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Pastor writes
As per the Bible, Jesus ascended to heaven 40 days after his resurrection, and this was witnessed by the 11 apostles. Ascension Day is regarded as the fourth most important day on the Christian calendar. First is Christmas, celebrating Jesus’ birth, followed by Good Friday, remembering his death, then Easter Sunday, celebrating the resurrection, and then Ascension Day, commemorating his rise to heaven. Along with Christmas and Easter, the ascension is one of the three major feasts in Christianity and dates back to the fourth century. Let us note few references in relation to the Ascension;
Three thousand years ago, David, the second king of Israel, prophesied that Jesus would ascend to heaven and sit on the right-hand side of God. This is recorded in Psalm 110:1. Out of the 150 psalms, it is the one referred to most often in the New Testament. This alone suggests that the ascension is quite significant in Christianity. There are a number of other references to the ascension in the New Testament, attesting to the importance of the event.
One of the earliest mentions is in Acts (1:1-11), which states that Jesus presented himself to the apostles 40 days after the resurrection, and was then taken up on a cloud and out of sight. Luke (24:31,50-53) believes Jesus was taken up on the same day as the resurrection. In Matthew (26:64), Jesus says he will be sitting next to God up in heaven. Mark 16:19 states that Jesus was received into heaven and sat beside God. John 14:12 and 20:17 refer to Jesus going back to his father. Another early mention is in the Epistles, where Paul reports that Jesus is in heaven (Romans 10:6). First Peter 3:21-22 declares that Jesus has gone to heaven and is with God. According to Ephesians 4:7-13, he rose above the heavens. 1 Timothy 3:16 has him “taken up in glory”. Stephen, in Acts 7:55-60, saw Jesus in heaven standing next to God.
The ascension is clearly referred to in the Nicene Creed put together by the First Council of Nicaea in 325 CE where about 300 bishops from throughout the Roman Empire discussed and agreed upon various Christological issues. These words are also contained in the Apostles’ Creed, a further indication of the significance of the ascension. The Lord’s Supper order section 33 of our CNI Book of worship includes the words ‘and his ascension into heaven’.
Ascension being the core of our faith in Jesus Christ because Acts 1:11 says, ‘This same Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven’. Amen
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