The ascension of Jesus barely registers on the radar for many. Yet it remains a crucial piece of “good news.” And it informs how we Christians can reclaim our role as “good news” in a world that so often views us as “bad news” today. Below is a free chapter from my book Newsworthy: Nine Ways to Live the Good News Now which explores the ascension of Jesus. Like it? Consider ordering the book, or joining one of my online formation groups.

Newsworthy Chapter 10

Step Seven: Hail The King

The Good News of the Aristocracy of Jesus’ Ascension

That Royal Bad News

I never lasted long in “King of the Hill.”

In fact, none of my friends did either.

Roaming the Lincoln National Forest surrounding our mountaintop homes we would find a mound of dirt, a pile of snow or even a fallen tree. One of us–the king–would ascend to the top. The rest of us–the revolutionaries–would attempt a coup. The first revolutionary who removed him from that dirt mound, snowpile or fallen tree became the new king.

But it was impossible to remain on the throne. Gravity and the gang of insurgents were just too strong. No king lasted more than a minute or two before someone dethroned him. The game should have been called “Kings of the Hill” because it was a relentless succession of king after king.

In some ways, Jesus suffers from a similar challenge. Jesus is standing at the summit. He is seated at the throne. The Bible’s main claim about Jesus is that he is King:

1. “King” is Jesus’ “last name.” Christ, or “christos” in Greek, translates the Hebrew “messiah,” which refers to one who is anointed; as in one who is annointed as king. Roughly translated, “Jesus Christ” means “Jesus King.”
2. Paul summarizes the work of God in Jesus as the work of a king: “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son” (Colossians 1:13 ESV). Jesus is the king of a kingdom. He’s come to expand heaven’s reign to earth. We who follow Jesus exist in “the kingdom of God’s beloved Son.”
3. The Bible ends with a kingly description of Jesus: “They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings…” (Revelation 17:14 ESV)

King of the Hill. That’s our Jesus. In the famous words of Shadrach Meshach Lockridge, prominent African-American preacher, “He’s the centerpiece of civilization. He is the loftiest idea in literature. He’s the highest personality in philosophy. That’s my King!”^[1]

But we turncoats are always trying to topple him from his peak. We stage unceasing attempts to overthrow him from his high place. We seem to treat Jesus’ kingship and kingdom as very bad news. “That’s my King!” is often a cry of frustration than exultation. We view his royalty as bad news. And that coup we do is fueled by three things:

1. spiritual reasons,
2. intellectual reasons, or
3. personal reasons.

Living the Good News of Jesus’ Ascension (Free Chapter from “Newsworthy”)