Jesus and the Ascension
In May the Christian Church celebrated Ascension Day. Since this feast occurs between Easter and Pentecost it is easily overlooked, which is a shame because it is an important event of great significance to us all – and to Jesus.
When Jesus was with his disciples just before the events of Good Friday, he spoke about his mission and how it would continue after his death. He said this:
“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” John14:12
It’s tempting to think that this must be Jesus looking ahead to the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost - but perhaps not. Given that in these chapters of John’s Gospel (chapters 14-17, often known as the Farewell Discourse given by Jesus to his disciples after the Last Supper) Jesus was quick to talk about the work of the Spirit who was to come, it is particularly striking that he didn’t mention the Spirit at this point. Could it be that he wasn’t talking about the coming of the Spirit here, but instead about his going to the Father – the event we call the Ascension?
Jesus seemed to be saying that his return to be at one with his Father would be an event that ensured his ongoing ministry. To make more sense of this, it may help to give some thought to where we think the Father is; essentially, where do we think heaven is?
When Jesus was with his disciples just before the events of Good Friday, he spoke about his mission and how it would continue after his death. He said this:
“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” John14:12
It’s tempting to think that this must be Jesus looking ahead to the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost - but perhaps not. Given that in these chapters of John’s Gospel (chapters 14-17, often known as the Farewell Discourse given by Jesus to his disciples after the Last Supper) Jesus was quick to talk about the work of the Spirit who was to come, it is particularly striking that he didn’t mention the Spirit at this point. Could it be that he wasn’t talking about the coming of the Spirit here, but instead about his going to the Father – the event we call the Ascension?
Jesus seemed to be saying that his return to be at one with his Father would be an event that ensured his ongoing ministry. To make more sense of this, it may help to give some thought to where we think the Father is; essentially, where do we think heaven is?
Heaven is often thought of as somewhere ‘up there’, with God looking down on us from above. If this is the case, then presumably the Ascension is about Jesus going away - if you like, his ‘goodbye’ as he rose to heaven. However, what followed was quite different. The words Jesus spoke at the time were far from ‘goodbye’, but rather a new ‘hello’:
“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”Matthew28:20
This is likely to make more sense if we regard heaven as somewhere right here with us, rather than ‘up there’ or ‘out there’. Heaven, and the full presence of God, surrounds us all the time. It now makes more sense to understand why this event was so important for Jesus. He would no longer be confined to being in one place at one time, but would be side by side with his Father, who is everywhere all the time.
Of course, the coming of the Holy Spirit is a crucial part of this ministry. I like to think of the Spirit as the hands of Jesus, reaching out from him to us, forming a bridge between heaven and earth.
All this becomes hugely relevant when we are considering ‘Encounter Prayer’. As we seek to encounter God afresh, it is not a matter of reaching out to someone a million miles away but is about turning to one who is already with us. He is right by our side, constantly delighting in us and longing for those moments when we turn to encounter him.
John Ryeland
“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”Matthew28:20
This is likely to make more sense if we regard heaven as somewhere right here with us, rather than ‘up there’ or ‘out there’. Heaven, and the full presence of God, surrounds us all the time. It now makes more sense to understand why this event was so important for Jesus. He would no longer be confined to being in one place at one time, but would be side by side with his Father, who is everywhere all the time.
Of course, the coming of the Holy Spirit is a crucial part of this ministry. I like to think of the Spirit as the hands of Jesus, reaching out from him to us, forming a bridge between heaven and earth.
All this becomes hugely relevant when we are considering ‘Encounter Prayer’. As we seek to encounter God afresh, it is not a matter of reaching out to someone a million miles away but is about turning to one who is already with us. He is right by our side, constantly delighting in us and longing for those moments when we turn to encounter him.
John Ryeland
