Before His death, the Savior said to His own in the Upper Room, “It is to your advantage that I am going away” (Joh 16:7 NET). It made no sense to them at the time and even caused them sorrow to think that He would leave them. Why could He not remain with them here on earth, even after His death and resurrection? How could His departure be advantageous to them? In this closing chapter, we will explore why that was indeed the case – what the Lord’s ascension means for His people.
He Took Humanity Through the Heavens
The writer to the Hebrews says that “Jesus, the Son of God” “has passed through the heavens” (4:14 ESV, JND). In this particular text, “the heavens” (Greek ouranos) were the veil which He passed through. Note that His humanity is being emphasized (“Jesus”). Jesus, the Son of God, has taken humanity through the heavens. Elsewhere, the similar word “heavenlies” (Greek epouranios) is used to refer to Satan’s realm (Eph 6:12 JND). Indeed, he is the “prince of the power of the air” (2:2). Christ took humanity into enemy territory as He ascended, passing through Satan’s headquarters without being hindered or harmed. By His victorious death, He had already “disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame” (Col 2:15 ESV). And so He ascended in His glorious humanity, unscathed, through the heavens.
This was the first time a human being passed through this realm.1 But it will not be the last. “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven … the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air” (1Th 4:16-17).2 We will be raptured into “the air,” enemy territory. The Lord will bring us through the same realm through which He has passed, and we also will be unharmed!
He Took Humanity Into Heaven
Christ not only took humanity through the heavens but into heaven. Peter tells us that He has “gone into heaven” (1Pe 3:22). There is a real Man living in heaven still today, our Lord Jesus Christ. In this way, too, He is our forerunner. His presence there in a glorified body ensures our presence there in glorified bodies also. Where the Risen Head is (heaven), so will the members of His body be (Eph 1:20-23).
He Sent the Holy Spirit From Heaven
If He had remained physically on earth after His resurrection, He could not have been with every follower. But the sending of the Holy Spirit would enable all His followers to enjoy His presence. And so the Savior ascended to His heavenly throne to send the Holy Spirit, thus fulfilling His promise, “If I depart, I will send him unto you” (Joh 16:7). Peter tells us that it was from His exalted position in heaven that He sent the Spirit. “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 [i.e., poured out] this, which ye now see and hear” (Act 2:33). And the ascended Lord has given us power to witness (1:8) by His Spirit and power to serve, being equipped with gifts of the Spirit (Eph 4:8-12). Thank God that Christ ascended into heaven and sent the Holy Spirit from heaven.
He Became Our Advocate in Heaven
John writes, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous” (1Jn 2:1). First, notice that God’s desire for His people is that we “sin not.” But what happens when we do sin? Do we lose our salvation? Absolutely not! John notes that God is still our “Father.” And he does not say, “If any man sin, we have a Savior.” He is writing to people already saved. When believers sin, we need (and have) an Advocate. The word “advocate” (Greek parakletos) means “one called to another’s side.” The implication is that, when we sin, we need someone to come to our side, to represent us and to plead our cause. That is exactly what the Lord Jesus does for His people as He is in heaven.
Christ is able to represent us because He knows the subject – sin! Although He is the sinless One, He knows more than anyone the seriousness of sin, the damage it causes, the rebellion it demonstrates, and the pain He Himself endured because of it. There is no one who understands the subject better, not because He sinned Himself (an impossibility), but because He “bore our sins in his body on the tree” (1Pe 2:24 ESV).
Our Advocate is not only fit to represent us because of what He knows but also because of Who He is. He is fit to stand for us because of His humanity (John uses His human name “Jesus” here). He is fit to stand before the Father because He is without sin (John also calls Him “the Righteous”). When we sin, our Advocate stands for us in heaven before the Father and pleads the merits of His own sacrifice for sin on our behalf. We have an accuser, Satan, who can say, “Sin was committed!” But we thankfully have an Advocate, Jesus Christ, who can say, “My blood was shed!”
He Became Our High Priest in Heaven
Christ’s work as our Advocate is part of His high priestly ministry in heaven. The writer to the Hebrews said, “We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man” (Heb 8:1,2). If Christ had remained on earth, He could not be a priest here (v4), since He was not from the line of the Levites but of Judah. But the Psalmist already prophesied that the Levitical priesthood would come to an end. Indeed, it must! After the order of Melchizedek, a priest would arrive, David’s Lord, and inaugurate that priesthood when He sat at God’s right hand. That Priest was none other than our ascended Lord Jesus Christ. The first hint that the Levitical priesthood had terminated was the tearing of the temple veil when the Lord Jesus died (Mat 27:51). Now risen and ascended as our Great High Priest, “He always lives to make intercession” (Heb 7:25 ESV) for us. Because Christ ascended, He became our High Priest in heaven. “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb 4:14-16).
He Has Prepared Our Home in Heaven
The Savior said in John 14, “There are many rooms in My Father’s house …. I am going away to prepare a place for you” (vv2-3 ISV). The Carpenter from Nazareth, who likely built homes on earth, has prepared a heavenly home for you and me. This does not mean that every time a soul is saved, Christ adds another dwelling place to the Father’s house. When the Lord Jesus told His disciples He was going away, He spoke of His departure as including His death, resurrection and ascension. Thus, the way He prepared our home in heaven was by His death, resurrection and ascension. And now exalted in glory, He is there doing so much for His people. His “going away” (Joh 16:7) has indeed been to our advantage! Thank God for our ascended Savior and Lord!
Lamb of God! Thou now art seated
High upon Thy Father’s throne;
All Thy gracious work completed,
All Thy mighty vict’ry won.
Every knee in heaven is bending
To the Lamb for sinners slain;
Every voice and harp is swelling,
“Worthy is the Lamb to reign.”
Lord, in all Thy pow’r and glory,
Still Thy thoughts and eyes are here,
Watching o’er Thy ransomed people
To Thy gracious heart so dear.
Thou for us art interceding,
Everlasting is Thy love;
And a blessed rest preparing
In the Father’s house above.3
1 It does not appear that this was the case for Enoch and Elijah.
2 This and all remaining Bible quotations are from the KJV unless otherwise noted.
3 James G. Deck (1802–1884)
