He Ascended Into Heaven

Our theme for the May Today devotions, written by Joel Vande Werken, is “He Ascended into Heaven.”

As a Christian, what are the most important things that you believe about Jesus? Sometimes we say, “I believe that Jesus died for me.” We do, and that’s important. Yet if the story of Jesus stops on Good Friday, then we never celebrate the resurrection of Easter Sunday. So it would be better for us to proclaim, “I believe that Jesus died and rose for me.” It’s a vital addition to our statement of beliefs!

But we could—and should—say more! Forty days after Easter, the church celebrates Jesus’ ascension into heaven. Historically, the church has seen it as one of the most significant events in salvation history because it shows that Christ reigns over all things, even now. It’s even better, therefore, to profess, “Jesus died, rose, and ascended for me.”

In this month’s devotions, we’ll explore how the Bible portrays Jesus’ ascension and why it is important to us today. Along the way, we will also see how Jesus prepared his disciples for his going away to reign in heaven.

Though Jesus is not now on earth “in his human nature,” as the Heidelberg Catechism puts it, we can be assured that “in his divinity, majesty, grace, and Spirit he is never absent from us” (Q&A 47). This teaching is based on several passages in the Bible—God’s Word to us—and we will be looking at those and many other passages this month that point to Jesus’ rule in heaven today.

So we confess joyfully, along with the church of all ages, “He ascended into heaven”!

Joel Vande Werken has been a pastor since 2007, serving churches in Sussex, New Jersey, and in Whitinsville, Massachusetts. He and his wife, Brandie, have four young children.

As you read the Today devotionals this month, may you be refreshed, refocused, and renewed in God’s Word!