The Benefit of Christ’s Ascension

When Jesus ascended into heaven and left His disciples behind, why did they respond “with great joy” (Luke 24:52)? Today, R.C. Sproul teaches that Christ’s ascension to His glorious throne is of great benefit to His church.

When Jesus first tells His disciples that yet a little while and He is going to go away and they will see Him no more, a pall of gloom and fear descended upon them. And yet, when the disciples stood there on the Mount of Olives and watched Jesus ascend in clouds of glory into heaven, they returned to Jerusalem rejoicing. The reason for the change in their response was they came to understand He was going to ascend to the heavenly places to fill all things. And that would be far more beneficial for the Apostles He left behind than had He stayed here on Earth.