Our Sacred Roots: The Priesthood of All Believers

The Risen Lord Has Ascended to the Right Hand of God The Ascension of Christ to heaven refers to that event where the risen Jesus, after forty days of confirming his resurrection to his disciples, ascended to the Father. On his arrival, God “seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come” (Eph. 1.20b-21; 1 Pet. 3.22; Luke 24.17-53). On Ascension Day, we celebrate with Christians all over the world the Ascension of our Lord to God’s right hand. Glorified by the Father as Head of the Church (cf. Eph. 1.15-23), our Lord has sent his Spirit into the world, intercedes for his own before God, and reigns above in a position of glory and power awaiting the coming judgment. As one commentator put it, there is “no incident in the life of Jesus at one and the same time so beset with difficulties and so essential as the Ascension” (William Barclay as quoted in Norman Gulley, “The Ascension of Christ” in The Anchor Bible Dictionary , Vol. 1, p. 472). Others have referred to this important doctrine of the Church and Creed as the “most neglected doctrine of the church.” Still, the Ascension of Jesus is one of the New Testament’s central themes. Without it, we cannot understand the sending of the Spirit into the world, Jesus’ high priestly ministry for the Church, the harvesting of souls during this age “between the times,” or the blessed hope of Jesus’ return. The claim of God’s exaltation of Jesus to his right hand was a staple in the apostles’ preaching and teaching, and it must become a central theme in our worship and mission if we are to be true witnesses of the Gospel. Proofs of the Resurrection, Promises of the Spirit’s Coming For forty days following his resurrection from the dead, the risen Jesus provided the apostles with a number of convincing

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