Ascension: The Coronation of Christ

These words belong to the most delightful song, the Songs of Solomon. All through the centuries this song has been regarded as being a conversation between Christ, as the heavenly Bridegroom, and His bride, His Church. Sometimes the friends of the Bridegroom, His true prophets, are introduced while speaking. This song is a portrayal akin to Psalm 45.

In the first verse of this chapter, the bride informs us how that after she initially had sought her Bridegroom to no avail, she had finally found Him. Verse 6 causes us to be surprised about the Church coming up out of the wilderness towards the promised land. Verses 7 and 8 describe to us the glory of Christ, the King of His Church, surrounded by His angels. And verse 9 speaks about His triumphant carriage (also mentioned in Psalm 45), namely, His Word of truth. Finally, we find in the above-mentioned text, Christ, as Bridegroom and Head of His Church, at His wedding ceremony. The daughters of Zion must be aroused to behold the King in His beauty, “Co forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold King Solomon.”

Sadly, God’s people repeatedly need to be re-awakened. For “going-out” towards Christ is not a matter of fact; it is an act of faith, and that depends on Christ Himself.

We see this manifested very clearly in all the events around Christ’s ascension on high. He Himself must always take the initiative in leading His disciples, “And He led them out as far as to Bethany” (Luke 24:50a).

The life of God’s people always reflects that the Lord must continually arouse them. He arouses their love to Him, or He brings them into some special need, by it is always His radiating love that leads them. Even in regard to wrong expectations, it is the Lord Himself who must instruct them.

After all, even the disciples were entangled in a web of carnal anticipations regarding His earthly kingdom in this world. Therefore, God’s people always need Christ’s divine leadership. The Arminian doesn’t feel his need for that, for he can always help himself, but God’s people know that everything has to come from their Lord. That’s why this stimulus for the daughters of Zion is so indispensable and has such a special meaning for them, “Go forth, and behold.” “And behold.” This beholding of Him doesn’t mean to have some kind of superficial imaginations about Christ or drawing conclusions from them, but it means to gaze upon Him in amazement, worshipping Him. Thus, first of all, it means to look upon Him with spiritually illuminated eyes of faith. The result will be to worship and glorify Him by faith. This text presents to us a divine miracle in all its splendor and glory. For in Christ, God is not only manifested in our flesh, but Christ is also received up into glory, in our flesh. Thus, this text predicts what centuries later has been fulfilled on Ascension Day—the feast of victory. The battle is finished. Satan’s head is bruised.

We know that the disciples had been prepared for this marvelous event in order that they value the meaning of this feast of Ascension aright. They had been led through deep ways. The special administration of the Holy Spirit had set them apart from the world, called them out of darkness into His marvelous light. The Holy Spirit had discovered to them their sins and guilt and made room for the only Sacrifice that must be offered to pay their ransom. However, that way had been so incomprehensible, yes, even so unacceptable for their human, carnal expectations. Often they had barricaded His way with their feelings and hopes concerning the restoration of the Kingdom to Israel. But happily, Christ pervaded in the greatness of His strength.

After what they had experienced on Easter, the feast of His resurrection from the dead, His ascension had special meaning for them. Jesus parted from them, He was carried up into heaven, and still—they were happy! Luke says, “And they worshipped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God” (Luke 24:52,53). This is different from what we would have expected. They do not weep, mourn, or grieve because He had left them. How different from the preparation they had made for Easter! At that time they were assembled behind closed doors, for fear of the Jews.

Now, on Ascension Day they beheld, gazed at, and worshipped Him. We stand in need of Christ’s leading. If His ascension into heaven should ever become a feast for us, if it will ever receive an illustrious meaning for us, Christ Himself must make room for it within our hearts, for it concerns beholding Him with eyes of faith.

“Go forth behold King Solomon with the crown.” Christ, who is greater than Solomon, is presented here in all His glory. It concerns Him who always stands central in the heavenly messages coming to us. There is no greater wealth for Zion’s daughters than beholding their King. He has conquered all our enemies. In what else can a poor sinner get more delight from than in beholding Christ’s glory?

