The Feast of the Ascension

Among the important events related to the works of Christ, Christians appear to take the ascension for granted. Christmas, the Passion Week, and the resurrection are given their due attention, but we cannot say the same regarding the ascension. This tells us that most Christians do not realize the significance and power of this biblical truth. Such negligence has a serious consequence both in the life and witness of the church.

As I shared in 23 April article, Christians are not exempted from loneliness and depression. Miserable and powerless Christians abound and this is evident in broken lives and broken families. This is anomalous for those who profess to believe in the gospel of Christ.

If the claim of the gospel is true, the only reasonable explanation for such widespread powerlessness is that the gospel though given lip service, in reality, and in day-to-day life, its truth has already been abandoned and has been replaced with false hopes. Ascension is part of the gospel and a restoration of its rightful place in the life of the church can address current powerlessness as demonstrated in the miserable and depressed lives of those who profess to follow Christ. In what way does the ascension address this abnormality?

Faith in the ascension of Christ can empower the Christian life because the One who ascended is fully man and God. This is the doctrine of the two natures of Christ united in one person. Since He is a man, he can sympathize with all our brokenness. And since He is also God, He is powerful enough to deliver us from whatever kinds of prison we have in our lives. I like what Ptr. Ernie shared last Sunday:

Christ has been abandoned in the darkest period of his life while here on earth so that those who experienced abandonment will find in Him Someone who stays with you no matter what.

Moreover, faith in the ascension can empower powerless Christians and heal broken lives because Jesus has now released His power into the universe and your lives with all its healing abilities.

Ptr. Ernie used the "detonator" analogy to illustrate the fact that the incarnation, death, and resurrection of Christ will not benefit us without the ascension. Just like dynamite or TNT would not explode to blast a rock or demolish old structures without a detonator, what's the use of the power of the incarnation, death, and resurrection of Jesus without Him ascending to the right hand of God? Of course, as common to all analogies, there is a limitation to this "detonator" illustration for the gospel of Christ cannot be used to terrorize people or to destroy life and property. Nevertheless, the truth remains that the gospel is God's power to repair broken lives and set people free.

Lastly, faith in the ascension heals our current brokenness because it reminds us of our privilege and responsibility to be His witnesses.

If we observe people who stay in prolonged depression and brokenness, one thing that we will notice is the strong influence of a victim mentality. People who avoid duty and personal responsibility will find it difficult to restore their lives to wholeness simply because they point their finger at the wrongdoer. As followers of Jesus, if we want to build our lives back to wholeness, we must seriously take the mandate of Christ to be His witnesses.

Believing the Ascension of Christ can empower Christians, heal their brokenness, and set them free from depression and misery because the One Who ascended is a God-Man who has released His power into the universe and our lives and has given us both the duty and the privilege to be His witnesses.

Grace and peace!