Saturday, May 7, 2005
WHY DID JESUS ASCEND INTO HEAVEN?
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 sad when they leave and even ask, "Why did He leave? Why didn't He stay?"
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 at times -- 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.
God's plans to save us were made in eternity and when the timing was right, God sent His Son to carry them out. The Son of God came to this earth and took on human flesh. Fully God, He 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 rose, proving that God's plans had been accomplished, our salvation won.
Jesus would not have returned to Heaven had He not completed the work of our Salvation. But since He had completed the work the Father sent Him to do, He returned to His rightful place, the place from which He had come. The Apostle Peter said on Pentecost (Acts 2:32ff):
"This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. "For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: 'The LORD said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool." ' "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."
Jesus ascended because He had completed the work of our salvation.
