[22], Figures familiar to Jews would have included Enoch (from the Book of Genesis and a popular non-Biblical work called 1 Enoch); the 5th-century sage Ezra; Baruch the companion of the prophet Jeremiah (from a work called 2 Baruch, in which Baruch is promised he will ascend to heaven after forty days); Levi the ancestor of priests; the Teacher of Righteousness from the Qumran community; the prophet Elijah (from 2 Kings); Moses, who was deified on entering heaven; and the children of Job, who according to the Testament of Job ascended heaven following their resurrection from the dead. Worship had been maintained with external regularity and religious precision--but they were keeping their hearts far from God. The Ascension of Jesus Christ The ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven is one of the most important events recorded in the New Testament. Christ is risen from the dead and has ascended into the heavens. The ascension, like the resurrection, would prove His divine origin and that He had been sent of God to solve man’s sin problem. In John 3:2, the words “a teacher come from God” set the stage for this encounter. The elevation of Christ into heaven by His own power in presence of His disciples the fortieth day after His Resurrection.It is narrated in Mark 16:19, Luke 24:51, and in the first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles.. [4], In Christian art, the ascending Jesus is often shown blessing an earthly group below him, signifying the entire Church. Most other Protestant churches do not celebrate it as they do not adhere to the traditional Christian calendar of feasts. What we must see is that true worship means we think, respond and act on the fact of our ascended Lord with obedience, with commitment, and availability to the plan of God for our lives. Ascension, in Christian belief, the ascent of Jesus Christ into heaven on the 40th day after his Resurrection (Easter being reckoned as the first day). In the meantime, they had the responsibility of representing the Lord to the world, a responsibility for which they would be adequately supplied by the power of the Holy Spirit once He had come to indwell the church, the body of Christ (vs. 8). [20][4], Ascension stories were fairly common around the time of Jesus and the gospel-authors,[21] signifying the deification of a noteworthy person (usually a Roman Emperor), and in Judaism as an indication of divine approval. [40] Many Ascension scenes have two parts, an upper (Heavenly) part and a lower (earthly) part. The Ascension of Christ and His present work at God’s right hand are central to the theme of Hebrews. This they could not see except by prophetic vision (e.g., Stephen in Acts 7:55-56, John in the book of Revelation, or Paul on the Damascus road). It ended with the fact and picture of an ascended, sovereign LORD who has commissioned us to live for Him. But though it occupies a vital place in Scripture, it doesn’t get a lot of attention today, even among Christians. 'ascent of Jesus') is Christian teaching that Christ physically departed from Earth by rising into Heaven, in the presence of eleven of his apostles. 4:14; 7:20; 9:24). The third great event is the resurrection, when Jesus Christ was raised from death by the glory of the Father. We want to be able to answer our Lord’s very provocative question, “What then if you should see the Son of Man ascending where He was before?” In other words, what does the ascension mean to us? This passage gives us a vision of the incomparable majesty of God, and in the process sets forth a number of contrasts between: Isaiah 6:1-13 In the year of King Uzziah’s death, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. A place seen by Isaiah as high and exalted, a place of sovereign control and authority. [15], Various epistles (Romans 8:34, Ephesians 1:19–20, Colossians 3:1, Philippians 2:9–11, 1 Timothy 3:16, and 1 Peter 3:21–22) also refer to an Ascension, seeming, like Luke–Acts and John, to equate it with the post-Resurrection "exaltation" of Jesus to the right hand of God. Isaiah’s vision, with its contrasts, is both timely and vital for believers of any age and time--but especially in times like these when our nation is literally on the skids spiritually, morally, and politically. “I saw the Lord sitting . It continues to be observed in Lutheran, Anglican, Methodist, and most Reformed churches. Please be aware that these items are sent out from our office in the UK. . Our study will demonstrate just why this is so, but let’s look at two passages that demonstrate our need to know and personally relate our lives to Jesus Christ--not only as the one who died and rose from the grave, but also as the ascended Lord. What differences should it make in our belief and behavior? The creation, as made by God, was good, … The Crucifixion. .” or “and then I saw the Lord.” In other words, against the backdrop of the problems of his day, Isaiah also saw the LORD. “In Ephesians 4:7 –12, Paul connects the grace we’ve received with the ascension,” Mathewson explains. He spoke of His ascension as proof of His origin. [1] In the first and second Jesus is claiming to be the apocalyptic "one like a son of man" of Daniel 7;[14] the last has mystified commentators – why should Mary be prohibited from touching the risen but not yet ascended Christ, while Thomas is later invited to do so? It did not end with the promise of peace and prosperity, which is so often the emphasis in our culture. 1:13; Rev. When Christ returned to heaven, he withdrew his physical presence from our sight. 4. So note what we read next. Let me suggest several reasons why this is unlikely: (1) In Hebrews 9:11-12 the statement, “through His own blood” (or in the KJV, “with His blood”) has been taken to mean Christ took His actual blood into heaven. But why was Christ raised from the grave? From the very beginning of His ministry, the Lord was not only aware that He had come to die for our sin, but anticipated both the resurrection and the ascension. The ascension marks the boundary between two closely related pairs of contrasts. He had removed much of the idolatry and established spiritual reforms. By contrast, the disciples saw Christ ascend into heaven--they saw the act of ascension, but not the result--Jesus Christ seated at the right hand of God. 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