A Day of Joy, Not Sadness: Why Jesus’ Ascension is the Ultimate Source of Your Hope

☁️ The Best Goodbye in History: Why the Disciples Didn’t Cry ✨

Goodbyes are usually terrible. We associate them with airports, hospital rooms, and tears. When someone we love leaves, we feel empty.

So, the end of the Gospel of Luke contains a bizarre detail.

Jesus leads His disciples out to Bethany. He lifts His hands, blesses them, and begins to float upward into the sky until a cloud hides Him. He is gone.

Logic dictates the disciples should be devastated. They just lost their Master again. But look at their reaction:

“And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.” —Luke 24:52 (KJV)

Great joy? Why?

Because they finally understood the plan. The Ascension wasn’t an Exit; it was an Enthronement. Jesus wasn’t abandoning the mission; He was going to the Control Room to finish it.

Part I: The Coronation of the King 👑

He Didn’t Just Go “Up,” He Sat “Down” 💺

We often focus on the direction (up into the clouds). But the destination matters more.

The Bible tells us exactly where Jesus went: “He was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God” (Mark 16:19).

In the ancient world, to sit at the King’s right hand meant you held the executive power of the Kingdom.

• On the Cross, Jesus was the Sacrifice.
• In the Tomb, He was the Victor.
• At the Ascension, He became the Ruler.

The disciples rejoiced because their Rabbi was now running the universe. He wasn’t gone; He was governing.

For more on the significance of the clouds He rode, read What Was the Mysterious Cloud That Filled Solomon’s Temple?.

Part II: The Great Exchange (The Holy Spirit) 🕊️

Why It Was “Expedient” for Him to Go 🔄

Jesus told the disciples something shocking before He died:

“It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you…” —John 16:7 (KJV)

This is the key to their joy.

• Incarnation: Jesus was limited to one place at one time. If He was in Jerusalem, He wasn’t in Galilee.
• Ascension: By leaving physically, He could send the Holy Spirit to be everywhere at once.

The Ascension upgraded their relationship. They traded a Savior beside them for a Spirit inside them. This is why we have hope today—we don’t need to travel to Israel to find God; He is resident in our hearts.

Part III: The Current Job (Intercession) 🗣️

He is Praying for You Right Now 🙏

What is Jesus doing in Heaven? He isn’t just sitting around. He is working for you.

“He is able also to save them to the uttermost… seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” —Hebrews 7:25 (KJV)

The Ascension means we have an Advocate in the highest court. When you sin, when you fail, when the Accuser points a finger at you, Jesus points to His scars and says, “Paid for.”

For more on the ultimate return of the King, read The Sky Splits Open: Why the Final Trumpet Changes Everything.

Part IV: 3 Common Misconceptions About the Ascension 💡

Misconception 1: Jesus is “gone.”

• Correction: He is absent bodily, but present spiritually. He promised, “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20). He is more present now through the Spirit than He was when He walked in Galilee.

Misconception 2: It was just a spiritual vision.

• Correction: The Bible emphasizes the physical nature of the event. They watched Him go. The angels said He would return “in like manner” (Acts 1:11). A physical Jesus left, and a physical Jesus will return. This guarantees our own bodily resurrection.

Misconception 3: The Ascension isn’t as important as the Cross.

• Correction: Without the Ascension, the Cross is incomplete. The High Priest must not only kill the lamb; he must enter the Holy of Holies to present the blood. The Ascension is Jesus entering the heavenly temple to secure our eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:12).

Conclusion: Keep Your Head in the Clouds 🌟

Why is the Ascension a day of joy? Because it proves the mission was a success.

If Jesus had stayed dead, we would be hopeless. If He had stayed on earth, He would be limited. But because He Ascended, He is Lord of All.

The disciples stared at the sky until two men in white apparel told them to stop. Why? because there was work to do. The Ascension is the engine of the Church. He went up so we could go out.

Reflection: Do you live like you have a King on the throne praying for you, or do you live like you are alone in the battle?