Jesus appeared to his disciples with many convincing proofs over a period of forty days. After blessing them, he was taken up into heaven (Acts 1:1-3, 9). In Luke 24 we read that his disciples: did not find the body of the Lord Jesus (vs. 3, 22-23); he had risen [from the dead, bodily] (vs. 6); Peter entered the tomb where Jesus was buried and saw only the burial clothing that was placed on Jesus’ body after he had died, but did not see Jesus (vs. 12, 24); [Jesus] entered into his glory [in a glorified human body] (vs. 26); he vanished from their sight (vs. 31); [Jesus said] see my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; touch me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have (vs. 39); he showed them his hands and his feet (vs. 40); he ate a piece of broiled fish [to convince his disciples that he was still the same Jesus - still human] (vs. 42-43). Jesus fulfilled (filled to the full) the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms and he opened their minds to understand the scriptures (vs. 44-45). Jesus appeared to the women, to Peter, to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, and to five hundred believers at one time. He appeared to James, and lastly he appeared to the Apostle Paul. The Apostle Paul tells us that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Jesus entered another dimension in a transformed body (imperishable, glorified, in power, spiritual body, bearing the likeness of the man from heaven, immortal – yet still human) (1 Cor. 15:42-44, 49-54).
Jesus entered into the holy of holies once for all, not with the blood of goats and calves but with his own precious blood, having obtained eternal redemption (see Hebrews 9:11-12, 26; 10:4, 10-12, 14). He is both the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29), and our High Priest (Heb. 7). He made purification of sins, and then sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high (Heb 1:1-3; 8:1).
Jesus ascension pictures what is already reality. Jesus is the head over every power and authority - God is King over heaven and all the kingdoms of this world (Eph. 1:21-22; Col. 2:10). Ascension pictures Reality. Jesus is in his rightful position of authority in the heavenly realm, on his heavenly throne, above all power and authority as King of kings, and Lord of lords.
The great theologian, Thomas F. Torrance says, the ascension means man has been exalted into the life of God, and onto the throne of God.
The apostle Paul tells us that the Pioneer, Jesus Christ, has brought us with him into the heavenly realm. Even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together in Christ [two early manuscripts have in Christ, not with Christ] (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:5-6 NASB).
God has decided not to live without us. In the transformed and ascended Lord we are united with him forever. We share in his resurrected, ascended, and cruciform life.
Watch my latest video on the ascension:
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