The ascension marks Christ’s exaltation, the moment He takes His rightful place at the Father’s right hand to rule, represent, and continue His redemptive mission through the Church. Without the ascension, there would be no Spirit-filled Church, ongoing intercession, and heavenly authority behind the Great Commission.
In Acts 1, Jesus departs from the disciples’ sight not to abandon them but to empower them for a mission that spans the earth. That same mission continues today, fueled by a risen and ascended Christ who reigns as King, speaks as Prophet, and intercedes as Priest.
This message explores three essential truths about the ascension: where Jesus is now, what He is doing, and why it matters today.
1. Jesus Ascended to Rule a Kingdom Without End (Acts 1:4-11; Daniel 7:13-14)
The ascension of Jesus often goes unnoticed in conversations about His work, yet it holds critical importance in the story of redemption. After rising from the grave, Jesus didn’t remain on earth—He returned to heaven and took His place at the Father’s right hand. This moment, recorded in Acts 1, reveals a shift from the earthly to the eternal.
Jesus didn’t leave His disciples without purpose; He went to reign. Drawing from Daniel 7, where the “Son of Man” is given dominion, glory, and an everlasting kingdom, Jesus’ ascension fulfills that vision. He accepted Israel’s hope for a kingdom—He expanded it. Instead of a local reign, His ascension launched a global kingdom mission.
Before, the kingdom was confined to wherever Jesus physically walked. Now, the kingdom has gone viral. He reigns from heaven, extending His rule to every nation, tribe, and tongue through His Spirit-empowered Church.
The disciples might have felt abandoned as they watched Jesus rise and disappear into the clouds. But Jesus had told them in John 16:7, “It is for your benefit that I go away.” With his ascension, the victorious King occupied the throne of heaven.
The ascension isn’t a sad goodbye—it’s a triumphant coronation. Jesus reigns today. He governs history, sustains creation, and builds His Church. His work didn’t stop with the resurrection; it was only beginning.
2. Jesus Speaks Now Through His Spirit and Word (John 14:12; John 16:13-15)
After Jesus ascended, He did not grow silent. Instead, His voice now resounds through the Holy Spirit and Scripture. During His earthly ministry, hearing Jesus meant being near Him physically. But now, He speaks universally, intimately, and continually through His Spirit and Word.
In John 16, Jesus promised that the Spirit would guide His people into all truth and glorify Him by declaring His message. That promise came to life after the ascension. The boundaries of Jesus’ physical body no longer limit His ministry. The Gospel now travels through every voice that carries His name, every believer filled with His Spirit.
The Church, empowered and equipped, carries Jesus’s prophetic work further and wider than He did in His earthly days. He even said, “…greater works than these will you do, because I go to the Father” (John 14:12). The ascension made that multiplication possible.
But Jesus still speaks personally. He uses Scripture to shape His followers, challenge them, comfort them, and send them. The question isn’t whether He’s speaking, it’s whether His people are listening.
Distractions, digital noise, and cultural confusion often drown out His voice. To hear Him clearly, believers must quiet their minds, create space for Scripture, engage in prayerful listening, and seek wisdom in community.
Jesus is not a silent Savior seated in the heavens—He is the Word still speaking. The ascended Christ leads His Church through Spirit-empowered truth. When believers lean in to listen, they find clarity, courage, and conviction.
3. Jesus Intercedes for His People as Their High Priest (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 4:15-16)
The ascended Jesus is King, Prophet, and the Great High Priest. At the right hand of the Father, He intercedes for His people. He doesn’t simply observe their struggles from afar; He brings their burdens before the throne of grace with deep compassion and complete authority.
Romans 8:34 tells us that Christ, risen and ascended, intercedes on behalf of His people. He advocates in every anxious thought, heartbreak, and prayer for help. He knows what it means to suffer, weep, be betrayed, and feel pain. And because He knows, He sympathizes (Hebrews 4:15).
When followers of Jesus feel crushed under the weight of life—grief, temptation, uncertainty, they are not alone. Their Savior is not indifferent. He’s pleading their cause, securing their access to mercy, and offering grace that never runs dry.
Jesus’s pathway to glory was paved with suffering, and so too is the Christian life. But pain is not wasted in God’s economy. Through Christ, even suffering becomes a stage for glory to be revealed (Romans 8:18).
The ascension ensures that Jesus is both present and powerful. His heavenly intercession gives believers boldness to approach God, not in fear, but in confidence. He represents them, knows them, and never forgets them.
When believers take communion, they don’t just remember a past death—they respond to a living Savior who welcomes them to His table and throne. The ascended Christ invites all to draw near, wounded and weary, and waiting for restoration. His presence in heaven is their constant hope on earth.
Conclusion
The ascension of Jesus is not a footnote in the Gospel—it’s the launch of His current and eternal ministry. Christ has not stepped away from the world; He has stepped into authority over it. He reigns in power, speaks by His Spirit, and intercedes for His people with mercy and compassion.
For believers, the ascension assures them that Jesus is actively involved in their lives right now. He has not forgotten them and hasn’t grown distant or indifferent. He rules in sovereignty, speaks into their struggles, and brings every need before the Father’s throne.
This truth invites believers to live with confidence and purpose. Their King is not absent, their Advocate is not silent, and their mission is not over.
So they draw near to remember what Jesus has done and to respond to what He is doing now. The ascended Christ still works through His Church, calling each believer to listen, trust, and live in light of His heavenly rule.
The throne is not empty. And because Jesus reigns, His people can stand firm, speak boldly, and live faithfully until the day He returns.
