Behold Your King: Not Absent, But Enthroned
Text: Acts 1:1-11 In the name of Jesus. Amen. It is important to know that Jesus' ascension is not about Jesus going away. That is often how we think of it, though. Jesus was born in Bethlehem. He suffered under Pontius Pilate. He was crucified, died, and was buried. On the third day, He rose again from the dead. Then, after appearing to His disciples for forty days, He is taken up into heaven: “Bye-bye, Jesus – we will see you later, I guess.” That is to say, we can easily think that the ascension is Jesus leaving the world and the church behind – we can view the Ascension like a newly retired person taking off to Arizona, “I’m done; I’m retired. Off to the Arizona heat to drink an ice-T.” But dear friends, that is not what the Ascension is about. The ascension is not Christ’s absence. It is Christ’s enthronement. Listen up, the Ascension is not about Jesus retiring from His work but about Jesus taking His seat of authority. ...
