This Thursday (18 May) sees one of the key dates in the Christian calendar: Ascension Day. Partly because of its movable date (coming forty days after Easter, itself a movable festival) and partly because it celebrates absence rather than presence, it does not seem to have the same popularity in our national consciousness as Christmas or Easter.
Ascension Day remembers when Jesus left this earth in bodily form and returned to heaven. It’s a miraculous event witnessed by His disciples which we read about in Luke 24:50-52 and Acts 1:9-11. It marks a definite turning point and whilst it reminds us of the power and majesty of the risen Jesus, it perhaps is a bittersweet reminder that He is no longer present with us in bodily form.
Absence is much harder to celebrate than presence. I recently attended a retirement celebration, and whilst it was wonderful to look back on years of faithful ministry and service, it was also sad to think of this couple no longer serving in their local church. They will be missed.
Jesus knew that His disciples would miss Him. He spoke about going away and leaving them long before this day, and recognised that what He told them brought them grief. (John 16:6) Nonetheless, He affirmed that this departure was actually for their good becaue this would lead to the arrival of ‘the Advocate’, the Holy Spirit. (John 16:7)
Jesus, even when resurrected, could not in bodily form be everywhere at once on earth. His return to heaven would signal the arrival of a global ministry. The arrival of God in the form of the Holy Spirit ten days later on the Day of Pentecost would usher in a new age: the birth and empowerment of the church and a new awareness of God’s presence and power with every believer.
So absence in one form does not necessarily mean abandonment. Change comes inevitably because of the loss we feel, but every celebration in the Christian calendar points to the perfection of God’s plans.
The Ascension also reminds us of a future date, yet to be marked on our calendars, when Jesus comes again in resurrection power. (Acts 1:11) This will be a defining moment in history and something which should mark how we live now and reflect the hope of all mankind. As we prepare to celebrate this Thursday, we understand that the bittersweet is an inevitable part of life and we who believe look ahead with anticipation and hope that Jesus will one day return to our earth in glory to judge the living and the dead.