What does the Church teach about Jesus Christ? Part Ten

In today’s post, we will look at Our Lord’s final appearance on Earth, the Ascension.

Jesus’ glory, even after the Resurrection, was still not made wholly manifest.  First, no one actually witnessed the Resurrection.  Secondly, the body he was in still had the appearance of an ordinary mortal body, even as it had now new supernatural properties.  However, with the Ascension, Jesus’ entry into divine glory is fully realized.

What the Risen Lord said to Mary Magdalene confirms there is an element to his glory that is not yet fully realized at the Resurrection, but will at the Ascension: "I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." (John 20:17). There is a distinction between the glory of Jesus as shown at the Resurrection, and that shown at the Ascension.  Only in the latter does he become seated at God’s right hand, and receive the honor truly befitting his divinity. 

Now, one might argue Jesus was always at God’s right hand as the second member of the Blessed Trinity.  However, after the life of Our Lord on Earth, he now has a body within the Trinity.  There is an intimate connection between God and man that was not there before.  Because there is a body in the Trinity, we can have hope that our bodies will one day be there, too.  

The Ascension is linked to the Incarnation.  Jesus came down from heaven to become man in the Incarnation.  With the Ascension, that is reversed.  Jesus goes into heaven so that man came become like God.    As Our Lord says, "No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man." (John 3:13)   Jesus has to be the one to ascend in order to open the doors of heaven to us.

Our Lord does not ascend into heaven, however, to just do nothing and take it easy.   Rather, he intercedes for us before the throne of the Father.    Jesus “entered, not into a sanctuary made by human hands. . . but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf." (Hebrews 9:24).   When we go to Mass, or any of the other Sacraments, and enter into the heavenly liturgy, we are present as Christ blesses the Father and makes intercession for us.

Finally, Our Lord’s entry into heaven and being seated at the right hand of the Father is the full inauguration of the Kingdom.    The Catechism quotes a beautiful passage from the Book of Daniel which now is fully realized with Our Lord’s reigning in heaven in his glorified body:  "To him was given dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:14)   The Kingdom of God has begun, and will never end.   The only question now is will we be a part of it.

Jesus’ suffering redeemed us from sin.  His Resurrection opened the way for us to new life.  His Ascension is that way to new life.   We must follow in all three if we, too, wish to have divine life in us, now, and for all eternity.

There will be two more posts in this series.   In the next post, we will discuss Jesus as the Judge, which is how he will come at the end of time.  In the final post, we will summarize and reflect on what we have covered in this series.  

Saint Joseph, pray for us.