Ascension and Judgment
Jesus’ ascension into heaven prompts more questions than answers, as any good Bible story should. These include: Why isn't this in other Gospels? Where exactly did Jesus go, and where is He now? When will Jesus return? How will He return? What about us slow people? Are we to be judged, too, or do we get a pass? Do other people get to ascend to heaven? I could and will go on.
The account of Jesus's ascension appears only in Luke and Acts, likely written by the same author as a two-volume work, first of Jesus, the other about the early church. Matthew, which shares sources with Luke, ends with the Great Commission, suggesting Jesus is going somewhere but not specifying where or how. Mark, the earliest Gospel, concludes with fears at the empty tomb, with no appearances or ascension mentioned; later authors added an ending because the original was vague, which was kind of Mark’s point. John depicts Jesus going fishing and having brunch, implying departure without details on when, where, or how. Luke-Acts presents a dramatic exit for Jesus, offering closure and a transitional point. Do these differences matter? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Each Gospel reflects its author's perspective and purpose. Jesus appears differently across them, but this doesn't mean the story is inconsistent; rather, these variations provide a richer, multi-faceted understanding of who Jesus was and is.
So, we have this story of Jesus ascending into heaven to be with the Father, and the Creed says He sits at his right hand. Why the right hand? Being seated on the right in most cultures, past and present, is a sign of respect, status, power, and significance. We are not necessarily meant to take this line of the Creed literally, but it is symbolic of who Jesus is, what Jesus has done, the praise and honor He is due, and the authority Jesus still possesses. Specifically, judgement.
Where is heaven? We have been to space, explored the whole atmosphere, and they haven’t found it yet. There are so many theories out there. Christian flat-Earthers, which I can say is stupid, which is a very complex theological term, say God is above the firmament. You have your ancient alien people who say Jesus was taken back up to the mother ship. (I am not joking about this stuff.) The simplest answer, for me, is that heaven is a present reality that we cannot fully perceive. At the end of the day, I am okay with this being a mystery, but some people are not okay with saying “I don’t know.” Where is heaven? I don’t know, and I am okay with that.
When Christ ascends, he promises his return and the restoration of creation, though the timeline is far from clear. Those gathered around Jesus that day, really Christians everywhere, believed Jesus would come back within their lifetime. We see how many Christians struggled with Jesus not returning promptly in Paul’s letters. Honestly, I think that most Christians have thought over the past nearly 2000 years that Jesus would show up in theirs too. Last I checked, no Jesus, and doubt we would like Him very much when He does show up. When will Jesus come back; I do not know, and I am okay with that.
How will Jesus come back? That is a matter of great theological debate and in Seminary at lunch I would debate with fellow classmates on this issue, changing sides every day. I won every time. Some say Jesus will show up as a baby because of Revelation; others say he will descend as he ascended. But you know what I am about to say; I do not know.
One of the many problems that we Christians face today is that we convince ourselves that we have the answer. I have done the math, and Jesus should show up on Oct. 27th, 2026. (Please do not quote me that it was a joke.) We convince ourselves that our beliefs are the only right ones, try to explain and justify everything, and leave no room for mystery. Honestly, this is the antithesis of faith. Faith is belief in what we cannot prove. The moment we try to prove our beliefs, we end up proving that we have no faith. So, I might have some guess about where heaven is, some thoughts or beliefs that it is a reality we cannot see, but at the same time I also have to have the humility to know that I might be wrong.
Ultimately, as the angels told the gathered crowd, our job is not to simply stare at heaven and wait for His return. Or to try to guess when it will be, or how it will happen, or exactly where He went. We are called to prepare. For Jesus is going to come back to judge us… But we are not left alone, Christ leaves with us the Spirit, which gave Jesus the power to do all He did, and which we will talk about more next week.
