The ascension of our Saviour was a momentous event beyond our comprehension. Where no space craft could go, Christ went. As a human being he passed through the heavens (Hebrews 4:14) and entered God's presence in the heavenly Most Holy Place (Hebrews 9:24). He could enter be­cause he had presented the sacrifice of atonement on the altar of the cross. And so with the ascension, Christ en­tered the Father's presence by his own blood "to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself" (Hebrews 9:12, 24-26).

This new reality of the ascension of the Lamb of God (John 1:29) has had a huge impact on the worship of God's people. Prior to Christ's coming, God had lived among his people in the inner room, the Most Holy Place, of the tabernacle and temple. There God had been en­throned above the cherubim. However, no one but the high priest had been able to enter this throne room and appear before God. And the high priest could only do it once a year in order to sprinkle the blood of atonement on the ark's mercy seat so that God and his people could be reconciled. But Christ's death, resurrection, and as­cension changed all that.

When Christ presented the sacrifice of atonement on the altar of the cross, the curtain of the Most Holy Place that had restricted access to God was torn from top to bot­tom. The way to God was open for all God's people through the reconciling blood of Christ (Matthew 27:51; Hebrews 10:19-22).

Hebrews 12 informs us of some important conse­quences of this new situation. Instead of being faced with God who could not be approached, as on Mount Sinai, now, Hebrews chapter 12 tells God's people:

You have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jeru­salem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assem­bly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made per­fect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.Hebrews 12:22-24

Since we celebrate the ascension of our Saviour this week, let us reflect for a moment on this gospel and some of its implications.

"You Have Come to Mount Zion"⤒🔗

Whereas God's people of Old Testament times had come to a terrifying Mount Sinai that was not to be touched on pain of death, the congregation of the as­cended Christ "have come to Mount Zion, to the heav­enly Jerusalem, the city of the living God" (Hebrews 12:22). Whereas Mount Sinai had been threatening and forbid­den territory, Mount Zion is welcoming, thanks to the mediatory work of Christ. But what does this mean? How are we to conceive this?

Approaching Mount Zion as congregation in holy worship means that "we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus" (Hebrews 10:19). We can draw near to God "with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings" (Hebrews 10:22). In other words, when the author of Hebrews writes that "you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God" (Hebrews 12:22), God's Word tells us that today's congregation in corporate worship in faith enters God's heavenly assembly. As those raised to a new life with Christ, worshipping believers may set their hearts not on earthly things, but on the things above, "where Christ is seated at the right hand of God" (Colossians 3:1).

To put it differently, coming to Mount Zion, the heav­enly Jerusalem means coming to the place of the temple where God once lived. The old Mount Zion as God's dwelling place was only a shadow of what was to come (Hebrews 8:5). It is no more, but the city to which believers have longed to enter for millennia (Hebrews 11:10-16; cf. 13:14) is now a reality. Indeed, all believers are citizens of this city (Philippians 3:20; Ephesians 2:19) and therefore have the right of entry, the right to God's very presence (Hebrews 10:19-22)!

That has quite some implications for our communal worship as we by faith go to our God enthroned in the heavenly Zion! It includes coming to "thousands upon thousands of angels in joy­ful assembly" and to the saints, "the church of the firstborn" (Hebrews 12:22-23). And so as we worship God here on earth, we go by faith in the Spirit to heaven.

Angels and Saints in Joyful Assembly←⤒🔗

The description of the "thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly" reminds one of the heavenly scene the Apostle John saw with the angels around God's throne saying:

Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and praise!Revelation 5:12

Our songs of praise and worship on earth join the praise of the angels in heaven.

But as we worship, we do so as part of "the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven" (Hebrews 12:23). When believers worship, they do not worship in isolation, but they worship as members of the church of all ages, in communion with those whose names are written in God's book of life (Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:5).

Furthermore, as we lift up our hearts and minds to heaven, we have also come to "the spirits of righteous men made perfect" (Hebrews 12:23). These believers have died and are with God in glory, perfected by the one sacrifice of Christ (Hebrews 10:14). They now inhabit the heavenly city which was their life-long destination. In our worship on the Lord's Day, when we lift up our hearts to heaven, we are in the Spirit with this multitude.

But, above all, we are also in the presence of God, the judge, and Jesus, the mediator!

In the Presence of God, the Judge, and Jesus, the Mediator←⤒🔗

You have come to God, the judge of all men ... to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprin­kled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.Hebrews 12:23-24

Here we see the ultimate fruit of the ascension of our Saviour as well as the seriousness and joy of worship. When we in faith lift up our hearts to heaven, we appear before God, the judge, before whom we must give an account (Hebrews 4:13; cf. 9:27). But we also come to the one and only mediator, Jesus, the Christ (1 Timothy 2:5) and his blood of reconciliation! Unlike the blood of Abel calling for revenge and curse (Genesis 4:10), Christ's blood speaks a message of reconciliation and peace for it takes sin away. Indeed, the reality of the spirits of right­eous men, present before God, who have been made per­fect through Christ's blood, testifies to the work of the Saviour and is of great encouragement to those who draw near to holy God in true faith.

Some Implications of the Ascension and Worship←⤒🔗

The ascension of our victorious Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ should have an enormous impact on our worship, both corporate and individual. When we wor­ship, we come to the heavenly Jerusalem! This means that we lift up our souls to God, to use the words of Psalm 25:1. Or in the words of Colossians 3:1, we "seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God." Worship entails focusing on the God of our salvation, and the ascension of the Saviour has made this possible to an extent not attainable prior to his coming.

With the wings of faith we can actually enter into the heavenly Most Holy Place. Yes, faith is needed, both the knowledge and the firm confidence of God's salva­tion. Without faith, we cannot go up to Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, and have our praises join those of the thousands and thousands of joyful angels. The liturgical form for the celebration of the Lord's Supper rightly enjoins us to "lift up our hearts on high in heav­en, where Christ, our advocate is, at the right hand of his heavenly Father." After all, the ascension of Christ means that we can ascend in the Spirit by a true faith to heaven and so enter the very presence of God. And before him in great gratitude for his salvation in Christ we may "continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise — the fruit of lips that confess his name" (Hebrews 13:15). What an awesome privilege!