Ascension Day

Read: Ephesians 1:15-23

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better (Ephesians 1:17).

Paul writes to the Ephesians to encourage them and here he explains the significance of Jesus’ ascension recorded in Acts 1:1–11.

Paul prays for the Spirit of wisdom, revelation, deeper knowledge of God (v 17), understanding of our hope (v 18) and experience of God’s power (v 19). This power at work in us was revealed in Christ’s victory over death (v 20). What a prayer!
What matters most from the ascension story (v 20) is that Jesus was not removed from having influence on earth. The ascension took Jesus into the place of ultimate influence above everything else on earth and in heaven and in the whole of history (v 21). And all this power and authority that has been invested in Jesus is at work in the church (vs 22,23). We are to rely on the power of Jesus’ name in our life and witness. That’s the relevance of the story of Jesus’ ascension for us.