By Paxson Jeancake
Introduction
Few subjects have captured my heart, mind, and imagination like the ascension of Christ. Since 2005, I have written songs, articles, blogs, and sermons on the ascended life of Jesus. What struck me so profoundly fifteen years ago was how something so central to the story of redemption and so important throughout church history could be virtually absent among us today? When we read from Augustine, for example, we find that the Ascension was:
That festival which confirms the grace of all the festivals together, without which the profitableness of every festival would have perished. For unless the Savior had ascended into heaven, His Nativity would have come to nothing… His Passion would have borne no fruit for us, and His most holy Resurrection would have been useless. (Davies, He Ascended Into Heaven, pg. 170)
Through the years I have tried to play a role in balancing the scales once again in the church. I long to see the event and present spiritual realities of the ascension hold a more prominent place in our worship and in the life of believers. In this article, I will focus on the Lucan writings and discuss how, and perhaps why, the ascension is the central organizing and theological event in Luke-Acts. Since Luke-Acts represents one-quarter of the New Testament writings, these are not small considerations. I will also offer a few practical ways that we can begin to highlight the ascension in Luke-Acts, in the church, and through the arts.
How the Ascension is Central to Luke-Acts
The Chiastic Structure
When I first began my deep dive into the ascension I came across an article by Kenneth Wolfe entitled, The Chiastic Structure of Luke-Acts and Some Implications for Worship. In that article Wolfe argues for the chiastic structure of Luke-Acts with the ascension of Christ at the center of the chiasm. A chiasm is an ancient literary device that gives overall structure to a literary work and highlights what is of primary importance to the author. Thus, for Wolfe, the ascension is of primary importance in Luke-Acts.
Observing the diagram above, Wolfe argues that the Gospel of Luke moves from a Galilean context, through Judea and Samaria (the “Travel Narrative” section of Luke, 9:51-19:40), to Jerusalem, and ultimately ends with the ascension of Jesus. The Book of Acts picks up with the ascension of Jesus, locates the disciples in Jerusalem, then moves outward through Judea and Samaria (Acts 8:1b-11:18) after the stoning of Stephen, and ends with Paul in Rome - at that time, pretty close to “the end of the earth.” (Acts 11:19-28:31). Of course, Jesus himself telegraphs this “gospel movement” just before ascending. He tells the disciples:
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. (Acts 1:8, NLT)
Once I understood the organization of Luke-Acts in this manner, I could not see it, read it, or understand it any other way. Not only, however, does the chiastic structure reveal its centrality, but the details along the way also reinforce the primary importance of the ascension for Luke.
The Conversation Between Jesus, Moses, and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration
In the narrative of the Mount of Transfiguration, Luke offers a detail which the other Gospel accounts do not. He sheds light on the nature of the conversation between Jesus, Moses, and Elijah in this divine event:
About eight days later Jesus took Peter, John, and James up on a mountain to pray. And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly, two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared and began talking with Jesus. They were glorious to see. And they were speaking about his exodus from this world, which was about to be fulfilled in Jerusalem. (Luke 9:28-31, NLT)
This “exodus from this world” is no doubt the ascension of Jesus. In the Old Testament, the exodus from Egypt was God’s great act of deliverance. Jesus’ exodus (ascension) from this world is God’s great act of deliverance in the New Testament. Having completed his mission of atoning for the sins of the world and offering the hope of new life, Jesus returned to his Father in heaven to be our ever-interceding Lord!
Perhaps it was through an interview with Peter or James or John that Luke may have discovered this detail. We know that Luke interviewed eyewitnesses. Perhaps one of these three, who were present (though somewhat groggy), may have overheard a bit of this conversation. Whatever the case, it is worth noting that in this mysterious event, the transfigured Jesus spoke with Moses and Elijah about his ascension.
The Introduction to the Travel Narrative Section of Luke
Furthermore, Luke telegraphs the importance of the ascension again in a statement that occurs just a few verses after the transfiguration narrative.
As the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. (Luke 9:51, NLT)
This verse begins what is commonly referred to as the “Travel Narrative” section of Luke. Despite the common bias in some commentaries for the cross or the resurrection, Luke plainly states that it is the ascension that is his focus and motivation for going to Jerusalem. This was the ultimate fulfillment of his mission on earth. The ascension is the fulcrum of redemptive history, transitioning Jesus from the risen Lord who began his ministry on earth, to the ascended Lord who continues his ministry to his people from heaven through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Peter’s Sermon and Insights on the Day of Pentecost
As we move into the Book of Acts, we can see further how the ascension is central to this two-volume work. On the Day of Pentecost, as the disciples were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, Peter stood up to explain this mysterious occurrence. After quoting from Psalm 16, Peter offered this apostolic commentary:
Dear brothers, think about this! You can be sure that the patriarch David wasn’t referring to himself, for he died and was buried, and his tomb is still here among us. But he was a prophet, and he knew God had promised with an oath that one of David’s own descendants would sit on his throne. David was looking into the future and speaking of the Messiah’s resurrection. He was saying that God would not leave him among the dead or allow his body to rot in the grave. (Acts 2:29-31, NLT)
In the same manner, Peter then acknowledged the reality of Jesus’ ascension, quoted from Psalm 110, and offered further apostolic interpretation of the Old Testament Psalms:
Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today. For David himself never ascended into heaven, yet he said,
“The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit in the place of honor at my right hand
until I humble your enemies,
making them a footstool under your feet.”
