The resurrection is the victory of Jesus over sin, death, and the devil (Heb. 2:14-18). The resurrection is the downpayment that secures the remainder of Jesus’ work until the end of the age (1 Cor. 35-58). The resurrection also anticipates the ascension and eventual return of Christ. In Acts 1, as Jesus ascends to the right hand of the Father in heaven, angels appear and promise, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). It’s not that He “might come” but that He “will come.” For centuries, Christians have debated the nature of Christ’s return but not whether He would return. The eventual return of our Lord is a fundamental doctrine of the faith—an essential element of orthodox Christian belief. Jesus’ ascension is not a final farewell, but a “wait until I return.” Christ has been raised, so we will be likewise raised. Christ has ascended on high, so He will also return in power and glory to rescue God’s children and punish the wicked. We are waiting in the between time of those realities. The question then becomes, “What do we do while we wait? How do we wait well?”