You could imagine a friendly debate about whether the single most important event in Jesus’ life was His death on the cross or His resurrection. His incarnation or His baptism would also find many supporters. Unfortunately Jesus’ ascension is often overlooked and underappreciated. Jesus’ ascension is described in three passages, but the brevity of the record of this event must not hide its importance. (Mark 16:19; Luke 24:50-51; Acts 1:9-11)
First, the Ascension explained Jesus’s absence. If Jesus had merely returned to heaven without any witnesses, His disciples would have spent much time looking for Him. They might have even doubted if they saw Him after His death and they might have begun to question if His resurrection actually occurred. The absence of Jesus, without an explanation confirmed by many witnesses, would have given the Jewish leaders and the Romans a chance to say that they finally killed Him and thoroughly destroyed His body so He could not deceive anyone again or cause any more trouble
Second, Jesus needed to go away so He could send the Holy Spirit to every believer. The night before His death, Jesus told His disciples He is going way. (John 14) Jesus comforted them by telling them that He and the Father will make Their home with them, and that the Holy Spirit will dwell with them and will be in them. After Jesus departed, His disciples could then experience the power, presence, and peace of God directly wherever they went, not merely when they were in His physical presence.
Third, the Ascension further affirmed that Jesus accomplished everything He had come to do. Jesus’ death appeared to signal His defeat, but His resurrection from the dead three days later showed that He had perfectly kept the whole Law of God and that He had defeated death itself. After His resurrection Jesus needed to forgive and restore His sinful disciples. He also needed to finish their preparation to proclaim the Kingdom of God without His physical presence and earthly leadership. Jesus’ ascension was the fitting end of His earthly ministry, confirming that He fulfilled everything God the Father had called Him to do.
Fourth, the Ascension restored Jesus to His glory prior to the incarnation. Jesus emptied Himself when He left His heavenly home to be born as a poor child in an occupied land. (Philippians 2) Upon His return to heaven, Jesus traded His earthly circumstances and surroundings to once again residing in Heaven. He no longer restrained or deferred any of His divine attributes as He had while He walked the earth as the God-man.
Fifth, the Ascension enthroned Jesus at the Father’s right hand. Visions of Jesus in heaven showed his place of power, privilege, and proximity to the Father. Since God is spirit, we understand “at the Father’s right hand” to be a metaphor for a position of glory, majesty, and honor while reigning over all creation. The presence of Jesus at the Father’s right hand showed us that whatever alienation and separation Jesus experienced from the Father at the cross is a thing of the past and they have been completely reconciled to one another.
Sixth, the Ascension allowed Jesus to minister to His church as Priest, Prophet and King from Heaven. So much of the Old Testament describes the roles and responsibilities of these officeholders in Israel and records their activities in the history of God’s people. These men were merely a shadow of Jesus as the ultimate High Priest, Heavenly Prophet and Divine King who rules over His whole creation and His Church. One important example of Jesus’ on-going ministry is as our intercessor, reconciling us to God the Father for any and all sins we commit.
Seventh, the Ascension glorified human nature as never before. In His resurrection body, Jesus gave us a small preview of what human limitations will be gone when we have resurrected bodies. Jesus’ bodily ascension further showed us that “no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him” when we are fully glorified and we join Him in the new heaven and the new earth. (1 Corinthians 2, ESV)
Eighth, the Ascension foreshadowed Jesus’ personal, physical, and glorious return. After His ascension, the disciples were told, “Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” (Acts 1, ESV) While we eagerly await Jesus return when He will create a new heaven and a new earth, we know what His return will be like. We are cautioned to beware of deceivers pretending to be the returning Messiah. Since we know the way in which Jesus will return, we are less vulnerable to counterfeit and demonic would-be saviors who desire to lead us astray.
While not neglecting the importance of Jesus’ incarnation, death or resurrection, let us not forget that Jesus’ ascension was a critically important event in human history and in the birth of His church. While we wait for His return, Jesus’ ascension should fill us with hope and anticipation of the glorious future that awaits us.