Ascension Sunday

Today is being celebrated as Ascension Sunday, when we commemorate the Ascension of our Risen Lord back into heaven. We are fully aware that many of us, as believers, have acknowledged last Thursday as the Ascension of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, back to the Father in heaven. We are doubly happy to offer this week as Ascension week, where we can give added focus and exposure to our Lord’s Ascension.

What does Ascension mean to us as believers in Jesus? How important is our Lord’s Ascension to us? I confess that there was a point in my life, when Ascension was not given much recognition at all. It never held as much importance as Jesus’ Crucifixion and Resurrection, for example. In my early days, even at Church School, or Sunday School, emphasis was on Crucifixion and Resurrection. Even our cantatas and special Church services rarely, if ever at all, featured the Ascension of our Lord. O yes, we knew about Ascension, as we spoke it in this part of the Nicene Creed, He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. We also declared it in the Apostles’ Creed. Was this ever the case with you? How important is the Ascension of our Risen Lord for you?

Having been brought to view, cherish and hold fast the Ascension of Jesus back to heaven, as being important, just as His Crucifixion and Resurrection, I am simply delighted to invite you to share living, pertinent facts about Jesus’ Ascension. These are facts which perhaps you already know or do not know. Whatever the case may be, this I do know with divine confidence. You will be swept off your feet and become so emboldened and encouraged in our meditations and celebrations, you will definitely crave more.

As has already been stated, this week, as the Spirit wills, our focus will be on the Ascension of Jesus. The opposite of ascend is descend and we note that Jesus ascended to heaven, because He first descended from heaven, His dwelling place. Let us feed, with freer faith and trust, as our hearts and minds receive and know deeper and more personal faith-quickening responses.

Isn’t it extremely interesting, how even the psalmist speaks about Jesus and His ascension in heaven? Here are just a couple references to our Ascended Lord. This reference is from Psalm 68: 17b – 18. The LORD is among them as in Sinai, in the Holy Place. You have ascended on high, You have led captivity captive; You have received gifts among men, even from the rebellious, that the LORD God might dwell there.

 Then there is the very famous verse from Psalm 110: 1. The LORD said to my Lord, Sit at My Right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool. Are not both of these texts, referencing Jesus, as the One who ascended on high? Have they not provided us with undeniable proof about Jesus’ Ascension?

We all must truly believe that Jesus descended from above, for us to believe, without a whisper of hesitation, that Jesus, Son of God, ascended back to heaven. 

We shall receive more convincing proofs tomorrow.

Our Father in heaven, we bless You, praise You and give You merited thanks for the Ascension of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. In Your own Sovereign Will, He descended from heaven, His beautiful dwelling place, to come to our ugly, wicked, dark and evil dwelling place, to be our Saving Light. You let Him descend further into the depths of hell and after a three-day stay there, He ascended again, out of the darkest powers of all that the grave, death and hell possessed. You brought Him out in flesh and bones for all His own to witness and know. Holy Father, Your Love for us is so immense, so unsearchable, so unthinkably measureless and so divinely complete, how can we truly thank You? Keep convincing and convicting us Holy Spirit that our lives will be daily offerings of praise and thanks which glorify You. Amen!