Christ’s ascension was the intermediate stage of His exaltation. The initial stage was His resurrection. The completing stage was His enthronement at the Father’s right hand.
One day the Apostle Peter found himself being questioned before the Sanhedrin. In response to the high priest, Peter pointed to the fact of Christ’s resurrection, saying, “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree” (Acts 5:30).
Peter moved immediately to the enthronement of Christ, saying, “Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior” (v. 31). While Peter did not mention it, we know from Scripture that the connecting link between Christ’s earthly resurrection and heavenly enthronement was the ascension. All three stages of resurrection, ascension and enthronement together constituted Christ’s exaltation.
Living water
In John 7:37–39, we read the account of Jesus seizing a moment during the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles to issue a thirst-quenching invitation to all who would listen by telling them of living water. In recording that dramatic moment, John appended an inspired explanation about the living water, saying, “This He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (v. 39).
The descending of the Spirit awaited the ascending of Christ. As Peter proclaimed in his message at Pentecost, from Christ’s exalted position in heaven He “poured out” the promised Spirit (Acts 2:33). In short, we might say that the sending of the Spirit was Christ’s ascension gift to His followers.
Spirit’s conviction
Prior to the sending of the Spirit, Christ had spoken to the disciples about the Spirit’s coming by pointing to the Spirit’s work of convicting the world concerning sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:8–11).
Elaborating briefly on each aspect of this convicting work, He addressed the aspect of conviction concerning righteousness by referring to His ascension: “of righteousness, because I go to My Father, and you see Me no more” (v. 10).
How does Christ’s going to the Father — His ascension — relate to righteousness? Let’s begin with the incarnation. The divine Son of God became fully human. Among other things, this allowed Him to suffer death.
In His resurrection, Jesus did not divest Himself of His humanity. Rather, He elevated it by expressing humanity in a resurrection body. His resurrection appearances were in that body.
Forty days after the resurrection, human eyes saw Him being caught away from their sight. He did not later reappear bodily because He had been accepted back into heaven, taking a full humanity into the Father’s presence. That people saw Him no more witnessed to that acceptance.
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