The Ascension of Christ

Author: Ed Moll

Paperback

Where did Jesus go, and does it matter? This book explores what happens when Jesus ascended in to heaven and how the truth of this impacts our worship.

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Summary

Where did Jesus go, and does it matter? This book explores what happens when Jesus ascended in to heaven and how the truth of this impacts our worship.

Description

Where did Jesus go - and does it matter?

Only two describe Jesus' ascent into heaven (Luke 24:51, Acts 1:9). Like the disciples, we are all too aware that because Jesus left in this way, he is no longer present here on earth in the way that he was before. It is natural to long for the days before he ascended, when they could see him in the flesh, but the fact is that he has gone and he is not here on earth in the flesh.

Since he is gone from earth, does it matter where he went to? Or did he simply disappear and cease to be? It seems to me that the New Testament says both too much and too little about where Jesus is now. The Letter to the Hebrews is an extended answer to the meaning of Jesus' ascent but this 'brief' (Heb 13.22) letter is so long and so rich that we can easily miss the wood for the trees, namely that Jesus the man is in heaven, at the heart of the real tabernacle. On the other hand, the many other references to Jesus seated in heaven are so brief that it can feel difficult to put the pieces together to form a coherent whole. But when we step back to see the whole picture in its New Testament context, a wonderful sight meets the eyes of our heart. (And the good news is that it can be done in a short book!).

The Ascension of Christ is a truth to be enjoyed in our personal and corporate Christian life through worship, including Anglican worship. The Ascension is present enough in the New Testament to be expounded from passages in context, as I try to show in the later sections of the book.

It is far better for us that Jesus has ascended into heaven and I hope that by the end of the book you will not only rejoice at Christ's ascension but also be equipped to show why that is so.

Critic Reviews

"Ed Moll sets out to convince the reader that the doctrine of the Ascension is nothing less than biblical, Anglican and essential and this he does with admirable concision and force. It is indeed curious that the doctrine has apparently faded from its rightful place, eclipsed, perhaps, by the resurrection. But Moll has done the church a great service surveying the relevant literature (such as it is) and history. His comments are judicious and instincts reliable. We can only hope that this contribution will go a long way towards rectifying the situation." - Mark Meynell, writer and teacher, former Director (Europe & Caribbean) Langham Preaching.

"The latest volume in the Latimer Trust's Christian Doctrine series is Ed Moll's study of the Ascension. Moll's intention is show that 'the ascension is an evangelical doctrine, rooted in biblical cosmology, securing our Christology, accompanying the resurrection, celebrated by the church and amply attested by the Scriptures.' His book achieves these aims magnificently. It is a must read for all students of theology, and for anyone who wants to understand Christian doctrine more clearly and expound it more faithfully." - Martin Davie is a lay Anglican theologian who is theological consultant for the Church of England Evangelical Council and a Latimer Research Fellow.

Ed Moll has given us an extensive and masterly summary of the passages in Scripture that refer to the Ascension of Jesus and, more importantly, the passages that depend upon it. In doing so, he has demonstrated that the Ascension is not a doctrinal add-on to be celebrated mid-week once a year, but is fundamental to our faith as Christian believers and should permeate every aspect of our life, liturgy and preaching. This is essential reading for all Anglicans seeking to be rooted and grounded in Biblical truth." - Revd Ian Lewis, Chair and Director of the South West Gospel Partnership.

About the Author

ED MOLL is vicar of St George's Church Wembdon in Somerset. He is a trustee of Latimer Trust and is involved with training ministers through Langham Preaching and on the South West Gospel Partnership's Ministry Training course. He is married to Christa and they have two adult children.