Jesus’ Resurrection was not resuscitation.  He didn’t die and come back to live out his natural life, before eventually dying again.  Jesus’ death was intentional, it had a purpose, and that purpose was to raise up all things, to Ascend to the Father and lead us to the same.  Jesus’ Resurrection, the Gospels make 100% clear, was a permanent change in the nature of reality, a new dimension in human experience. The black curtain of sin and death which befell humanity, which constricts and corrupts our growth, has been broken though by Jesus, ushering in new possibilities, new life. Succinctly put, the Ascension guards us from seeing Jesus’ Resurrection as any less than it is.  It was no medical miracle, no metaphor and no magic trick; but rather a glimpse for God’s people of the final leg of our long journey with Him. As with everything Jesus did, it was an example we follow.  His ascension makes possible our ascension, being lifted up by seeking the true, beautiful and good in this world, and finally ascending to dwell with God in a glorious new way.