Time to Get Up!

I remember some pretty cold mornings getting up for school in the middle of a Missouri winter. My Mom’s loving voice let us know it was “time to get up.” After being asleep, it was worth the effort to “rise and shine” and get into the day. When Christ comes back, the “asleep” in Christ are going to get up. And believers who are alive will also get up with new spiritual bodies.

I Thessalonians 4:16,17:
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and 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: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

The Lord Jesus Christ himself will descend from heaven with a shout. “Time to get up!” But how did he get up in heaven in the first place? That is the story of the ascension.

Jesus Christ’s Ascension Promised

Tomorrow’s date corresponds to the day (almost 2,000 years ago) when Jesus Christ ascended to the right hand of the Father. It was a Thursday, and just ten days before the outpouring of the gift of holy spirit on the day of Pentecost. Let’s see what happened almost twenty centuries ago, and how the Father prepared to put His Son at His side.

The Messiah’s ascension had been promised by the Psalmist long ago. And it would bring magnificent blessings.

Psalms 68:18,19:
Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them.
Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.

The Lord God brings our salvation, most notably through Jesus Christ. Today God loads us daily with benefits in Christ. It’s because Jesus “ascended on high” and “led captivity captive” that we have such blessings.

Could anyone accomplish such a feat by their own power? No, it was the Father Who raised His Son. God, Who is infinite in power and ability, is the only One Who could do such a thing.

Proverbs 30:4,5:
Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou canst tell?
Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

God’s Word is absolutely pure and worthy of our trust. What is the name of the One who gathers the wind, sets bounds for the waters, and establishes the earth’s ends? God Almighty. And what is the name of His Son? The Lord Jesus Christ. We can tell all of this, because His Word is faithful and true.

Lucifer tried to ascend on his own power, without God’s help. Yet his pride brought him to the lowest pit.

Isaiah 14:13-15:
For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

Job knew that, despite his present suffering, God would one day send a redeemer—and that Job himself would see God in a new body.

Job 19:25,26:
For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.

Jesus Christ’s Ascension

After completing his mission so that “It is finished” (John 19:30), Jesus Christ spent three days and three nights in the grave. Then His Father raised him in glory from the dead. With a new spiritual body, Jesus spent the next forty days blessing and teaching his disciples, to prepare them for God’s great gift of holy spirit to come. One of those followers was Mary Magdelene.

John 20:17:
Jesus saith unto her [Mary Magdelene], Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

On the last of those forty days, Jesus Christ said good-bye to those he loved.

Mark 16:19
So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.

Luke 24:50,51:
And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.
And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.

Hebrews 4:14:
Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into [through] the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

Hebrews 7:26:
For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.

I Peter 3:22:
Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.

Jesus Christ passed through the heavens and is now seated at God’s right hand, higher than the heavens. Now, all angels (including fallen angels) and authorities and powers are subject to God’s Son.

Before he was ascended, Jesus promised that, even though he would be no longer on earth, those who believe would receive power and have direct access to the Father through him.

Acts 1:8-11:
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

What Christ’s Ascension Means to Us

God’s promise in Christ came to pass ten days later on Pentecost. Peter boldly spoke of Jesus Christ’s ascension before all those assembled for that feast in Jerusalem.

Acts 2:32-34,38:
This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
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 this, which ye now see and hear.
For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand.
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost [holy spirit].

God raised His Son from the dead and seated him at His own right hand. Think of the amazing power involved in that! And that is the power we have today in Christ when we “receive the gift” of the holy spirit. For we are part of the body of Christ and are filled “all in all.”

Ephesians 1:19-23:
And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

When we receive the gift of holy spirit, we join our brother and Lord in that seated position of authority. We are seated with Christ “far above” every evil spirit in the Devil’s kingdom, including every “principality, and power, and might, and dominion.” We are no longer spiritually dead, and can escape the “course of this world” that the Devil lays out for us. By God’s great grace, His rich mercy, and His endless love, we have been raised to life, ascended in glory, and seated in authority with Christ.

Ephesians 2:1-6:
And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

Jesus Christ accomplished all things for us. He ascended up to fill all things necessary. He carried out the prophecy in Psalm 68—ascending on high, leading captivity captive, and giving gifts to men. For when we confess with our mouth Jesus as Lord and believe that God raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9,10), we have God’s grace and the full measure of the gift of Christ in us.

Ephesians 4:7,8,10:
But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.

But, how did Jesus get such authority and power? How did he become Lord of all? Humility is always the key to seeing God’s power in our lives.

Philippians 2:7-11:
But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

God, our Father, gets the glory when we acknowledge the Lordship of Jesus Christ in our lives. Our battles each day are not on a five-senses level. They are spiritual, and with Christ in us, we can overcome.

II Corinthians 10:3-5 [New Testament in Modern English]:
The truth is that, although of course we lead normal human lives, the battle we are fighting is on the spiritual level. The very weapons we use are not those of human warfare but powerful in God’s warfare for the destruction of the enemy’s strongholds. Our battle is to bring down every deceptive fantasy and every imposing defence that men erect against the true knowledge of God. We even fight to capture every thought until it acknowledges the authority of Christ.

Let’s spend today and every day, “getting up” by capturing our thoughts to acknowledge our spiritual position and authority in the risen and ascended Christ. What a joy it will be when, whether we are alive or “asleep,” Christ returns and it’s time to “get up” forever with him!