Monday Morning Mail, 13th May 2013

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Loving God | Loving Each Other | Loving our Community

Good Morning!


Last Thursday, we celebrated one of the more frequently forgotten Christian festivals (largely because it's a Thursday, and doesn't get a Bank Holiday to go with it) – Ascension Day, when we remember that after he rose from the dead, Jesus ascended bodily into heaven. Actually, the ascension itself was for the benefit of the disciples, so they could see that he'd physically left; to get to heaven required some kind of cunning teleportation that I'm sure God could arrange.


I'd just like to think briefly – what's the point of the Ascension? Two of the passages for the day were Acts 1:1-11 and Ephesians 1:15-23, and they give us the same three answers.


The Ascension means that God gives us the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4-5, Eph 1:17)

In John 16, Jesus disciples were sad that he was going away, but Jesus told them it was for their good, because when he had returned to his Father, he could send the Holy Spirit, and so be present with all of them them always rather than just whoever he was physically with at the time. Later theologians said that Jesus can send the Spirit after the ascension because when he ascended into heaven, he took his humanity back into the Godhead, and so gave extra dignity and status to the whole human race. God can now dwell with us permanently by his Spirit because Jesus came to dwell with us as a man, and then ascended back into heaven.


The Ascension means that Jesus' Kingdom is Coming (Acts 1:10-11, Eph 1:20-22)

Jesus is now seated at the Father's right hand as ruler of the universe, and his kingdom will know no end because it can never be defeated. One day everyone will acknowledge Jesus as Lord, and now we can know that if we follow Jesus, we will eventually be on the winning side, even if life seems difficult and painful now.


The Ascension means that God empowers us (Acts 1:7-8, Eph 1:17-20)

Paul writes that the power that raised Jesus from the dead and seated him in heaven is the same power that is available for us. And what does Jesus' resurrection and ascension power do for us and in us? It helps us to know God better (Eph 1:17); it helps us to know the glorious hope that is ours through Christ (Eph 1:18), and it enables us, his people, to be his witnesses in the world (Acts 1:8).


So we don't need to be scared of talking about Jesus any more! God tells us that because of Jesus' ascension, he gives us power through the Holy Spirit to be his witnesses. He gives us all the strength and wisdom we need to share Jesus with our friends and neighbours. Yes, he sometimes chooses to show that strength through our weakness so that all the glory goes to him, but he always provides everything we need so that we can do everything he has called us to in this world.

May he equip and bless us as we live for him this week!


God bless,


John

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