The Ascension of Christ: Enthroned, Powerful, and Present
On May 17, 2026, Pastor Mike Boyle brought a transformative message in the ongoing series on the Ascension of Christ. While the resurrection rightly receives tremendous attention in the Christian calendar, the Ascension is often passed over quickly — treated as little more than a farewell. But Scripture reveals something far more glorious. The Ascension of Jesus Christ is not a departure; it is a coronation. It is the moment the risen King took His throne, and its implications reach into every corner of our lives today.
The Ascension Is an Enthronement
The first and most essential truth Pastor Mike unpacked is that the Ascension equals enthronement. When Jesus ascended, He took His seat at the right hand of the Father — a position of supreme authority, honor, and power. Psalm 110:1, Matthew 26:64, and Hebrews 1:3 all point to this glorious reality. Jesus is not waiting passively in heaven. He is reigning.
From that throne, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to indwell and empower His people, just as He promised in John 14:26 and John 15:26. The Spirit is not a consolation prize for Christ’s absence — He is the personal presence of God sent because of Christ’s victory. Furthermore, Jesus reigns as the Head of the Church (Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 5:23), meaning every local congregation exists under His lordship and direction.
The enthroned Christ is also personally and actively working on behalf of every believer. He has gone to prepare our eternal home (John 14:2-3), He stands as our Advocate with the Father when we sin (1 John 2:1), and He appears in the heavenly Holy Places on our behalf (Hebrews 9:23-24). The Ascension means you are never without a representative before the throne of God. Jesus Himself pleads your case.
The Ascension Released Extraordinary Power
The second major theme of this message is power — specifically the authority and might that flow from Christ’s ascension to His people. In Matthew 28:19-20, the risen and ascending Christ declares that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him, and He commissions His followers to make disciples of all nations. This Great Commission is not a human program. It is a divine mandate backed by the full authority of the enthroned King.
Acts 1:8 makes clear that the Holy Spirit, sent because of the Ascension, provides the might needed to carry out that commission. The early church understood this deeply. In Acts 4:29-31, the believers prayed boldly for God’s power and were filled afresh with the Spirit, speaking the Word with boldness. The same power is available to the church today. The Ascension reminds us that we do not witness in our own strength but in the authority and power of a reigning Christ.
The Ascension Calls Us to Be Witnesses
Finally, Pastor Mike emphasized that the Ascension calls every believer into the role of witness. In Luke 24:48, Jesus tells His disciples plainly: you are witnesses of these things. The observance of what Christ has done — His life, death, resurrection, and ascension — is the foundation of Christian testimony.
Acts 1:8 and the sobering account of Stephen in Acts 7:44-60 show us that being a witness is not merely a casual suggestion. Stephen proclaimed Christ with such conviction and clarity, even in the face of death, that his witness became a watershed moment in the early church. His faithfulness helped shape the apostle Paul. Our witness matters more than we know.
Living in Light of the Ascension
The Ascension of Christ changes everything. It means you have a King on the throne who is for you, a Spirit within you who empowers you, a Savior who advocates for you, and a mission before you that is backed by all the authority of heaven. The question this message leaves us with is simple and searching: are we living like it? Are we witnessing like it? May the enthroned Christ be the center of our confidence, our worship, and our witness every single day.