Most of us understand that the Ascension of Jesus was the transition of Christ from earth to heaven after his time on the earth and His Resurrection. The scriptures plainly speak of a day 40 days after the Resurrection when Jesus was “taken up” into heaven.
The use of those familiar words “taken up” remind us of Enoch and Elijah and how they never died but were “taken.” With Jesus it was different though. He DID die. The power of Resurrection was living within him and on the third day He rose in victory back to life.
For the next 40 days He walked the earth in a resurrection body; similar to the one we will have in the rapture, or our own resurrection. The 40th day of this time was the day He ascended back into Heaven. We call this day Ascension Day, and it is very worthy of our full attention and celebration.
Many sincere Christian groups still celebrate this day. The Catholic Church and the Greek Orthodox Church and a few others. For the Protestant Churches though, the day seems to be lost. They mention it in creeds and in teachings; but only in passing. It isn’t an annual day to be noticed or celebrated; just a fact of the Resurrection.
Almost none of the Christian groups seem to be dwelling on the follow-through and the transitions of ascension. On this day 40 of the counting; we will focus on all of the aspects of Ascension.
CAN YOU IMAGINE ANYTHING MORE SUPERNATURAL?
I’m wondering why this vagueness has happened. Is it too supernatural for us to grasp?
Can you imagine anything more supernatural than being “taken up” into Heaven from earth?
From all we know of outer space flights; this surely sounds impossible. There is no mention of oxygen being furnished or space suits; just that Jesus ascended into the heavens. From a human standpoint it just sounds impossible.
I guess that is the point. Christianity isn’t about being human; it is about putting your trust in a supernatural God of The Universe.
WHY DID HE LEAVE US?
If you can get over the difficulty of imagining that this became humanly possible by understanding that Jesus was walking around in a supernatural, resurrected body and not his earthly corruptible body; the next question might be why?
Why didn’t He stay here with us?
We know He loved us enough to give his life for us; but then He turns around and decides to go back to the heavens from which He came.
Well; there was a good reason. He went back to sit at the right hand of God in the throne room of Heaven; where they overrule the fate of the universe. While He is there; He will be our intercessor. Our prayers will reach His ears and He will take them to God The Father. He is, after all; our heavenly High Priest.
HIGH PRIEST AND GROOM
He is also the Groom the Bride of Christ (the Church) is engaged to marry at The Wedding Feast of The Lamb.
So as he sits in the royal chambers He gives orders to the angels who will prepare the home in which we are to live and reign with him. He told us this; remember? “I go to prepare a place for you that where I am there you shall also be.”
He still longs for us and wants to have everything perfectly ready for God’s great feast day; The Marriage Supper of The Lamb. At this great feast the true Church will be united with Him forever and ever. The Father wants our chambers there to be exactly perfect; and Jesus is making sure of that.
GETTING THE BRIDE READY
There is a lot to prepare during this time when He is in the throne room of Heaven. This work is going on even as we speak; but there is also a lot to prepare here on the earth too. The Bride must have time to make herself ready. She must learn the culture of heaven and begin to walk in the ways of heaven. It isn’t an easy accomplishment. This takes lots of time and progress is sometimes slower than expected.
As He ascended into the heavens; these preparations began and they have been going on ever since. Only The Father knows when the time will be right for us to reunite again. Until then; our Groom has sent us The Holy Spirit to comfort us and to prepare our hearts for the wedding. He is our helper and our constant companion.
All of the results we speak of here are amazing and wonderful things!
So now you see why the Ascension was quite necessary and very good.
FORTY DAYS AFTER THE RESURRECTION
History tells us this happened 40 days after the Resurrection of Christ. In the symbolic counting of the days of the omer; that would be today!
So let’s stop today and pause to remember and give thanks to God for ascension and ascension power.
Jesus needed this power to return to the Father; and we are going to need this power to return to Jesus. We must reflect him in all that we do. The Church should be paying close attention to all that happened at The Ascension of Christ; because the very same power that raised Him from the dead and took Him into the heavens again will be the power that we will be resurrected by; and if we are not yet dead; the power we too will ascend to heaven with.
1000 YEARS ON THE EARTH
Don’t misunderstand what I’m saying. I don’t think we will all go to heaven and look like angels and float around on clouds all day playing harps.
I believe in the millennial reign of Christ on this earth. He will return for us, take us to heaven for our royal marriage feast at Our Father’s House. Then we will return to earth with him to rule and reign with him for one thousand years until Satan is defeated and The New Jerusalem comes down from heaven and all things are made new.
It is The Holy Spirit (that tiny speck of light from God’s Holy Being that resides within His people) that will give us that resurrection and ascension power that we need.
THE POWER OF ASCENSION
Jesus came to a time when He had to ascend. In our walk with Him, we will also come to a time to ascend.
This Ascension Day that some churches still have the good sense to celebrate is about that power of ascension that was first found in Jesus.
It remembers the day that He transitioned back from the lowly earth to the heights of heaven. It was a transition from one purpose to another purpose; but we (His Church) benefited from both transitions.
We are also called to imitate him in all that He did.
We too are called to ascension.
OUR DESITNY TO ASCEND
He first became a child and we too must come before God with the heart of a child.
Then he grew into a teacher proclaiming all of God’s glory and shared the gospel story to all the earth. We must do the same.
It is our destiny to follow in his footsteps, including those of healing in God’s name, feeding the hungry, clothing those who need clothes, ministering to those who are captive and enslaved, and telling all of them about the next thing he did for us; providing Salvation.
For three years he preached the gospel and gathered disciples to carry on this ministry after he was gone. We should be doing the same thing.
Then he died on a cross for our sins. We must die to ourselves and focus on this wonderful gift of salvation and sanctification that He provided for us.
He rose from the grave in resurrection. We too must rise and be changed and transformed into His image.
Next; He ascended into the heavens.
It seems that the church stops following the patten of imitating Christ after receiving salvation. Some even go on to the path of sanctification; but not many seem to realize that we can now walk in that same ascension power that Jesus used to ascend unto the Father.
ASCENSION CONNECTED HEAVEN TO EARTH
We can live our lives on this earth by choosing to walk in the realms of heaven if we just decide to do so.
God has given us everything that we need.
We have The Word. Salvation and sanctification are ours. We have minds and hearts that can be elevated to higher levels by following in the ways of Christ and observing God’s laws from the heart and not out of duty.
ASCENSION IS OVERCOMING
We have never needed to walk in such a way more than we need to today.
Jesus asked us to overcome. That means rising above all the lies, negativity, lack and loss of the world around us and lifting life up to the ways of heaven.
On this 40th day of the counting; it is time for God’s people to grasp the need to walk in ascension power and transcend into all that God has intended for us to be all along. We should be living on this earth in the same manner that we expect to live when Christ returns. This is eternal thinking. Our mindset must become eternal instead of temporary and worldly.
We have now completed 40 days of counting. In 10 days we will reach The Day of Pentecost.
Are you beginning to walk in ascension power?