The Ascension — The Crowning Spiritual Blessing | Speak His Word Only

Key Scriptures: Luke 24:50–53; Acts 1:9–11; Ephesians 1:19–23; Ephesians 2:4–6; Ephesians 4:8–10; Hebrews 4:14–16

The Ascension of Jesus Christ is much more than His departure from the earth. It is the exaltation and enthronement of the risen Christ.

Jesus came down from heaven, took upon Himself humanity, humbled Himself unto death, conquered death through His resurrection, and then ascended into heaven. The Ascension therefore stands as the crowning declaration that His redemptive work was accomplished and that the One who humbled Himself has now been highly exalted.

Christ Ascended in Victory

After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples for forty days, teaching them concerning the kingdom of God.

Then:

“And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.”
— Acts 1:9 KJV

Jesus did not ascend as a defeated Messiah escaping the earth.

He ascended as the victorious Son.

The cross accomplished redemption.

The resurrection demonstrated His victory over death.

The Ascension revealed His exaltation to heavenly authority.

Paul writes:

“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name.”
— Philippians 2:9 KJV

The One who descended into humiliation was exalted in glory.

The Ascension Led to His Enthronement

The Ascension brought Christ to the place Scripture describes as the right hand of God.

Ephesians declares that God raised Christ from the dead:

“And set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion...”
— Ephesians 1:20–21 KJV

This is royal language.

Christ is not merely in heaven.

Christ is enthroned.

He is above principalities.

Above powers.

Above might.

Above dominion.

Above every name that is named.

The Ascension therefore reveals the present kingship of Jesus Christ.

The King who once wore a crown of thorns now reigns in glory.

The Ascended Christ Is Head of the Church

Paul continues:

“And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church.”
— Ephesians 1:22 KJV

The Ascension established Christ's heavenly position as Head over His church.

The church does not ultimately belong to a pastor, denomination, organization, or earthly institution.

The Church belongs to Christ.

He purchased it with His blood.

He builds it.

He governs it.

He supplies it.

And He is its Head.

The Ascension and Our High Priest

The Ascension also has profound priestly significance.

Hebrews declares:

“Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God...”
— Hebrews 4:14 KJV

Jesus completed His sacrificial work upon the earth, but His ministry for His people did not cease.

The ascended Christ is our Great High Priest.

Hebrews tells us:

“Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”
— Hebrews 7:25 KJV

The Ascension means that believers have a living High Priest before God.

Christ is not repeatedly sacrificing Himself. His sacrifice was once for all.

But the risen and ascended Christ continually represents His people before the Father.

The Ascension Opened the Way for the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit

One of the greatest blessings flowing from Christ's Ascension is the giving of the Holy Ghost.

Jesus had told His disciples:

“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away...”
— John 16:7 KJV

Why would His departure be advantageous?

Because Jesus continued:

“...for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.”

Peter later explained what happened at Pentecost:

“Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.”
— Acts 2:33 KJV

This creates an important biblical sequence:

Christ crucified → Christ risen → Christ ascended → Christ exalted → the Holy Ghost poured out.

Pentecost cannot be separated from the Ascension.

The outpouring of the Spirit was evidence that Jesus had been exalted at the Father's right hand.

The Ascended Christ Gave Gifts to His Church

Paul connects the Ascension with spiritual gifts:

“Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.”
— Ephesians 4:8 KJV

The exalted Christ supplies His church with what it needs for ministry and maturity.

Paul continues by identifying ministry gifts given for:

“the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”
— Ephesians 4:12 KJV

The Ascension therefore is not merely something that happened to Christ.

It produces blessings that flow from Christ to His body.

We Are Blessed in the Heavenly Places

Ephesians begins with this extraordinary declaration:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.”
— Ephesians 1:3 KJV

Notice where these blessings are located:

“in heavenly places in Christ.”

Then Paul tells us where Christ is:

seated at God's right hand in the heavenly places.

And Ephesians 2:6 goes even further:

“And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”

This is one of the great revelations of our union with Christ.

Christ was raised.

Christ ascended.

Christ was seated.

And because believers are in Christ, His exaltation establishes our spiritual position in Him.

We do not ascend bodily into heaven now as Christ did. Rather, God has identified believers with the exalted Christ so completely that Paul describes us as seated with Him “in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”

Why the Ascension Is a Crowning Spiritual Blessing

The Ascension gathers together several great truths of redemption.

Because Christ ascended:

Our King is enthroned.

Our High Priest intercedes.

Our Head governs His Church.

The Holy Ghost has been poured out.

Gifts have been given to the Body of Christ.

Believers have access to the throne of grace.

Our spiritual position is in the exalted Christ.

And we have the promise that the Christ who ascended will return.

The angels declared:

“This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”
— Acts 1:11 KJV

From Humiliation to Exaltation

There is a magnificent progression in the ministry of Christ:

Incarnation — He came down.

Crucifixion — He gave Himself.

Resurrection — He conquered death.

Ascension — He returned victoriously to heaven.

Enthronement — He sat down at the Father's right hand.

Pentecost — He poured out the Holy Ghost.

Intercession — He presently ministers for His people.

Return — He will come again.

The Ascension therefore should never be treated as a small event between the Resurrection and Pentecost.

It is essential to understanding who Jesus Christ is and what He is doing now.

Personal Application

The Ascension changes how we understand our present circumstances.

Our Savior is not in the grave.

He is not defeated.

He is not struggling against principalities and powers to determine who will ultimately prevail.

Jesus Christ is exalted.

When circumstances around us appear uncertain, we must remember where Christ is:

“Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion.”

Our confidence rests not merely in what Christ did in the past, but also in where Christ is now.

He is risen.

He is ascended.

He is enthroned.

He is interceding.

He is pouring out His Spirit.

He is building His Church.

And He is coming again.

The Ascension is therefore a crowning spiritual blessing because it declares that the Christ who completed redemption on earth now administers the blessings of that redemption from His exalted position in heaven.

The work was accomplished at the cross, victory was manifested in the resurrection, and the victorious Christ was crowned in His exaltation.