Feast of the Ascension

“Almighty God, whose blessed Son our Savior Jesus Christ ascended far above all heavens that he might fill all things: Mercifully give us faith to perceive that, according to his promise, he abides with his Church on earth, even to the end of the ages; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.”

Yesterday, on the Eve of the Ascension, I wrote that, “Jesus is no longer with us in flesh. But he is with God, in the scarred hands, feet, and side.” So one reason to celebrate Jesus leaving us in the flesh is this: That flesh is now at the right hand of the Father. And as Jesus has taken his human body to Heaven, so will we all be redeemed in our human flesh, and live forever with Jesus. Thus, the Ascension of Jesus is the guarantee of our personal resurrection.

But that resurrection will happen, not in some other world, but here. That is the meaning of the phrase, “that he might fill all things.” When Jesus returns in glory, it will not be to destroy this world and replace it with a better one. That would imply that God made a mistake the first time he created something. But this world is not a mistake. It reflects the loving Word that made it.

So now, Jesus is in Heaven, and we are here waiting for him to return, except that through the Holy Spirit, the 3rd person of the Triune God, Jesus is still here. As it says in the Daily Office reading for today, “behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:16-20). But rather than being limited by the constraints of his physical body, Jesus is with us in the Spirit that blows around us and through us.

And since it is this world that Jesus has come to save, then we have work to do. There are disciples to be trained, and sinners to be saved through the waters of Baptism. This is the Great Commission referenced in our mission statement. There are “sub-commissions” of that Great Commission, over which our Vestry members preside. But we all are charged by Jesus to fulfill his commission, trusting that he is with us in spirit, and will be with us again in the flesh. Thanks be to God!