Today marks the Ascension of Jesus. We have completed 40 days since Easter Sunday. In that time we see Jesus prepare the disciples for taking forward the next stage of God’s purpose. This event described in Acts 1 is momentous.
Acts 1:9-11 KJV
[9] And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. [10] And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; [11] which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
https://bible.com/bible/1/act.1.9-11.KJV
He is taken up…then a cloud of glory received Him. Obviously in such an event they would be frozen in their gaze upward,to see if He returned. Then angelic presence in the form of two angels appeared to assure them that as they saw Jesus ascend He would return the same way.
Here we need to see why Jesus needed to Ascend
To Receive a Kingdom
Jesus fulfilled the mission to secure redemption for man. The Father was to give Him a dominion and a Kingdom.
The kingdom is a sphere and domain that a King must exercise judicial authority over. Daniel 7 explains in one of his visions what happened in the Ascension, He was presented before the Most High. He was given dominion and a Kingdom, for which the Church would administer in that Kingdom.
To ask the Father
Jesus promised that once He has gone to be with His Father He would ask to send His Holy Spirit to the Church. This would seal the Gospel with proofs through signs, miracles, healings and wonders.
To be honest we need Jesus to “ask the Father” for the Holy Spirit to come in a special way in these end times.
The Coming of the Holy Spirit is predicated on Jesus being exalted and glorified. Where Jesus is exalted and glorified He sends His Spirit.
Today precisely we celebrate His Ascension. His physical presence with the disciples became His Spiritual Presence with all believers in all generations. May we understand that He is stepping into His Role at the right hand of the Father. May we perceive Him as Lord and King, perceive His exaltation. Where He is exalted so His Spirit can dwell.
In Ephesians 4 Paul says Jesus descended first before He, the same, ascended. Philippians 2 describes how far our Lord descended. In all the humiliation to take on human form, to be then exalted to the highest place.
Today many try to rise up before the qualification of descending first try to ascend. Isaiah tells us that Lúcifer tried to ascend and take the highest place yet was thrown down. We must follow Jesus, accepting the humiliations that come for following Him. May we understand this pattern to greatness.
Jesus’ ascension is a manifestation of this process. May we remember that we must die to our ambitions so that we learn that true greatness comes from the depth of descending we can in turn ascend in the same degree.
Maranatha!!!
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