The Nugget:
Joh 6:62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
My Comment:
Just now I was answering the mistaken claim that the Ascension of Christ is not mentioned in the four Gospels.
When I left my computer for a very few moments, when I accessed the Facebook post I was responding to, the FB page somehow refreshed itself and I cannot find my unfinished post. Since my e-Sword Bible software program is still open, I can reconstruct my unfinished post here:
The Ascension is mentioned in:
John 6:62,
Joh 6:62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
John 20:17
17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
King James Version
It is mentioned in Matthew:
Matthew 26:63-64
63 But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.
64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
King James Version
By the Rule of Interpretation I call necessary inference, Jesus during His trial while under oath said He as the Son of man would be seen “sitting on the right hand of power” (that is, the right hand of God), “and coming in the clouds of heaven.” Jesus, therefore, predicted His ascension and future return, since He spoke this prediction while He was still on earth, but He could not be sitting on the right hand of God in heaven unless He first ascended to heaven.
The ascension is mentioned in the Gospel of Mark:
Mark 16:19
19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
King James Version
Although many Bible scholars have questioned the authenticity of Mark 16:9-20, I firmly disagree with them. I have placed the following note in my digital Bible study resource, The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury:
Mar 16:9 Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.
Now when. The genuineness of Mark 16:9-20 is established by the fact that they are:
(1) contained in the majority of even ancient manuscripts, and in the famous few that omit these verses space was left in some of them sufficient to be included;
(2) the verses are included in ancient versions including the various forms of the Syriac, the Latin, Gothic, Egyptian and Coptic, Armenian, Ethiopic, and Georgian, several of these predating the oldest extant Greek manuscripts for this passage;
(3) the passage has been cited from the time of the earliest Christian writers, including Papias (AD 100) who refers to Mark 16:18 (as stated by Eusebius, Hist. Ecc. iii. 39); Justin Martyr (AD 151), who quotes Mark 16:20 (Apol. I. c. 45); Irenæus (AD 180), who quotes and remarks on Mark 16:19 (Adv. Hær. lib. iii. c. x.); Hippolytus (AD 190-227) quotes Mark 16:17-19 (Lagarde’s ed., 1858, p. 74); Ambrose (AD 374-397) quotes Mark 16:15 four times, Mark 16:16-18 three times, and Mark 16:20 once; Chrysostom (AD 400) refers to Mark 16:9; and states that Mark 16:19-20 are “the end of the Gospel.” Jerome (AD 331-420) includes these twelve verses in his Latin translation, besides quoting Mar 16:9; Mar 16:14 in his other writings; Augustine (AD 395-430) more than quotes them. He discusses them as being the work of the Evangelist Mark, and says that they were publicly read in the churches (Adapted in part from the Companion Bible, Appendix 168, p. 190).
The ascension is mentioned in the Gospel of Luke:
Luke 9:51
51 And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,
King James Version
Luke 24:51
51 And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.
King James Version
The claim of the individual who posted the Facebook meme today denying that the ascension of Christ is mentioned in the four Gospels is based on a statement he found in a book by F. F. Bruce, The Books and the Parchments.
In this book Bruce surmises that the ending of Luke and the beginning of Acts which repeats the mention of the ascension was added later and was not part of the original text Luke wrote.
To this I answer, Nonsense! Apparently Bruce assumed that Luke and Acts formed one continuous manuscript. I answer that it is far more likely that Luke wrote two separate books, each taking up its own manuscript roll.
Furthermore, I am unaware of any manuscript evidence that demonstrates the ascension of Christ is properly missing from either the ending of Luke or the beginning of Acts.
The ascension is mentioned in the Gospel of John:
John 6:62
62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
King James Version
John 7:33
33 Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me.
King James Version
John 13:1
1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
King James Version
John 16:16
16 A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.
King James Version
John 16:28
28 I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.
King James Version
John 20:17
17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
King James Version
The ascension is mentioned in the Book of Acts:
Acts 1:2
2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:
King James Version
Acts 1:3
3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
King James Version
Acts 1:9-11
9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
King James Version
Acts 2:33
33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
King James Version
Acts 3:21
21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
King James Version
Acts 7:56
56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
King James Version
The ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ to heaven is alluded to elsewhere in the New Testament:
Ephesians 4:8-11
8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
King James Version
1 Timothy 3:16
16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
King James Version
Hebrews 4:14
14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
King James Version
Hebrews 9:24
24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:
King James Version
Hebrews 10:12-13
12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
King James Version
1 Peter 3:22
22 Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
King James Version
The conclusion is clear. All four Gospels, the book of Acts, and many additional New Testament books mention and declare the ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ who is now in heaven at the right hand of God making intercession for us:
Romans 8:34
34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
King James Version