When Cod discovers our sin and guilt, it becomes a reality that we have severed our ties with Him by breaking His covenant in Adam. It becomes our personal guilt that we are shapen in iniquity and conceived in sin. God’s curse rests upon us justly. Heaven is closed for us. God is “justice and judgment, and equity” (Prov. 1:3). We have no right to even exist before Cod. All our prayers, sighs, and endeavours of trying to pay our debts that reach to the heavens cannot satisfy God.

But what an abundance of wealth there is to be found in Christ when the Holy Spirit applies to our soul, heaven opened by Christ. Then we may behold Christ, the King of all kings who has performed this Mediatorial work that was completely impossible to be performed by men or angels.

Now our text speaks about: “the crown wherewith His mother crowned Him.” What does this mean? Hasn’t His Father crowned Christ? Wasn’t the Father completely satisfied with His Son’s sacrifice? Yes, but regarding Christ, who is greater than Solomon, the Bible often refers to His Church as being His “mother.” The coronation of Christ is also utilized by Zion, His Church. It has been said that Zion was in travail, and brought forth a Child, in the fullness of time.

Bathsheba was Solomon’s mother. She brought him forth as the prince of peace. Read Christ’s genealogical register in Matthew 1. We would have expected some other women’s names as Hannah, Sarah or Rebekah, but we cannot find them in His genealogy. It has pleased the Lord to use other women, as Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and finally, Bathsheba. Yes, indeed, God has chosen the foolish things, the weak things, the base things of this world, and the things which are despised. Why? “That no flesh should glory in His presence.”

Has Bathsheba crowned Solomon? Yes, you know the history. Adonijah tried, by means of Joab, to usurp David’s crown because he was older than Solomon. But Nathan the prophet warned Bathsheba about this. She went to David, pleading upon what he had sworn to her with an oath. She said, “I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders.” Thus, Bathsheba took care for her son’s coronation. And so, the Lord’s Church crowns Christ, the supreme Prince of Peace, according to God’s good pleasure.

God’s people want to honor Christ as their King. The disciples worshipped Him with great joy, praising and blessing God.

God uses His Church to crown His Son. When God’s people, by faith, may look upon Christ their King in His beauty, they will sing, “Christ shall have dominion, over land and sea. I will extol Thee, O my God, and praise Thee, O my King.” When will this be done? The text says, “In the day of His espousals, and in the day of the gladness of His heart.”

When Christ’s ascension on high might be applied experientially, by grace, to our hearts, God’s people will sing:

When Thou, O Lord, in glory bright,
Ascendedst in the heavenly height
Our captive-bonds to sever,
Rich gifts from those who did rebel
Thou didst receive, that men might dwell
With Thee, O LORD, forever.

— (Psalter 420:4)

Christ is the unspeakable, yes, the unsearchable gift of the Father. And He, the heavenly Bridegroom, has bought His bride, His Church, with the priceless price of His precious blood, delivering her out of the inner prison of death. And after accomplishing this, He was carried up and received unto celestial glory. To do what? To introduce His bride (His own body) to His Father. As the greater Joseph, Christ brings His brethren into His palace.

Paul wrote jubilantly, “and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:6). This is why he writes in Philippians 3:20a, “For our conversation is in heaven,” and also “your life is hid with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3b).

Question 49 of the Heidelberg Catechism asks, “Of what advantage to us is Christ’s ascension into heaven?”

Answer: “First, that He is our Advocate in the presence of His Father in heaven; secondly, that we have our flesh in heaven as a sure pledge, that He, as the Head, will also take up to Himself, us, His members; thirdly, that He sends His Spirit as as earnest, by whose power we seek the things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God, and not things on earth.”

Christ’s ascension into heaven is His wedding ceremony. It produces gladness in His heart as our text says. The joy of His Church is tremendous. They shall worship Him, but it especially emphasizes His gladness of heart.

From eternity He has said, “I delight to do Thy will, O my God.” And once He told His disciples, “My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, to finish His work.”

Thus, the gladness of His heart is a result of His coronation.

God uses His Church to crown His Son.

Rev. P. Honkoop is pastor of the Gereformeerde Gemeente (Netherlands Reformed Congregation) of Kampen, the Netherlands. This article was translated from De Saambinder.

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