Ascension and Heavenly Session of Christ.

Ascension and Heavenly Session of Christ. The Christian [47] doctrine of the ascension and heavenly session of Christ, though undoubtedly an important part of the NT witness (Lk. 24:51; Acts 1:9–11; Eph. 4:8), was little developed before the time of Augustine. This was at least partly because until that time it was regarded as an integral part of Christology, as both the Old Roman and the Nicene Creeds bear witness.

    Regarded as a separate doctrine, the ascension of Christ is significant for several reasons. First, it represents the culmination of the earthly ministry of Jesus. His death and resurrection could not have their full effect until he ascended to the presence of his Father, to whom he presented his finished work of atonement (Heb. 4:14–15). The ascension is the moment when the manhood of Jesus is taken up to God and glorified, the final assurance and the first fruits of our eternal salvation.

    The ascension is also important because it reminds us that the body of Christ is now no longer present within the time and space framework, but belongs to the Son of God in eternity. This has a significant bearing on the use of 'body of Christ' imagery to describe both the church and the eucharist. Augustine and the Reformers were both insistent that this had to be understood as a spiritual, not as a physical reality. For the Reformers in particular, this meant that the medieval doctrines of transubstantiation and the visible church as the body and bride of Christ could not possibly be true.

    The ascension has also been interpreted in terms of man's glorification in the wake of the resurrection. At times this has been pressed to the point of denying the forty-day interlude between Christ's rising from the dead and his going up into heaven, the importance of which lies in the teaching ministry of Jesus to his disciples during that time. Some scholars have even argued that the transfiguration accounts in the gospels have been displaced from their supposed origin as ascension narratives. In fact, although there are superficial similarities between the two, the transfiguration more closely resembles a descent from heaven (as e.g. Moses and Elijah) than an ascent.

    The heavenly session was not generally distinguished from the ascension before the Reformation, and it continues to be a characteristic mark of Calvinist theology. It is important because it emphasizes Christ's entry into his kingly office, and is distinguished for this reason in the ancient creeds. Christ's present reign is a reminder that his work on our behalf continues in the present. His victorious triumph assures us of the efficacy of his work of mediation, and is particularly important for our understanding of the work of the Holy Spirit. When the doctrine of heavenly session is eclipsed, the work of the Spirit can be detached from that of Christ, either by too high a doctrine of the visible church, or by a spirituality which virtually ignores the work of Christ altogether, or regards it as only the beginning of the church's life.

    When that happens, the emphasis shifts from Christ's historical atonement to the power of God at work in the world today. The result of this is that many Christians believe that it is possible to draw on that power independently of the atonement, which is the true basis and content of Christ's mediation. The heavenly session reminds us that Christ's work is at once efficacious and complete, since the one who now sits on the throne is the Lamb who was slain on the cross of Calvary (Rev. 22:1, 3).

Bibliography
    J. G. Davies, He Ascended into Heaven (London, 1958); W. J. Marrevee, The Ascension of Christ in the Works of St Augustine (Ottawa, 1967); W. Milligan, The Ascension and Heavenly Priesthood of Our Lord (London, 1892); H. B. Swete, The Ascended Christ (London, 1922); P. Toon, The Ascension of Our Lord (New York, 1984).