He Ascended in Heaven

This post is part of a series of communion mediations working through the Apostles’ Creed. You can read the creed here. And the previous post here.We believe that Jesus “ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.” Why is it important to believe that Jesus ascended and then—wonder of wonders—sat down?The ascension is, of course, simply the plain teaching of Acts 1:9: “as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.” Jesus physical body—the one which had died on the cross, and been raised on the third day, and in which he had appeared before the disciples for the previous 40 days was lifted up, up, and away. Jesus had told his disciples that this day was coming and that, though it was going to cause them sorrow, it was a necessary prerequisite to his sending the Holy Spirit upon them, and thus it was ultimately for both their good and their joy that he would leave (John 16:6-7). So we believe that he ascended, because he said he would and the text tells us he did. And this is good news for us, because it was necessary for him to do so before pouring out the Holy Spirit on his followers—which includes those of us gathered here today in Jesus’ name. We are, Paul says, the Temple of the Holy Spirit. This, one of the key features of the New Covenant, could only be true after Jesus’ physical body departed the earth and ascended to heaven.The second part of that statement is perhaps less clear. Why does it matter that Jesus sat down? The book of Hebrews connects this to the exaltation of the Son. Though the Son is coeternal and coequal with the Father, in his Incarnation the Son accomplished our redemption, and is now exalted above heaven and earth—not simply as God, but as the God-Man. Hebrews 1:3b-4, “After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.”Ten verses later, the writer to the Hebrews quotes from Psalm 110, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool under your feet.”The author of Hebrews clearly sees that the seated-ness, or session as it has classically been called, of Christ is an indicator of at least two things:* the finished nature of his work. This action of our Lord came after he made purification for sins. He is seated at the Father’s right hand because he, the Word, accomplished the purpose for which the Father had sent him out (Isaiah 55:11).* he has been given the seat of authority. The is the point of the quote from Psalm 110—the place where the Son is seated is the Father’s right hand. (The author of Hebrews will quote Psalm 8 to the same effect in the following chapter). These things are good news for us, and right preparation as we come to the table. Because Jesus is ascended and seated, we can be confident that his work is finished, his Spirit is poured out on all who believe, and we can trust that the One whose death we remember is the One who even now rules and reigns over heaven and earth. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit willdole.substack.com/subscribe