Ascension assumptions...

It's been noted that recent treatments of the Ascension of Christ view it as little more than a dazzling exclamation point on the Resurrection.* After all, Jesus had to get to heaven somehow. Unfortunately, this failure to recognize the Ascension as a unique Redemptive-Historical act renders it little different from Christ just "passing away." For a concise, yet detailed, treatment of the Ascension one can turn to the Heidelberg Catechism (HC). Ironically, while the HC only gives one question to explain the Resurrection of Christ, it devotes four to the Ascension (#46-49)! This is due, in part, to the Lutheran controversy regarding the ubiquity of Christ and how it is he makes good on his promise to be with us always (Matthew 28:20), but it also serves to show the importance and far-reaching implications of that doctrine.

The HC lists three "benefits" that we have from the Ascension: first, he is our Advocate before the Father. This is a legal term which denotes one who appears on behalf of another. He pleads our cause before the Father on the basis of his obedience and sufferings for us (I John 2:1-2). Hebrews speaks of the fact that Christ is our High Priest, "who ever lives to make intercessions for us" (7:25).

Second, the HC goes on to say that "we have our flesh in heaven as a sure pledge" that we will one day join him. In the '60's we put a man on the moon; many are confident that in the near future, we can do the same on Mars... but what is really impressive, is that we have a Man, one of our own flesh and blood, in heaven! And the fact that he's there, is a guarantee that we, as his members, will be taken up to himself at the resurrection. Because, as the old adage goes: "As Christ, so the Church."

Third, we learn that because of the Ascension, Christ sends us his Holy Spirit through whom he fills and empowers the Church. This is made especially clear in Luke's second account of the Ascension in Acts 1. Here Christ instructs his disciples to wait in Jerusalem until he sends them the Spirit, so that they may become witnesses of him throughout the world. Thus we see that the Ascension and resulting session of Christ is the current Redemptive-Historical event that we experience. While we look back at Christ's death and resurrection, and we anticipate his return, it is to our Ascended Lord that we look now for grace and help.

*This point is made by Douglas Farrow, Ascension and Ecclesia (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1999), and expounded upon by Michael Horton, People and Place (Louisville: WJK, 2008).