Thank God that Jesus left.
Jesus ascended into heaven this past Thursday. We celebrated Ascension on Sunday, but it technically was Thursday. For 40 days after his resurrection he talked and ate with his disciples.
(Talking and eating! With God’s remaining time with us on earth, that’s how he spent it! Talking and eating with us. He had just been crucified and yet, there was no revenge plan or “let’s get ’em plan.” Enemies everywhere, his men terrified, and yet, how does Jesus spend his remaining time? Just talking and eating. That seems very relaxed. That’s seems like what you would do after you won the war, not what you would do in the middle of it. Unless…)
Have you noticed that when Jesus was about to ascend to his Father, none of the disciples, not one, said, “Please! Don’t leave! Stay with us! What will we do with out you?” None of them said that. Instead they all just stood there and watched him rise up into heaven. Like it was no big deal. None of them tried to hold him down or yell at him or tenderly ask, “Do you have to leave, Jesus?”
Those are reactions I think many of us might have. But the disciples didn’t. Why?
Let’s imagine you were in a war. And the general was proving to be inadequate, nearly incompetent. Now, there was also a colonel you served with and knew very well. You knew that if your friend the colonel was promoted to general, this war would be won. Of course you wouldn’t be able to serve with him anymore, but you would never mention that. It would be horribly selfish and also harmful to all the other men. And so you work and hope and pray that your friend rises to the rank and leaves you behind.
The Ascension: Jesus has risen to the supreme rank and we are all safer for it. He is seated on a throne at the right hand of God. King. Emperor. Conqueror. And he’s ours! That’s our guy! He’s with us!
But hadn’t he always been seated with God and ruled with God? Yes. But not as a man. Thus, Jesus takes humanity up with him into heaven. So, humanity, in Christ, has conquered. Now is the time for talking and celebrating and eating! The Great War against sin, the devil, and death, is over. We go forth now not to conquer, but to witness that our God reigns; that humanity is saved; that Jesus ascended.
Of course the disciple wouldn’t have tried to hold Jesus down. Jesus bears all humanity with him. If he dies, we die. If he rises, we rise. If he ascends, we ascend. If he reigns, we reign. For your life is hidden with God in Christ in the heavenly places.
Thank God that Jesus isn’t here.
Tom+