Jesus Ascends

Ephesians 4:7-8

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I want to share with you today two verses from Ephesians Chapter four. These are verses seven and eight,

But to each one of us grace was given, according to the measure of the gift from Christ. That is why it says, “When he ascended on high, he took captivity captive and gave gifts to his people.” (Ephesians 4:7-8)

Sounds a little strange. Maybe to us. A little difficult to understand right away. But this is a reference to Psalm 68. A Psalm that finds its fulfillment in Jesus’ ascension. When we talk about Jesus, we talk so much about his birth, his life, his death, his resurrection. But what happens after he rises? He ascends. He’s speaking to his disciples and suddenly he just starts to lift off the ground. He starts to float up, ascend up into the sky until he’s hidden by some clouds. Now, why does he do this? It’s not to leave us. We know that because he has promised. He says, Surely I am with you always. Even to the very end of the age. I will never leave you. I will never forsake you.

Our text says that he took captivity captive. This ascension is a sign of his victory. Jesus had overcome the thing that enslaved us. The thing that enslaves us is sin. So he had taken captivity. The thing that held us captive, the thing that made us worship ourselves, that made us serve only ourselves. He had defeated sin by living perfectly in our place. He had won the victory. And now in victory, Jesus ascends to take his rightful role, his rightful position, at the right hand of God. This is not a location. It’s not that Jesus is sitting on his throne and never moves. This is a position, a role of power, a role of authority and role of glory and might. And now what Jesus does is he uses this authority and his power to give His gifts to us. We as adopted as his people, the people to whom he has given this wonderful gift of faith.

The primary gift that he gives us is the fullness of his grace. That’s what verse seven is saying. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. This is not a thing that divides. This is a verse of unity. Christ has unloaded the fullness of His grace on us as His people, the fullness of his undeserved love. Jesus’ ascension does not mean that he has left us. We know that he is present with us, still. He’s united us to himself. He dwells within us through faith. He is with us In his word. He is the Word made flesh and he is with us in his sacrament, as well as he gives us his body and his blood.

Not only has Jesus not left us, he promises us that He never will. That unity that we share with them in faith will not end. And we will enjoy eternal unity with him in paradise and heaven. Let’s pray and thank him.

Dear Jesus, we thank you for your ascension. We thank you that as you have ascended to the right hand of God, that you use that position of power, authority and might to bless us, to give us your good spiritual gifts. Lord, we thank you that you have given us the fullness of your grace, the fullness of the forgiveness that you won for us on the cross. We ask that you would enable us to live with that cross that forgiveness, that grace as our motivation for every day of our life as your people. In your name, we pray. Amen.