The Apostles Creed | Jesus Christ Ascended To Heaven and Is Seated At The Right Hand of the Father
I believe Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
The question for most people regarding the life of Christ comes mostly after His resurrection. We have some fairly good accounts of His time on earth after His resurrection, but many people will eventually get to the question of “What is Jesus doing now?” The ministry of Jesus Christ did not conclude at the defeat of death or His resurrection. While he did do everything needed to fulfill the righteous requirements of the law, the ministry of Jesus Christ in securing salvation for His people. Jesus did not stay on earth for all eternity as some type of King of Earth. The reign of Jesus Christ extends far beyond the scope of one part of creation. Instead, Jesus returns to the throne room of God to assume His rightful place as heir to the throne.
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. (Acts 1:6-9, ESV)
The disciples watched Jesus ascend into heaven after one final address to those who would follow Him. We should not interpret ascension in the geographic or spatial sense but instead in the sense of going above us all spiritually. Heaven and the throne room of God are far above the reach of mankind. Jesus’ ascension takes the form of coming down from on high to live on earth as one of us, to continue to descend into the depths of death, and then to rise once again with the authority of having defeated every obstacle. As Christians, we tend to focus on the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ but neglect to discuss the full implications of the ascension. With Jesus, no act is wasted and everything done works for the glory of God and the good for those who follow Him. With the ascension of Jesus Christ, the salvation of those who identify with the works of Jesus Christ will reign in eternity with Him as He rules over all creation.
The Rightful Rule of Jesus Christ
As Jesus descended to the place of the dead, He defeated everything that held a claim on the souls of mankind. Nothing else would stand in the way of God’s saving of His chosen people and returning them to Himself. Now, Jesus, as the only Son of God would return to His rightful place of rule. Kings rule from the throne and the King of Kings is no exception. For all the grace that came with Jesus Christ taking on flesh for the sake of mankind, we must never forget that the rightful place of Jesus Christ is in the throne room of heaven. John’s Revelation depicts the triumphant return of Jesus Christ to His rightful position. “And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.” (Revelation 5:13-14, ESV) All the heavenly hosts and spiritual being proclaim the Kingship of Jesus Christ to stand where He stands and rule over all creation. The God who walked among us as one of us, defeated death, and now sits in the throne room of Heaven with all authority, power, and honor.
Christ, as He rules and reigns in eternity, advocates to the Father on our behalf. He speaks of the ones whom He loves and have poured His blood out for their sins. “Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25, ESV) The work of Jesus Christ is to intercede for us to the Father so that we might be able to approach the throne room of God with confidence. Once, because of our sin, we disqualified ourselves from the presence of God. Now, by the blood of Jesus Christ, as He sits on the right hand of the Father, we may approach God knowing that our way is prepared for by Jesus Christ. The opposition has been defeated and Jesus Christ rules over all creation from the throne room of God. Jesus takes his rightful place in the throne room of Heaven above all creation as the ruler of all eternity and nothing can hold any authority over Him.
Our Identification With Jesus Christ
Christ’s ascension is not without company though. Those who have put their trust and hope in the works of Jesus Christ, we accompany Him into the eternal glory of eternity. If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:1-4, ESV) When we put our trust and hope in Jesus Christ, we trust in His works that they apply to our own. We are no longer judged by the merit of our own doing but instead by the merit of what Jesus Christ did. This applies even to His ascension. When we die to ourselves and come alive to the works of Jesus Christ, we follow Jesus even to eternity.
The ascension of Jesus Christ secures our hope that we will live in eternity with a loving God who rules over all creation. Our lives can reflect this identification that we have been claimed by the blood of Christ and brought to life through His ascension as He sits at the right hand of the Father. These are precisely the things we should seek while we live on this side of eternity. Our lives should reflect the magnificent nature as a proclamation of the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. Our hope does not rest in the things of this world, but in the security of an eternity claimed and established by the King of Kings. Our life does not reflect the starved and depraved actions of one seeking personal pleasure but reflect a life dedicated to the greater things of the Spirit. For those who follow Jesus, our eternal lives are secured because Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven and rules with authority, forever.
