Sermon -The Benefits of the Ascension of Jesus
Scripture - Acts 1:6-11 “Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
Introduction: When Jesus ascended into Heaven, it marks a new beginning of His ministry on earth. Jesus would once again be seated in His position of Authority, enthroned with all his former glory. The Holy Spirit would empower the Apostles to be Jesus' witnesses to the world. While talking to the Apostles, Jesus was bodily lifted up into the air and taken to Heaven. Two men appeared next to the Apostles and told them Jesus would one day return. Their Covenantal God was fulfilling His promise to Israel that he would pour out his Spirit over the earth. In Jesus' death burial, resurrection, and ascension, God paved the way to send his Spirit back into Humanity.
Forty days after Jesus’s resurrection, the biblical storyline takes a remarkable turn: Jesus disappears. “He was taken up before their very eyes,” Luke tells us, “and a cloud hid him from their sight” (Acts 1:9). Two angels then tell the disciples that Jesus was “taken into heaven” (Acts 1:11)
Until now some had doubted the stories they heard. But now in the presence of more than 500 hundred witnesses, the crucified and risen Lord ascended into heaven. The ascension was a vital part of the redemption story. Here are five ways the ascension of Jesus benefits us.
1. In Heaven Jesus reigns as king over all powers in all ages.
Ephesians 1:20–21 speaks of the power God exerted when he “raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.” Further, we have been “seated with him in the heavenly realms in Jesus Christ”
Ephesians 2:6–7 “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” Believers can experience the power of Christ’s resurrection life by the Holy Spirit and enjoy his exaltation and victory over the powers of darkness. We need this power since the problems we face appear to be human conflicts, but are ultimately struggles with the forces of darkness (Eph. 6:12).
2. In Heaven Jesus gives Believers Access to God’s throne for mercy and grace. Hebrew 4:14-16 “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
In Jesus “we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens” (Heb. 4:14). “Passed through the heavens” is the ascension language; Jesus passed through the heavens to be seated at the Father’s right hand (Heb. 1:3).
What’s the result? We can now “draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16). Whether we are battling cancer, bitterness, betrayal, pride, or discouragement, we can pray with confidence because of our ascended Lord who intercedes for us.
3. In Heaven Through the Power of the Holy Spirit Believers have an Advocate on earth Whose Presence is limitless.
The night before he was crucified, Jesus promised his disciples that he would “ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth” (John 14:16–17). Later, he returns to this theme: “But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you” (John 16:7).
What advantage would this create for the disciples? They followed and loved Jesus. Why would they want him to leave so the Spirit could come? It almost sounds like a parent saying to their children, “It’s better if I leave so my cousin can come take care of you.” How is Jesus’s leaving an advantage for his disciples?
The answer is simple, yet profound. The incarnate Jesus was limited by space and time. He couldn’t be with each one of his followers at once. If he had stayed on earth, he couldn’t have been there simultaneously for Peter in Rome and John on the island of Patmos. But the Holy Spirit can. His empowering presence is available to all Jesus’s followers everywhere at the same time.
4. In Heaven Jesus Gives Believers Every Gift Needed for Maturity.
Ephesians 4:7-12 “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says: “When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.” (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.”
In Ephesians 4:7–12, Paul connects the grace we’ve received with the ascension. This grace refers to spiritual gifts Paul describes elsewhere and to the gifted ministers of the Word. Paul makes the connection by quoting Psalm 68:18, a description of God’s triumphal ascension to his throne after leading his people out of Egypt and into Canaan. Christ had triumphed over the cosmic forces arrayed against God’s people. Then, from his lofty position at God’s right hand, Christ distributes gifts to God’s people to mature them. So we share in Christ’s heavenly triumph, “not by imitating his ascension but by receiving its benefits—specifically the gifts and gifted leaders needed for building up the church in unity and maturity.”
5. Now Believers work while eagerly longing for Christ’s Return.
At Jesus’s ascension, the two angels declared: “This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). The ascension creates a longing for Jesus’s return. Though presently seated at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven (Heb. 1:3), Jesus will return earth to establish his kingdom in fullness and put his enemies under his feet (1 Cor. 15:24–27).
It’s no wonder we are longing for the return of our King! When Jesus descends in the way he ascended, the bad times will be over for good, the darkness will lift, and everything evil will be vanquished. Now you know why Jesus disappeared. His ascension wasn’t merely an exclamation point at the end of the resurrection; it provided his followers with power to reign, grace to endure, mercy when needed, His presence to enjoy, gifts to succeed, and a lively anticipation of His return. These benefits of the ascension enables believers to advance the mission of Jesus here on earth. We, like the disciples on the Mount of Olive, must return to the place Jesus told you to go. Keep doing the work we have been assigned. Stay connected to other Jesus' followers, encouraging one another and helping one another. Take the natural steps in front of you. Keep walking through the open doors God provides and then boldly ask God to do the supernatural! We must work while its day, for night is coming. Amen.
