Jesus Before the Father
Read Hebrews 9:24. According to this passage, what was the purpose
of Jesus’ ascension to heaven?
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God instructed Israel that their males should go three times every year up
to Jerusalem to “appear before the Lord” with an offering. The appointed
times were the feast of Passover (Unleavened Bread), the Feast of Weeks
(Pentecost), and the Feast of Booths (Exod. 23:14–17, Deut. 16:16).
Passover celebrated Israel’s deliverance from Egypt. Pentecost celebrated
the barley harvest, and by the time of the New Testament, it was associated
with the giving of the law at Sinai. The Feast of Booths celebrated God’s
care for Israel during their sojourn in the desert. According to the New
Testament, all the Old Testament feasts also have prophetic significance.
Hebrews 9:24 describes Jesus’ ascension into the presence of the Father.
He arrived at the heavenly sanctuary, “the true one,” in order to “appear”
before God with a better sacrifice (Heb. 9:23, 24, NIV)—His own blood.
Jesus fulfilled the pilgrimage feasts’ prophetic significance with
amazing accuracy. He died on the day for the preparation of the
Passover at the ninth hour, the moment in which Passover lambs were
sacrificed (John 19:14, Matt. 27:45–50). Jesus was resurrected on the
third day and ascended to heaven to receive assurance that His sacrifice
had been accepted (John 20:17, 1 Cor. 15:20), when the priest was to
wave the sheaf of ripe barley as the firstfruits (Lev. 23:10–12). Then,
He ascended 40 days later to sit at the right hand of God and inaugurate
the new covenant on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 1, Acts 2).
The purpose of pilgrimage in ancient Israel was to “behold the face
of God” (Ps. 42:2, NRSV). This meant to experience God’s favor (Ps.
17:15). Similarly, the Hebrew expression to “seek the face of God”
meant to ask God for help (2 Chron. 7:14, Ps. 27:8, Ps. 105:4). This is
the sense, in Hebrews, of Jesus’ ascension. Jesus ascended to God with
the perfect sacrifice. Jesus also ascended to heaven as our Forerunner
into the presence of God (Heb. 6:19, 20). He has made real the promise
for the believers who journey, “seeking a homeland,” desiring “a better
country,” looking “forward to the city . . . whose architect and builder
is God” (Heb. 11:10, 13–16, NRSV).
Again, why should the reality of what Christ has done, not only
on the cross but also what He is doing now in heaven, give us
assurance of salvation?