So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah! (Acts 2:33-36, NLT)
On the Day of Pentecost Peter explained the divine dialogue in Psalm 110:1 between God the Father and God the Son. He pointed back to another Old Testament, Davidic psalm and showed how Jesus’ Lordship is portrayed and fulfilled in it. Clearly, for Peter, the reality of the ascension was of great importance to understanding Jesus as Lord and Messiah.
Some Observations Regarding Peter’s Insights on the Day of Pentecost
It is worth asking, “Where did Peter receive all of this knowledge?!” Is this the same Peter who, just a month prior to this even, had denied Jesus three times? Isn’t he one of the twelve who never seemed to understand Jesus’ mission - that he came to die, to rise, and to ascend back to his Father? How was Peter able to stand up so boldly and start quoting and interpreting Old Testament Scriptures??!!
When one considers Jesus’ promises to the disciples (and to us) in John’s gospel, and his appearances to them prior to his ascension, the answers become clear. In his last discourse before his crucifixion, Jesus told the disciples that he would send another Advocate who would remind them of all that he had taught. And over a period of forty days after the resurrection he appeared to them and opened their minds to all that was written about him in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms.
I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. (John 14:25-26, NLT)
Then he said, “When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. (Luke 24:44-45, NLT)
Jesus opened the minds of the disciples as he did the two men on the road to Emmaus. I’m sure their hearts were burning as he spent hours expounding on the Scriptures and his fulfillment of them. Surely Jesus referred back to the law of Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms and showed the disciples how he fulfilled these portions of Scripture. We can imagine Jesus saying to them, for example:
Here, in Psalm 16, David wasn’t referring to himself. He was a prophet, and he knew God had promised that one of his own descendants would sit on his throne. David was looking into the future and speaking of my resurrection.
Thus, as Peter stands up on the Day of Pentecost, filled with the Holy Spirit, he is able to explain with clarity how Jesus fulfills two Old Testament psalms, highlighting the resurrection and the ascension and declaring Jesus as Lord and Messiah.
The Economy of the Trinity
There is an economy to the Trinity and an order to the events of redemptive history which can be more clearly understood and appropriated when we have a solid grasp on the ascended life of Jesus at the right hand of the Father and the indwelling Holy Spirit, our Advocate, here on earth. What Peter experienced on the Day of Pentecost is a spiritual reality that is available to all Christians! Our ascended Lord Jesus still speaks to us through his word and through the illuminating power of the Holy Spirit!
Stephen’s Vision
Another example in the Book of Acts that demonstrates the centrality of the ascension is in the martyrdom of the Stephen, the first deacon of the church. After delivering a lengthy and powerful speech, Luke describes the striking contrast between the Jewish leaders and Stephen.
The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen’s accusation, and they shook their fists at him in rage. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand. And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!”
Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. His accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul.
As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died. (Acts 2:54-60, NLT)
This is a powerful, though sobering narrative. I was so inspired by this text in 2009 that I penned a song entitled, “Right Hand of the Father.” In the third verse I penned the following lyrics:
At the right hand of the Father, standing now to welcome home,
sons and daughters, every martyr not ashamed to be called his own.
Stephen, in some mysterious way, saw a real, physical, ascended Jesus, standing, according to Swete, “to succour His servant in the hour of great need.” (Swete, The Appearances of Our Lord after the Passion, pg. 118). I am moved by the power of Stephen’s vision each time I read this narrative. To believe that Jesus advocates for us in this way fills me with fresh faith and fervor for my Lord.
Saul’s Conversion
Finally, Luke’s account of Saul’s conversion demonstrates the centrality of the ascension in Luke-Acts. Luke records this powerful story in three places in the Book of Acts: Acts 9:1-9; 22:6-11; 26:12-18. Here is the first account of Saul’s conversion in Acts 9:
As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?”
“Who are you, lord?” Saul asked.
And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
The men with Saul stood speechless, for they heard the sound of someone’s voice but saw no one! Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus. He remained there blind for three days and did not eat or drink. (Acts 9:3-9, NLT)
In this conversion story, Saul did not encounter the earthly Jesus (as the other apostles). He heard the voice of the ascended Jesus, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” And it changed his life forever. It is interesting to note that in another account, as Paul is before King Agrippa, he adds another detail to Jesus’ words to him:
At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me. And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” (Acts 26:13-14, ESV)
I love it that Jesus speaks to Saul through an idiom of the day, “It is hard for you to kick against the goads” was a Greek expression that implies “ruinous resistance.” The NLT translates this same phrase as, “It is useless for you to fight against my will.”
