Other than the Day of Atonement, the sacrifices of Israel throughout the year were a kind of "covenant maintenance." They were to try and maintain the relationship with God and avoid the consequences that would come from His wrath.
And so we have the ascension.
And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heav-en? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven." Acts 1:9-11 ESV
So at this point Jesus the Christ has been the Son of God, our Creator. He has become man as God incarnate. He has been the sacrificial Lamb. He has been the goat who takes on the sin of the world, and he has been the conqueror of death itself. There is still one more step in the atonement. Jesus entered heaven as our eternal High Priest! |
