MEANING OF THE ASCENSION AND COMING OF CHRIST IN SALVATION (Chapter One)

MEANING OF THE ASCENSION AND COMING OF CHRIST IN SALVATION

CHAPTER ONE

PRELIMINARY

1. Background

After Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared (Acts 1:3) to the woman near the tomb (Matthew 28:9-10), to His disciples (Luke 24:36-43), and to His disciples. more than 500 others (1 Corinthians 15:6). Forty days after His resurrection, Jesus ascended to heaven. The Ascension of Jesus Christ is an event that took place 40 days after the resurrection of Jesus, which was witnessed by His disciples. Jesus was taken up into the sky and then disappeared from view after being covered by a cloud. There are many polemics regarding this ascension of Jesus, one of which is modern criticism. Modern critics object to Christ's ascension to heaven for two reasons, namely: (1) they argue that the Bible never shows the true heaven, if Christ was resurrected then he needed a place, so no because heaven cannot be clearly proven to exist then the resurrected body of Christ also not known where; (2) Christ was a human being with a physical body, and was therefore unfit to be in a place beyond the earth. 1However, in the Acts of the Apostles great detail is written about the conversations Jesus had with His disciples before His ascension. But the disciples still did not understand the meaning of all the events they had experienced. Many of them still hoped that Jesus would restore the kingdom of David that had fallen since its defeat by Babylon. But Jesus had another mission, where He wanted His disciples to be witnesses in Jerusalem even to the ends of the earth.2 So that this ascension of Jesus really happened and was witnessed by many people and two angels appeared and promised that Jesus Christ would return. “just as you saw him ascending into heaven” (Acts 1:11).

The second coming of Christ is the return of Jesus Christ from Heaven to earth as taught in Christian eschatology. Where the second coming of the Lord Jesus will no longer be weeping and death (Revelation 21).3 The early church was very interested in the doctrine of Christ's return. The apostles had suggested that Christ might return in their day, and generations after them continued to think that the second coming of Christ was imminent. In the third century there were those who disagreed with this view, and until the reign of Constantine onwards, this doctrine began to be rejected. But Christians those who believe are still waiting for the coming of Jesus, so that this topic is starting to get hot and get an important position even though no one knows the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ Although there are some people who have stated that Jesus will come on the day, date, month and year that they have set for themselves, but until now Jesus has not come. The Bible clearly states, before the second coming of Jesus Christ, many false prophets will appear who will mislead many people, therefore every believer must always be on the alert, until the time comes when Christ will come a second time to pick him up. for those who believe in Him.

Salvation is the hope and desire of every human being, especially for the Christian life because in their view salvation is related to the salvation of the present and also the future. For Christianity salvation is saving the soul from sin and death. Salvation can also be referred to as deliverance or security from sinful nature to eternal life through the spirit. Salvation is freedom from worldly desires and temptations that lead people out of enlightenment and full fellowship with God.5 Through the above background the author will explore more deeply about the ascension of Jesus, the second coming of Jesus and what is the importance of salvation with the title "the meaning of the ascension". and the coming of Jesus in the salvation of believers"

2. Problem Formulation

Based on the above background, the writer will discuss what is the meaning of Christ's ascension and coming in salvation?

3. Purpose of Writing

Based on the problem formulation above, the writer aims to find out the meaning of Christ's ascension and coming in salvation.

-1 Henry C. Thiessen, Systematic Theology. (Unfortunately: Wheat Mas, 2020) 378

2 Acts 1:14-12; 1:6

3 Rev. Josef P. Widyatmadja, Jesus and Little Wong. (Jakarta: BPK Gunung Mulia, 2010) 12