Bible Reading: Luke 24:50-53 & Acts 2:33-36
After Jesus was crucified, He came to life again and then left the earth on a cloud and returned to heaven. We call this the ascension. The ascension is important. The ascension is how God kept many of His promises to us. Promises that He could only keep if Jesus returned to heaven.
First, while Jesus was here on earth, He was in a human body. This body limited where He could go. Jesus could only be in one place at any given moment. While Jesus had the limitless power and authority of God, this power and authority could only be exercised within the limitations of a human body.
After Jesus returned to heaven, He sent His Holy Spirit to be with each one of us, just as He'd promised in John 16:7. Jesus' Holy Spirit came to be a helper, comforter, counselor, and guide to us while we are here on earth. Jesus' Spirit isn't limited by a human body. He can be in and with each and every one of us at the same time.
Second, Jesus promised to prepare a permanent home for us to live in when we join Him in heaven: "In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you" (John 14:2). In order for us to join Jesus in heaven, Jesus go to heaven ahead of us to get things ready for us to join Him.
Third, if Jesus had not gone back to heaven, we would not have a "Go-Between." 1 Timothy 2:5 tell us, "For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." As our Go-Between Jesus goes to God and pleads our case when we pray. He acts like our defense attorney and seeks forgiveness when we've failed to obey God's commands. He also clarifies the requests we take to the Father when we pray so our requests will be in agreement with God's desires.
Fourth, if Jesus had not gone back to heaven, the spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit ("...love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control..." Galatians 5:22, 23) would not be available to us.
Fifth, if Jesus had not gone back to heaven, God could never fulfill His promises to us. None of the wonderful things God has promised to us would ever come to be.
Finally, if Jesus had not gone back to heaven, there could be no Second Coming. In 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, God promised that "For the Lord [Jesus] himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever." In for Jesus to come back for us, He first had to go away from us -- He had to return to heaven.
The ascension was a turning point. It marked the end of Jesus' work here on earth and the beginning of His eternal work in heaven, the work of preparing a place so we can, someday, join Him there to live, love, and worship Him forever.
Jesus is in heaven right now, preparing a place for you. He wants you to be with Him forever. Are you ready? Are you preparing to join Him?
"And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming." 1 John 2:28
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I'm glad Jesus returned to heaven after He finished His work here. Help me to be ready when Jesus comes again. In Jesus' name. Amen.