Monday, June 6, 2011
WHY DID JESUS ASCEND INTO HEAVEN? (1)
We celebrate Jesus' ascension into heaven. Does that seem like an odd thing to celebrate? It's not often that we celebrate when someone leaves, especially if that person is important to us. More often we feel sorrow when they leave and perhaps ask, "Why did He leave? Why didn't He stay with us?"
Wouldn't it have been better for us if Jesus had kept His visible presence on earth to comfort His disciples for all time? Wouldn't it be better if He were here to fight our daily battles for us? We might think so in a moment of weakness, and yet we know that Jesus didn't make a mistake. There were a number of very good reasons why Jesus ascended into heaven and He has seen fit to make known those reasons to us in His Word.
The Son of God came to this earth and took on human flesh and blood to fight for us and win our salvation. The Bible says simply (1 John 3:8): "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil."
God's plans to save us were made in eternity and when the timing was right, God sent forth His Son to complete His gracious plan. Jesus, fully God also became fully man, the only perfect sinless man since the creation of Adam. Jesus lived a sinless life as the God appointed substitute for all men. It was God's love that put the twist in God's plan. He also determined that His Son should step in and be punished for our sins. On the cross Jesus was punished for all men, not merely by an excruciating death, but by being forsaken by the Father for our sins. He died and was buried.
However, on the third day He arose, proving that God's plans had been accomplished and our salvation won. Jesus spoke of His ascension already that first Easter morning to Mary Magdalene (John 20:17): "Jesus said to her, 'Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, "I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God."'"
Jesus ascended into heaven because He had completed the work the Father sent Him to do.
