What Is Ascension?

The ascension of Jesus occurs 40 days after his resurrection. It marks the departure of Jesus from this world and his entrance into the realm of God. Jesus has been given ultimate authority and supreme reign and is interceding on behalf of those who call him Savior and Lord.

Luke shares about this significant event in two separate accounts. First in the gospel named after him:

And 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. Luke 24:50–53

And then in the book of Acts:

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” Acts 1:6–11

So what does the ascension mean for us today? First, it means we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ. It also means we are able to accept the gift of the Holy Spirit (see “What Is Pentecost?”), a Helper (John 14:16; 16:7) for Christ’s people, to give us power from on high and to be with us forever. And it means that human flesh sits on a throne in the heavenly realms. God has granted all power and authority to a man (Matt 28:19; Eph 1:21–22). Jesus Christ is faithfully exercising the dominion that humans were made to have from the beginning (Gen 1:28). “The ruin of the first Adam is being undone by the reign of the second.”

The ascended Christ is our perfect high priest, who ever lives to intercede for us. He is our king who defends and conquers all of his and our enemies. Because of his ascension, Christ has given the Holy Spirit to his church. His ascension is a guarantee that one day he will come again and then we will live with God (John 14).

This is why it is important for Christians to reflect upon the ascension of Jesus Christ, just as we do with his incarnation, death, resurrection, and second coming. Christ’s ascension matters too in our Christian life and worship.