Now that the Easter season has passed us by, unfortunately many people’s religious focus will be shifting away from Jesus and his resurrection back to whatever they were focusing on in their life before. We shouldn’t be surprised by this. Even Jesus’ disciples, after seeing the risen Lord, had to be reminded a week after the resurrection that they were supposed to meet Jesus in Galilee (John 20:26-29, Matthew 28:10).
After the resurrection, the scriptures tell us that Jesus appeared to many of his disciples over the course of 40 days, leading up to his ascension. The ascension might be one of the least talked about events in Jesus’ life. Perhaps it is because Paul and the other New Testament writers rarely mention it. However, the ascension of Jesus is incredibly important, the one book in the New Testament which highlights the importance of the ascension is the book of Hebrews.
“We have such a High Priest one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man” (Hebrews 8:1-2)
Jesus’ return to heaven is our greatest spiritual blessing. On earth Jesus had physical limitations like we did. Jesus could only be in one place at one time, and after serving others all day he would grow tired and need sleep. However, since Jesus is now in Heaven, He does not grow weary in being our priest. He is able to minister to us both day and night and never grows tired of hearing our requests for forgiveness, and healing (Hebrews 7:24-25).
“For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence.” Jesus ascended and entered heaven itself, and presented himself as a sacrifice to the Father. This is why Hebrews says that we can pray with boldness or confidence. Jesus is our high priest who sits on a throne of grace and who will give us mercy and grace in our time of need. John also tells us in 1 John 2, that we have an Advocate with the Father. Jesus is the reason we can speak to the Father directly in prayer. Jesus sits at his right hand and makes a relationship with God the Father possible.
Lastly, the ascension was important for Christians because of what the angels say to the disciples after. “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.” Living the Christian life is not about looking into heaven and waiting for our future rest with God. It is looking at the world around us and being the hands of Jesus.
Jesus is no longer on earth. He has confidently given us the task to be his representation of who he is on earth.
– Jared Kelly
Dalraida church of Christ is a congregation of Christians that meet in the mid-town area of Montgomery, Alabama. Our goal and purpose is to seek and follow God and His Word in everything that we do in life.