Today is one of my favorite days of the year. No, I don’t mean Cinco de Mayo, important as the Battle of Puebla was in North American history. Today, with people around the world, I am celebrating a far greater triumph.

Today – forty days after Easter Sunday – is the Feast of the Ascension of Jesus Christ. The book of Acts begins by declaring that, after Jesus rose from the dead, he appeared to his disciples over a period of forty days before gathering them together to receive his final commission to be his witnesses once the Holy Spirit came upon them. Then he blessed them and visibly ascended into heaven (Acts 1:1-11).

The ascension of Jesus matters. It is the climax and completion of the rescue mission that brought the eternal Son of God to earth to share and redeem our fallen human nature. In his exaltation to the right hand of his Father, Jesus has brought the humanity he now shares with us into intimate and glorious fellowship with the Creator of the universe.

The New Testament is full of vivid illustrations of Jesus’ exaltation. In John’s gospel, Jesus declares that he is going away “to prepare a place for us” as the unique Way to the Father (John 14:1-6). Paul repeatedly celebrates Christ’s exaltation over “every rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that his named, not only in this age, but in the age to come,” an exalted status which he extends to his church, the members of his mystical body (Ephesians 1:18-23; 2:6; cf. Philippians 2:9-11; Colossians 3:1-4; Romans 8:34-39). Hebrews explains Jesus’ ascension as the entrance of the eternal high priest “not into a sanctuary made with hands, a copy of the reality, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us” (Hebrews 9:24; cf. 6:19-20; 10:19-22). Revelation portrays him as both conquering Lion and sacrificed Lamb, who alone is worthy to approach the very throne of God to receive worship and honor from all creation, along with the authority to unseal the destiny of the world (Revelation 5).

The ascension is the moment of Jesus’ triumph, enthronement, and coronation. That makes this a day to celebrate and sing! Numerous great hymns have been written to help us do that, from “Crown Him with Many Crowns,” “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name,” and “Jesus shall Reign” to “Before the Throne of God Above.” But one of my favorites is “Look, Ye Saints, the Sight is Glorious.” The words (below) were written in 1809 by the Irish preacher Thomas Kelly. Many hymnals set it to Regent Square (the same tune as “Angels from the Realms of Glory”), but I love the new tune written a few years ago by my friend David Jordan, which you can listen to here.

Look, ye saints, the sight is glorious!
See the Man of Sorrows now,
from the fight returned victorious.
Every knee to him shall bow:
Crown him! crown him! crown the Savior!
Crowns become the victor’s brow.

Crown the Savior; angels, crown him;
rich the trophies Jesus brings;
in the seat of power enthrone him,
while the vault of heaven rings:
Crown him! crown him! crown the Savior!
Crown the Savior, King of kings!

Sinners in derision crowned him,
mocking thus the Savior’s claim;
saints and angels crowd around him,
own his title, praise his name:
Crown him! crown him! crown the Savior!
Spread abroad the victor’s fame!

Hark! those bursts of acclamation,
hark! those loud triumphant chords!
Jesus takes the highest station:
O what joy the sight affords.
Crown him! crown him! crown the Savior!
King of kings and Lord of lords!

Image Credit: Giovanni vendramin, jacopo filippo argenta e fra evangelista da reggio, antifonario II, 1482 – Image by Sailko – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2865976