ascension

This is a wonderful study, an important study, even a miraculous study: “The Ascension of Jesus Christ”…

Although the ascension did not occur until seven weeks after the resurrection, I have taken the liberty in including it as a conclusion to the four-part Easter series I Hope you have been following: “Lamb Selection Day,” “Crucifixion,” Resurrection,” and now “Ascension.” Most people know a lot about the crucifixion and the resurrection, but it has been my observation that not near as many people know about the ascension. “The ascension” is the term we use to describe the event of Jesus’ return into heaven after His resurrection.

Three passages in the New Testament record the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ. We will look at all three. The first passage is…

NAS Mark 16:19-20 So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed. 20 And they promptly reported all these instructions to Peter and his companions. And after that, Jesus Himself sent out through them from east to west the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation.

{You notice that the New American Standard translation has placed v. 20 in italics; this is to indicate (along with other notes not shown here) vv. 9-20, referred to as the “long ending of Mark” are most probably not to be considered as part of Mark’s original writing. Although this professor agrees with this view, because the passage includes the word “ascension,” it has been included in this particular study.}

The second passage that records the ascension is…

NAS Luke 24:50-51 And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. 51  And it came about that while He was blessing them, He parted from them.

The third ascension passage, doubtless the most familiar to most Christians and the focus for the majority of this study, is Acts 1:9

NAS Acts 1:9 And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.

A good Bible student will ask, “what things?” What were the things Jesus said? The immediate context of the ascension in Acts begins in v. 6…

NAS Acts 1:6-8 And so when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

51  And it came about that while He was blessing them, He parted from them.

Verses 6-8, as I believe it is easy to see, deserve an entire blog unto themselves. It could easily be said that each verse is a sermon unto itself. But for now, I would like us to look carefully at v. 8, as these are the last recorded words of Jesus before He returned to heaven…

NAS Acts 1:8 but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

As will be obvious to many, v. 8 is a principle application of this entire blog, if not the principle application. These words are the last thing Jesus said to His disciples and by direct extension to us. He said they would have power, and that supernatural information referred to Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came and the church began. Today every believer has been given this power. This power is the Holy Spirit which indwells every truly born again believer. And then, to His promise of power, Jesus gives every believer a mandate to be His witness. A witness where?

Everywhere. “Jerusalem, Samaria, and the remotest part of the world” correspond to our immediate location, our region, and our world. In effect, every believer is to be a witness of Christ everywhere…

NAS Acts 1:9 And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.

The word “ascension” is not found in Scripture. The main verb of v. 9 (there are actually two, though the second should be seen as descriptive and therefore subordinate of the first) is the Greek word ἐπαίρω (ep-eye-ro). ἐπαίρω is a rather common word that is found 19 times in the

N.T. – only by Luke and John – in a wide variety of ways, mostly positively but also negatively, in the sense of exalting oneself arrogantly (as 2 Corinthians 11:20 below). It basically means just what it says in our English Bibles: “lifted up.”

The same Greek word is used in 2 Corinthians 11:20 and 1 Timothy 2:8:

NAS 2 Corinthians 11:20 For you bear with anyone if he enslaves you, if he devours you, if he takes advantage of you, if he exalts himself, if he hits you in the face.

NAS 1 Timothy 2:8 Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension.

In John 12:32, the Greek word for “lifted up” is different, but the meaning is essentially the same: ὑψώσω; literally lift up, raise high (JN 3.14a); euphemistically, of the method of Christ’s death by crucifixion lift up (JN 3.14b); figuratively, of honor and position uplift, exalt (LU 1.52); in a negative sense ὑψοῦν ἑαυτόν exalt oneself, think oneself better than others (MT 23.12).

NAS John 12:32 “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.”

So, nothing really esoteric with this key term. The Bible often uses relatively common terms to communicate important or even miraculous actions.

The text says, “He was lifted up.” The verb is in the passive, meaning He was lifted up by someone or something else; He didn’t lift Himself up. He could have, of course, but He did not. In this case it what is called in Greek grammar a “divine passive.” This is a beautiful way of indicating that the agent of the action of the verb is God. God lifted Jesus up in His ascension…

I am taking extra time with the term “lifted up” to emphasize its importance. It is often easy to underestimate the power seemingly insignificant words can have in both their historical and theological contexts. “He was lifted up.” Consider what is being said! Jesus was miraculously lifted up by the power of God and received back into heaven from which He came some thirty- three years before. Jesus Christ, God the Son, God made manifest, made visible, temporarily taking on human flesh to die for the sins of the world, now in His glorious resurrection body, left this world for the realm of heaven where He is metaphorically seated on the throne at the right hand of God the Father. He was born miraculously; He died naturally, like any other human would have died on the Cross; He resurrected miraculously; and He ascended back into heaven miraculously… Jesus Christ: 100% God; 100% man… The One like no other…

NAS Acts 1:9 And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.

Note the clause, “while they were looking on.” The disciples witnessed the Ascension. Jesus ascension to heaven was a historical event. It really happened, and we know where and when it happened…

The ascension occurred at or near Bethany, a village of ancient Palestine at the foot of the Mount of Olives less than two miles east from Jerusalem. According to the New Testament, it was the site of the resurrection of Lazarus (John 11:1). As noted earlier, Luke, in his gospel (Luke wrote both the gospel of Luke and the book of Acts), reported…

NAS Luke 24:50 And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them.

