Ascension Day Thought

Luke 24:50-53 Then he led them outside as far as Bethany, where he blessed them with uplifted hands. While he was in the act of blessing them he was parted from them and was carried up to Heaven. They worshipped him, and turned back to Jerusalem with great joy, and spent their days in the Temple, praising and blessing God. (J B Phillips paraphrase.)

What a change; what a difference! Where had the fear that paralysed the disciple to huddle behind closed doors in the upper room disappeared. What a change; paralysis  now morphed into public praise, grief to joyous gratitude, and bitter loss into blessing God.

Joshua David Stone in his book Path to Ascension writes, “We are not trapped by our thoughts. What we generally do, however, is create thoughts that trap us.” (p.162)” Perhaps this is where the words of Paul come into play, “Let Christ himself be your example as to what your attitude should be.” Philippians 2:1

So what are we to make of Christ’s Ascension.

The ministry of Jesus does not end with his resurrection. In his ascension he does not abandon his humanity. He is not the ascended Lord apart from everything that has happened between his incarnation and resurrection. Borrowing an insight from Gerrit Dawson of First Presbyterian Church, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, we can say that by his ascension the past incarnate ministry of the Jesus who was raised from the dead becomes through his Spirit present to every age and person. The earthly ministry of Jesus that was past and particular now becomes present and universal.

This reminds me of Fred Pratt Green’s hymn that says:-

The Church of Christ in every age

Beset by change but Spirit led,

Must claim and test its heritage

And keep on rising from the dead.

Litany of  the Ascension

Because Jesus ascended and sits at the right hand of God,

a new world has broken into ours—

a world in which justice does come for the poor,

freedom comes for the prisoners,

and healing for the sick.

Because Jesus ascended and sits at the right hand of God,

a new community has been formed—

a community that loves and cares for all members,

a family that welcomes all who are abandoned and rejected,

a place where all find a place of belonging.

Because Jesus ascended and sits at the right hand of God,

a new creation has begun— 

all that was distorted is being restored,

all that is corrupted is being renewed,

all that was broken is being made whole.

Because Jesus ascended and sits at the right hand of God,

God’s new world has begun. Amen