This tells us something about the manner in which Jesus speaks to his people. In his humanity, Jesus gets down on our level and speaks to us in poignant ways he knows we will understand. The main point, however, is that Saul (later Paul) was utterly transformed by the power of the ascended Jesus. Through the years, he still remembered the very words that were spoken to him on the road to Damascus, and his life was radically changed by them.
With some answers as to how the ascension is central to Luke-Acts, I will now offer some insights on why it may have been so central to Luke, the “beloved doctor” (Colossians 4:14) and Paul’s loyal travel companion.
Why the Ascension is Central to Luke-Acts
The question of how the ascension is central to Luke-Acts has made itself pretty clear to me over the years. The question of why it was so central to Luke has not been… until recently. An interesting story emerges when we take ourselves to the point at which doctor Luke, himself, enters the narrative. Throughout the Book of Acts, Luke writes in the third person plural (“they/them”). When we arrive at chapter 16, however, the pronouns change to first person plural (“we/us”).
In Acts 16, Paul and Silas are on their second missionary journey, and they have just recently picked up young Timothy in Lystra to join them on their gospel adventures. Guided by the Holy Spirit (perhaps for a divine encounter), they end up in Troas. There Paul has a vision about a man in Macedonia. It is at this point that the pronouns shift and Luke himself joins the adventure. Here is Luke’s account:
Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time. Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed north for the province of Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go there. So instead, they went on through Mysia to the seaport of Troas.
That night Paul had a vision: A man from Macedonia in northern Greece was standing there, pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” So we decided to leave for Macedonia at once, having concluded that God was calling us to preach the Good News there. (Acts 16:6-10, NLT)
I believe that this account in Acts 16:6-10 offers us some clues as to why the ascension is so central to Luke-Acts. Most scholars agree that this is where Paul first meets Luke. If this is true, it would seem fairly plausible that Paul shared with Luke about his conversion. In telling his story to Luke he may have begun by sharing about Stephen and how “His accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul.” (Acts 7:58) I can hear Paul confessing, “Luke, that we me. I was giving approval to Stephen’s persecution.” He then, no doubt, would have shared how he was struck blind on the road to Damascus; how he was on his way to persecute Christians; and how the voice of the ascended Lord Jesus changed his life forever.
I believe that the ascension is so central to Luke-Acts because it was so powerful to Luke, personally. First impressions are highly formative. Though Luke would later hear eyewitness accounts about the appearances of the resurrected Jesus to Mary, to Peter, and to the other disciples, the first testimony he likely heard was of the transformative power of the ascended Jesus.
Through his travels with Paul, he both heard and experienced, first-hand, the power of the ascended Jesus. I believe this is why the ascension is so central in Luke-Acts.
What We Can Do to Highlight the Centrality of the Ascension
In closing I would like to offer some practical ways that we can highlight the centrality of the ascension in Luke-Acts, in our churches, and through the arts.
Read, Preach, and Teach Luke-Acts in the Way that Luke Intended
Unfortunately, the “canonical” order does not place Luke and Acts together - they are separated by the Gospel of John. I would simply encourage believers to read through Luke-Acts as one story in two books as Luke intended. Try to read large chunks in a few sittings for the greatest effect. I would also encourage pastors and small group leaders to take a season and preach and teach through Luke-Acts.
Celebrate Eastertide and the Festivals of the Ascension and Pentecost in Corporate Worship
It is also unfortunate in most evangelical churches today that Christmas Eve and Easter Sunday are the only two festivals that are celebrated throughout the Christian Year. I would encourage pastors and worship leaders to give energy and attention to the season of Eastertide, the “Great Fifty Days.”
Take time to highlight the narratives of the appearances of Jesus after his resurrection. Plan robust celebrations for Ascension, perhaps on the Seventh Sunday of Easter (a common practice) so that it is not lost to a poorly attended Thursday service. Utilize Scripture readings (perhaps Lectionary selections) from various ascension texts (Psalm 24, Acts 1:1-11, Ephesians 1:15-23). Celebrate the Day of Pentecost. Sing biblical songs about the Holy Spirit, read selections on the fruit of the Spirit, the gifts of the Spirit, etc.
Give Opportunities for the Artists in Your Church to Create Works Related to the Ascension
I have actually held “Call to Artists” events in the churches in which I have served. Having a live gallery that people can take in after the Ascension Day and Pentecost services has been a refreshing and enlightening experience for both the participants and the congregation. I have seen visual artists, songwriters, poets, photographers, wood workers, and many others participate in these events.
We cannot underestimate the way that art forms us in profound ways. Creating and receiving various artistic expressions related to the ascension can be a powerful means of grasping its many truths and implications for us.
My heart and goal in writing still resonates with that of J.G. Davies who wrote:
There are those who claim that the Cross is the heart of the Gospel; others that the Resurrection should occupy this position. It is not my intention to seek to displace either of these two by the Ascension, but to add the Ascension to them, so that this triad in unity is recognized as forming the heart of the Gospel. (Davies, He Ascended into Heaven, pg. 170)
May this be true in the church today. To God alone be the glory.