The Gospel Way Catechismنموونە

QUESTION 20: What Does the Ascension Tell Us about Jesus?

ANSWER

Jesus is exalted as the true King of the world, worthy of ultimate allegiance. He intercedes for us before the Father and is present with us by the Spirit.

Everyone wants to ascend. Think about the metaphors we often use: climbing the ladder of success, launching into the stratosphere, being on top of the world. Through hard work, personal ambition, and the pursuit of glory, people seek to elevate themselves over others. Promoting and exalting ourselves comes naturally when we are looking to rise above the crowd.

The story of Jesus is different because his exaltation—his ascent—only took place after his descent, first in becoming a servant when he took on our humanity, and then in descending to the depths of torment on the cross, and down through the valley of the shadow of death to the grave. The New Testament authors claim that after his resurrection, Jesus appeared to many witnesses for a period of 40 days, and then, after commissioning his followers, he ascended into heaven.

The great creeds of the faith summarize this part of the gospel: He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. This is another way of saying the risen Jesus is now in heaven (God’s dimension), exalted as King. We don’t often use the word exalted to describe human beings. But we do talk about people being appointed to positions of power, or being installed in a new role, or invested with authority in a company or a government. A king is crowned and enthroned. A president goes through an inauguration ceremony.

Jesus’s ascension into heaven fulfills Psalm 110 and is a sign that God has marked out Jesus as the Lord of the universe. He has been exalted or installed as the world’s true King. This was always God’s original intention—that a human being reign over his created world. The New Testament describes Jesus as the Last Adam, the one who fulfills God’s design.

What does this mean for us? Since kingship implies allegiance, we are called to pledge our loyalty to the King who has given his life for us. Instead of grappling for positions of power and authority, seeking to one-up people as we climb the ladder of success, we follow in the steps of a King whose exaltation came after taking the lowliest place. This is the King who said, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Matthew 23:12 CSB).

Seated at the right hand of God, Jesus intercedes for his people (Ephesians 1:19-23). This means Jesus is praying for us. We have access to God because of Jesus’s death on the cross for our sins, his resurrection from the dead, and the intercessory role he fulfills for us, as we are swept up into the goodness and glory of the God who made us.

“I am with you always,” Jesus told his disciples before he ascended, “to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20 CSB). Because of these words, we do not speak of Jesus’s absence, because we still have Jesus with us by his Spirit.

Reflection Questions

What are some ways people in our society exalt themselves over others? How does Jesus’s exaltation, which takes place after his humiliation, confront the tendency for self-exaltation?

What is the impact of Jesus’s ascension on our priorities and values? Think about how Jesus’s ascension encourages us to focus on eternal realities instead of temporary achievements. How does Jesus’s exaltation change our perspective?