Wednesday, May 4, 2005
Ephesians 4:7-10 "But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore He says: "When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men." (Now this, "He ascended" -- what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)
A GOING AWAY PRESENT
Our culture has a tradition of giving going away presents. When friends or relatives leave town, or leave our place of work, we may give them something to help in their travels, or at their new home, or new place of employment. But the situation in our text is different than what we are used to. We usually give gifts to those who are leaving, but here at Christ's ascension it is the other way around. In our text it is the person who is leaving who is giving the gifts.
Jesus knew what was ahead for His followers. When He gave them that great commission to make disciples of all nations, to baptize and to teach them all things, He did not leave them powerless. He gave them the gifts needed to carry out that task, and He promised them that He would be with them! Christ's ascension could have been a very discouraging thing for the disciples, just like His death was at first. But Paul, reflecting on Jesus' ascension, reminds us that our Lord Jesus has not forsaken us, but that He has given a going away present to every believer, and these gifts are meant for our growth as Christians.
Christ has bodily gone back to heaven, but as Christians we know that we have not been abandoned. When Christ ascended into heaven He left us with a going away present. These gifts were not given just to the apostles, or the disciples of Jesus' day. These gifts are given to all believers. Each one of us has been given unique gifts from Christ Himself. We are all able to fulfill that great commission in our own special way. But we must remember that we do not all have the same gifts and abilities. We should not become discouraged that we do not have the gifts that others have been given. Instead we should realize that Christ has given each of us certain gifts, and He will use us in His own way.
