Ascension Day

Ephesians 1:15-23 Matt 28:16-20

Today is Ascension Day, which occurs 40 days after Easter.  Thus, it is always on a Thursday. I think we Protestants can miss so much of the beauty of the Christian Calendar by pretending it doesn’t exist or by calling it too Catholic.  In fact, by observing the Church year we are continually brought back into the Scripture and the Story of God.  Ascension occurs 40 days after Easter, and 10 days before Pentecost.  Thus it is the perfect time to follow the narrative presented in the Gospels.  We obviously can’t have Pentecost and the giving of the Holy Spirit without Jesus ascending to the Father.

The Ascension is a well-known event, but perhaps not as well-known as Jesus’ Resurrection.  At Easter we celebrate Jesus conquering death and rising from the grave.  According to Acts, Jesus was with his disciples for 40 days after the Resurrection before he ascended to heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father.  The Ascension is so important to our theology, you might remember that it a statement in the Apostles’ Creed.  Thus, I can only focus on just a little aspect of it.

The Ascension is mentioned in three Gospels, just go to their ends, but Mark leaves it out.  It is also mentioned in Acts.  It is integral to Paul’s theology as well and to the author of Hebrews and Revelation.

I don’t want to get ahead of myself here, but I want to point one think out.  Jesus said on more than one occasion in the Gospel of John that it is good for him to leave, because only if he leaves can he send his Spirit.  The Ascension is the fruition of this plan on our behalf.  He leaves so that his Spirit can dwell in us and empower us.  But that gets us to Pentecost.

For Ascension I want to say one thing and it comes from our reading in Ephesians. Paul says that Jesus is sitting at the right and of the Father and he has power “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.”    The Father also “put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”  Jesus is the ruler of all.  This is actually the message of Revelation.  Jesus wins! He has all authority in heaven and on earth.  Yet notice that Paul says Jesus chooses to exercise this power through his Church.  The Church is Jesus body in the world.  We are his hands and feet, to quote an old Audio Adrenaline song. 

This is both humbling and frightening at the same time.  We are Jesus to the world. In the Lord’s Prayer we pray “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  I just wonder to what extent do realize that Jesus wants to use us to accomplish this?  When we pray do we realize that Jesus will not force his Kingdom, but uses us, humanity, the church, to accomplish his plans?

Lest anyone protests, remember that Jesus can exercise his authority as he sees fit. We serve a Messiah who became a servant and died for Creation.  Somehow it seems fitting that God would work through his creation as well to accomplish his perfect plans for salvation and redemption.

Reflect on this idea. Until next Sunday, Grace and Peace.