And then in Acts, Luke says…

NAS Acts 1:12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away.

It is important and encouraging to keep in mind that the ascension was a miraculous event, but was also a historical event.

You are probably aware that after the resurrection, Jesus made several appearances in His resurrected body, a kind of miraculous hybrid of the spiritual and the physical (cf. Luke 24:13- 16, 36-40). The ascension marks the end of these amazing “physical” appearances. Back to Acts 1:9…

NAS Acts 1:9 And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.

Finally, we read, “and a cloud received Him out of their sight.” Clouds in the Bible often accompany supernatural appearances and events. The “pillar of cloud” in the desert accompanied supernatural appearances and events…

NAS Exodus 13:21-22 And the LORD was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.

And clouds are closely associated with Jesus; for example, at His transfiguration…

NAS Matthew 17:1-5 And six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and brought them up to a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. And Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and behold, a voice out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!”

And, at His second coming…

NAS Mark 13:26 “And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.

NAS Revelation 1:7 Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. Even so. Amen.

Clouds, when they are seen in this awesome, unique way in the Bible, are what the theologians call the “Shekinah.” You may have heard the term “the Shekinah glory of God.” The Shekinah is the visible manifestation of God’s presence and glory. “He was lifted up by God and enveloped in God’s glory. I have carefully studied this fascinating concept over the years and a word I have come to associate with the definition of “Shekinah” is “splendor.” The cloud speaks of God’s splendor. I would, therefore, like to suggest to you that clouds are very Christian.

The general public sees clouds mostly negatively, but we who are knowledgeable of the association of clouds with Jesus can rejoice when we see a cloudy day. After this message you may very well never look at clouds the same as you did before…

And note this detail from v. 10…

NAS Acts 1:10 And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was departing, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them; Though the Scripture does not specifically tell us, these “two men in white” were surely angels. Interestingly, Luke also records two men in white in his account of Jesus’ resurrection…

NAS Luke 24:4 And it happened that while they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling apparel;

These two men had to do with witnessing. Having a witness was very important in the ancient world of the Mideast.

NAS John 8:17 Even in your law it has been written, that the testimony of two men is true. And finally from Acts 1, v. 11…

NAS Acts 1:11 and they also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”

Luke is conveying to us in Acts 1 that Jesus left this earthly scene and returns to heavenly glory… The theological term we give this supernatural occurrence is the “ascension”…

I would like to return for third time to the ascension mention in Luke 24 to emphasize what I think is an important point…

NAS Luke 24:50-52 And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. And it came about that while He was blessing them, He parted from them. And they returned to Jerusalem with great joy, “With great joy.” I think that’s significant. When the disciples returned to Jerusalem after the ascension the Bible says they did so, “with great joy.” I have thought about that all week. Why did they have great joy? Jesus, their Master, their hope, had left them, why would they rejoice? I searched a lot of good books in addition to my meditations on the verse and I want to share with you in closing three reasons why believers can rejoice at the ascension of Jesus…

First, Jesus’ entrance into heaven in His glorified human body is our assurance that we also will one day be glorified and enter into God’s immediate presence…

Second, seated at the right hand of God, the position of power and authority, Jesus is our advocate (1 John 2:1). An advocate is like a lawyer who argues our case for us. Satan is continuously attacking us, accusing us, and Jesus is our advocate who defends us…

He is our assurance, our advocate, and, third, He is our hope. When Jesus earlier spoke of the time when He would go back into heaven He made a promise to His children. It’s a beautiful promise; it’s in John 14…

NAS John 14:2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

It is not hyperbole to say that promise Jesus made, along with the other promises of the Bible, comprise the only true hope in the world today, Jesus’ resurrection and ascension were the guarantee that His promise could be believed, for if He had not demonstrated His absolute authority over the powers of darkness, sickness, and death, we would have had reason to doubt His Word. But He was raised and He was lifted, and because of these blessed events we have hope. Therefore, like Jesus’ disciples, the ascension should bring us “great joy.”

The ascension of the Lord Jesus was (1) visible, (2) bodily, and (3) received with clouds. It is of great significance to note these details because when Christ returns to the earth to establish His kingdom, His second advent – which will be in two phases or stages: the Rapture and the formal, final Second Coming – will also have all of these same characteristics. Sometime in the future – maybe today, maybe tomorrow, at the time appointed by the Father at the Rapture, He will – in that same glorified body – come again. And again, clouds will mark the event…

NAS 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord.

Only believers will see Him then. And then, seven years after the Rapture and the following Tribulation, He will come finally and everyone will see Him: visibly, bodily, and with clouds…

NAS Matthew 24:29-30 “But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken, and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.

Well, I hope you agree this is a wonderful message from God’s Word, an important message, a miraculous message, and that it is also a joyous message – The Ascension of Jesus Christ…. Maybe because of this message, you will never look at clouds the same way you once did…

– Professor Thomas A. Rohm