When we hear about Jesus ascending into heaven, we might picture Him physically floating up into space. But that’s not quite right.
The Ascension isn’t about Jesus relocating to some distant cosmic address.
Rather, when Scripture tells us Jesus “ascended into heaven,” it means He entered fully into God’s presence, symbolized by the cloud that received Him.
Jesus is now seated at the Father’s right hand — the position of highest honor and authority beside the King.
From this position, Christ has been “raised above all rule and authority, power and dominion,” as Paul says in Ephesians. He reigns supreme over all creation.
But this raises questions: If Jesus has all power, why do we still struggle?
Paul sheds some light on this:
When discussing Christ’s supreme authority, he prays for the Ephesians to receive wisdom and revelation — not material prosperity or immediate solutions to problems.
Paul wants them to understand what this power truly means: “the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe.”
The key insight is that Christ’s power was demonstrated most profoundly in His death and resurrection.
This power isn’t primarily about making our earthly lives comfortable but about conquering sin and death forever. It’s about eternal riches, not temporary ones.
Jesus, who loves us enough to die for us, uses His authority to work all things for our ultimate good, not just our immediate wants. His trustworthiness is our hope.
Because Christ has ascended, He now rules over everything, has sent us His Spirit, and promises to raise us to eternal life.
We will live in His kingdom forever.
Contributor Matthew Zickler is pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Western Springs, IL.
#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #jesusascension
If you have questions or topics that you’d like discussed on Higher Things, email them to content@higherthings.org
Subscribe to our channel to get notifications when we go live: http://youtube.com/@HTgospel4all
To support the work of Higher Things®, visit https://higherthings.org/morehi/giving/
For more information about Higher Things, go to https://higherthings.org
——
Join the conversation on Social Media:
http://facebook.com/higherthings
http://instagram.com/higherthings
https://www.tiktok.com/@higherthings
