Meditation by Dr. Brian DeVries
“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.” (Hebrews 4:14 KJV)
Of what benefit is the ascension of Christ? The Heidelberg Catechism mentions three advantages for believers gained through Christ’s ascension:
“First, that He is our advocate in the presence of His Father in heaven; secondly, that we have our flesh in heaven as a sure pledge that He, as the head, will also take up to Himself, us, His members; thirdly, that He sends us His Spirit as an earnest, by whose power we ‘seek the things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God, and not things on earth’” (Lord’s Day 18, Q. 49).
Christ, our Advocate in Heaven
An advocate is someone who pleads the cause of another, often before a tribunal or judicial court. The ascended Christ advocates for His people in the presence of God.
Consider the history of Stephen, the first recorded martyr of Christ. The rulers of Jewish society refused to hear the gospel message he declared. He was stoned to death, even though no charge was brought against him. But as he prayed for his murderers, he saw a vision of “the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:56). Stephen was comforted by a sight of the ascended Christ before the throne, pleading on his behalf. Believers who endure persecution for their faith today can see with eyes of faith their Advocate standing at the throne and pleading on their behalf.
Christ is now in heaven pleading for His persecuted people, but He is also pleading for His sinful people. Remember our Lord’s loving words to Peter before Peter denied Him with cursing and swearing: “Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not” (Luke 22:31–32). Christ is also praying for you, backsliding believer. The Great High Priest reminds the Holy Father of His perfect sacrifice and says, “I died for that sinner and I will soon present him spotless before this throne.”
People of God, consider this great benefit: Your Savior is now in heaven, pleading on your behalf at the throne of grace. How can a gracious and loving Father refuse such perfect prayers of such a High Priest?
Christ, our Head in Heaven
Believers are united to Christ in spiritual union. We are members of His body; we partake in His f lesh. We celebrate this mystical union with the sacrament of Holy Communion. Since Christ—our flesh by mystical union—has ascended into heaven, then a part of us is already in heaven. We have been raised with Christ (Col. 3:1) and we are seated with Him in the heavenly places (Eph. 2:6).
Charles Simeon, a leader among evangelicals in England during the early 1800s, found comfort in this truth. When asked at the end of his life how he had faced so many afflictions, he replied, “We must not mind a little suffering for Christ’s sake. When I am getting through a hedge, if my head and shoulders are safely through, I can bear the pricking of my legs. Let us rejoice in the remembrance that our holy Head has surmounted all His suffering and triumphed over death. Let us follow Him patiently; we shall soon be partakers of His victory.”
The ascension of Christ our Head is a constant reminder and sure pledge of our future glorification, even as we members of His body are still living within this world below. As surely as Christ is now in heaven, so surely will He soon take His people to be with Him forever in glory.
The Spirit of Christ, our Power
Christ’s ongoing ministry from heaven is a third benefit of the ascension for believers. The victorious Christ has returned to heaven from where He is now distributing lavish gifts of grace to His church. His first and greatest gift is the sending of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is a guarantee of our future inheritance (Eph. 1:14); He empowers every believer and the church to prepare them for glory.
Consider the benefit of the Spirit in our lives. The Comforter lives within us, encouraging us and applying Christ’s graces in our lives so that we become more like Christ in every way. He gives us faith to keep on believing, power to keep on repenting, love to keep on obeying. He teaches us how to live in love, to walk by faith, to pray with hope. The Spirit is a wonderful guarantee and gracious gift to us, given upon Christ’s ascension.
Consider also the benefit of the Spirit’s presence in the church. The Holy Spirit empowers the church to witness of Christ. He distributes the blessings of Christ and spiritually gifts the church so that we can together serve for the maturing of Christ’s body on earth. The Spirit helps us bear witness of Christ and empowers us for missional ministry. These all are benefits we receive through the Holy Spirit sent by the ascended Christ.
We enjoy all of these benefits because of Christ’s ascension, if we are Christian believers. The biblical doctrine of Christ’s ascension—as well as the Heidelberg Catechism—describes the spiritual comfort of those people who have, by a Spirit-worked faith, taken hold of Christ and His benefits. Have you, by Spirit-worked faith, taken hold of Christ and claimed these spiritual benefits for yourself? We are invited by God’s Word to draw near in full assurance and to hold fast to the confession of this hope (Heb. 10:19–23), since our Christ is now in heaven.
Dr. Brian DeVries is president of Mukhanyo Theological School in South Africa and an ordained minister in the Heritage Reformed Congregations. Article used by permission of the Banner of Sovereign Grace Truth publication.