Judgment, we talked a bit about this last week, with forgiveness as the two go hand in hand, for judgment is the tendency, while forgiveness is the calling. As we talked about last week, judgment does not belong to us; it belongs to God and God alone. The Apostles’ Creed says: “He (Jesus) Shall Come to Judge the Quick and the Dead.” The Father gave Jesus the authority and responsibility to judge. When we say quick, we mean the living, and the dead means well the dead. The implication is that Jesus will come to judge in human history while people are still living on Earth. All the dead are bodily resurrected (we will have fun with that in two weeks) to stand and face judgment before Jesus. Two things I want us to consider: our roles in casting judgment and how Jesus will judge.
As I said last week, our society is based on judgment. I don’t just mean the justice system, which operates more like a system of revenge and offers little to actual room for reform, and I won't beat a dead horse. Our need for judgment transcends into every aspect of our society and lives. If you still watch TV, what are the most popular shows? A courtroom, or an investigation, shows both real and dramatic elements. Like Court TV, Cops, Tiger King, or Chimp Crazy, and then all the NCIS spinoffs, Law and Order, and so on. Then there are all the competitions and TV shows out there, many of which the public has some say in who wins. I love these shows, from lighter competitions like Lego Masters, Is It Cake, and Blown Away, where there is little backstabbing and plotting. Then shows like Survivor, Ink Master, Big Brother, The Traitors, and so on, where alliances and plots form. I did not forget all the singing and talent shows either. How much of what media we consume is about judgment? That’s just a few TV shows out of society based on judging the worth of others. I know for a fact that you are judging whether this is a good blog post or sermon. I am going to have to judge applications, resumes, and interview candidates to find the right people for our staff. The problem with judgment is that a certain level of it is needed to navigate this world, but it cannot be our guiding light, because we become nasty people or “Karens.”
Judgment, final judgment, belongs to Jesus according to the Apostles’ Creed. How will he judge? At the end of the day, I don’t know because I am not Jesus. However, I believe that Jesus will judge on the final day, as he did throughout his entire life, with grace. I choose to believe this, to hold on to this hope, because I know I will need it. Hopefully, I have a long life ahead of me to grow, to make better choices, to live more like Jesus, but even still, I need grace. The Jesus I believe in, read about in scripture, and learn about in study, is the physical embodiment of God’s grace for us all.
So, I am going to keep growing. I am going to keep learning. I am going to keep working. All while relying on God’s grace to keep me going, and to give me courage when I stand before Christ.
The account of Jesus's ascension appears only in Luke and Acts, likely written by the same author as a two-volume work, first of Jesus, the other about the early church. Matthew, which shares sources with Luke, ends with the Great Commission, suggesting Jesus is going somewhere but not specifying where or how. Mark, the earliest Gospel, concludes with fears at the empty tomb, with no appearances or ascension mentioned; later authors added an ending because the original was vague, which was kind of Mark’s point. John depicts Jesus going fishing and having brunch, implying departure without details on when, where, or how. Luke-Acts presents a dramatic exit for Jesus, offering closure and a transitional point. Do these differences matter? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Each Gospel reflects its author's perspective and purpose. Jesus appears differently across them, but this doesn't mean the story is inconsistent; rather, these variations provide a richer, multi-faceted understanding of who Jesus was and is.
So, we have this story of Jesus ascending into heaven to be with the Father, and the Creed says He sits at his right hand. Why the right hand? Being seated on the right in most cultures, past and present, is a sign of respect, status, power, and significance. We are not necessarily meant to take this line of the Creed literally, but it is symbolic of who Jesus is, what Jesus has done, the praise and honor He is due, and the authority Jesus still possesses. Specifically, judgement.
Where is heaven? We have been to space, explored the whole atmosphere, and they haven’t found it yet. There are so many theories out there. Christian flat-Earthers, which I can say is stupid, which is a very complex theological term, say God is above the firmament. You have your ancient alien people who say Jesus was taken back up to the mother ship. (I am not joking about this stuff.) The simplest answer, for me, is that heaven is a present reality that we cannot fully perceive. At the end of the day, I am okay with this being a mystery, but some people are not okay with saying “I don’t know.” Where is heaven? I don’t know, and I am okay with that.
