A World Without the Ascension, by Michael Pakaluk

The Feast of the Ascension seems on a par with Easter.  It gets equal attention in the creeds: “On the third day, he arose from the dead.  He ascended into heaven.”  It is the first doctrine Jesus preaches upon his Resurrection. He tells Mary Magdalene, “go to my brethren and say to them” – not, “I am risen” – but rather “I ascend to my Father and to your Father, to my God and your God.” (John 20:17)  She saw that he had risen.  The Lord did not need to tell her that. But He does tell her, as a matter of first importance, that He will ascend.

Logically, if the Lord did not ascend to Heaven, if Heaven was not His goal and home, then his resurrection would have been “for this world” solely, just like the resurrection of Lazarus, and he would have died once more. That is, the resurrection which we celebrate at Easter by definition is a resurrection for someplace other than this current world as it is. ….