Last Thursday was Ascension Day and Dave preached this morning on the Ascension, which is mentioned in Mark 16:19, Luke 24:51 and Acts 1:1-11. Luke essentially takes us on a journey through the life and ministry of Jesus. The ‘first leg’ of the journey leads to the Transfiguration, where Jesus’s appearance is changed and heavenly glory is glimpsed on earth. The ‘second leg’ of the journey ends with the Ascension, completing Jesus’s ministry on earth. (the ‘third leg’ is told in the rest of the book of Acts, namely ‘the acts of the apostles through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.’)
The Ascension narrative clearly shows us that Jesus’s ministry on earth will not continue in the manner to which the disciples had become accustomed. The death and resurrection of Jesus signified a perfect sacrifice that was accepted by God. The Resurrection was God’s ‘vindication’ or ‘confirmation’ that the sacrifice Jesus offered on behalf of mankind was acceptable. If Jesus had not ascended, however, what would have happened? Would He have become the ‘wandering Jew’ of fables? The Ascension shows us that Jesus is now enthroned on high (see Eph 1:21-22) and has assumed the place of ultimate authority, being seated at the right hand of God. The fact that He ascended in bodily form shows us that He not only came to bring God to us but to bring us to God; our humanity now has a place in the heavenly realms. ‘A cloud him him from their sight’ – not just a meteorological cloud, but a cloud symbolising the presence of God Himself (remember the cloud that led the Israelites in the wilderness, or the cloud which fell in the temple as the priests led worship.) God’s presence is nearer, perhaps, than we think at times!
In being left behind, recognising Jesus’s temporary absence on earth, His followers face two dangers. One is to put our hope in political power (see Acts 1:6). We need always to remember Jesus’s words to Pilate: ‘my kingdom is not of this world'(John 18:36) and to understand that we cannot mix God’s power with the world’s power. Our job is to be witnesses (martyrs) to Jesus, serving Him with self-giving love, not arrogant power. The second danger is to be caught looking upwards all the time, and thereby failing to fulfil the tasks to which He has called us. We cannot escape this world and go to be with Jesus yet – our times are in His hands and in the intervening time between His departure from earth and His coming again in glorious power, there is work to be done. We have to recgonise that this work can only be done in the power of the Holy Spirit, and must therefore wait and pray (see Acts 1:8), but we also need to be fuelled by the hope of Christ’s return.
Jesus will come back to earth. The book of Revelation testifies to that. We don’t know when or how He will return, but the assurance given to the disciples by the angel at the Ascension is that He will indeed return. He rules over all powers and principalities and His absence is indeed only temporary. Our cry, therefore, is the cry of the church through the ages, ‘Maranatha! – O Lord, come quickly!’