When Christ ascends, he promises his return and the restoration of creation, though the timeline is far from clear. Those gathered around Jesus that day, really Christians everywhere, believed Jesus would come back within their lifetime. We see how many Christians struggled with Jesus not returning promptly in Paul’s letters. Honestly, I think that most Christians have thought over the past nearly 2000 years that Jesus would show up in theirs too. Last I checked, no Jesus, and doubt we would like Him very much when He does show up. When will Jesus come back; I do not know, and I am okay with that.
How will Jesus come back? That is a matter of great theological debate and in Seminary at lunch I would debate with fellow classmates on this issue, changing sides every day. I won every time. Some say Jesus will show up as a baby because of Revelation; others say he will descend as he ascended. But you know what I am about to say; I do not know.
One of the many problems that we Christians face today is that we convince ourselves that we have the answer. I have done the math, and Jesus should show up on Oct. 27th, 2026. (Please do not quote me that it was a joke.) We convince ourselves that our beliefs are the only right ones, try to explain and justify everything, and leave no room for mystery. Honestly, this is the antithesis of faith. Faith is belief in what we cannot prove. The moment we try to prove our beliefs, we end up proving that we have no faith. So, I might have some guess about where heaven is, some thoughts or beliefs that it is a reality we cannot see, but at the same time I also have to have the humility to know that I might be wrong.
Ultimately, as the angels told the gathered crowd, our job is not to simply stare at heaven and wait for His return. Or to try to guess when it will be, or how it will happen, or exactly where He went. We are called to prepare. For Jesus is going to come back to judge us… But we are not left alone, Christ leaves with us the Spirit, which gave Jesus the power to do all He did, and which we will talk about more next week.
Judgment, we talked a bit about this last week, with forgiveness as the two go hand in hand, for judgment is the tendency, while forgiveness is the calling. As we talked about last week, judgment does not belong to us; it belongs to God and God alone. The Apostles’ Creed says: “He (Jesus) Shall Come to Judge the Quick and the Dead.” The Father gave Jesus the authority and responsibility to judge. When we say quick, we mean the living, and the dead means well the dead. The implication is that Jesus will come to judge in human history while people are still living on Earth. All the dead are bodily resurrected (we will have fun with that in two weeks) to stand and face judgment before Jesus. Two things I want us to consider: our roles in casting judgment and how Jesus will judge.
As I said last week, our society is based on judgment. I don’t just mean the justice system, which operates more like a system of revenge and offers little to actual room for reform, and I won't beat a dead horse. Our need for judgment transcends into every aspect of our society and lives. If you still watch TV, what are the most popular shows? A courtroom, or an investigation, shows both real and dramatic elements. Like Court TV, Cops, Tiger King, or Chimp Crazy, and then all the NCIS spinoffs, Law and Order, and so on. Then there are all the competitions and TV shows out there, many of which the public has some say in who wins. I love these shows, from lighter competitions like Lego Masters, Is It Cake, and Blown Away, where there is little backstabbing and plotting. Then shows like Survivor, Ink Master, Big Brother, The Traitors, and so on, where alliances and plots form. I did not forget all the singing and talent shows either. How much of what media we consume is about judgment? That’s just a few TV shows out of society based on judging the worth of others. I know for a fact that you are judging whether this is a good blog post or sermon. I am going to have to judge applications, resumes, and interview candidates to find the right people for our staff. The problem with judgment is that a certain level of it is needed to navigate this world, but it cannot be our guiding light, because we become nasty people or “Karens.”
Judgment, final judgment, belongs to Jesus according to the Apostles’ Creed. How will he judge? At the end of the day, I don’t know because I am not Jesus. However, I believe that Jesus will judge on the final day, as he did throughout his entire life, with grace. I choose to believe this, to hold on to this hope, because I know I will need it. Hopefully, I have a long life ahead of me to grow, to make better choices, to live more like Jesus, but even still, I need grace. The Jesus I believe in, read about in scripture, and learn about in study, is the physical embodiment of God’s grace for us all.
So, I am going to keep growing. I am going to keep learning. I am going to keep working. All while relying on God’s grace to keep me going, and to give me courage when I stand before Christ.