Tuesday, May 15, 2018
Acts 1:9 ... as they were looking on, He was lifted up, and a cloud took Him out of their sight.
"HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN"
With these words from the Apostles' Creed we confess that Jesus' ascension into heaven is both an historical event and one vitally important to the history of our salvation. But more important by far than what we say and do in remembering Jesus' Ascension is what is revealed by what our Lord said and did on that day.
Throughout the 40 days after Jesus' resurrection, the words and actions of the risen Christ were full of meaning and significance. Remember how he made a point to appear to Peter already on Easter Sunday afternoon-- Peter, who felt so terrible because of his threefold denial of Jesus.
And when Jesus appears to the disciples as a group that evening, He not only greets them with the word peace, but in the strength of the peace He had secured with his blood He sends them out into a hostile world to speak the message of His peace in the most personal way, to say: "In Jesus' name I forgive you all your sins" (John 20:19-23).
When Mary Magdalene, overjoyed that Jesus was alive, thought that He had returned to live as before with His followers, He told her gently, "Stop clinging to me ... I am returning to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God" (John 20:17).
After 40 days of appearances and intense instruction the day for Christ's return to the Father came and Jesus ascended into heaven. It was an event with powerful impact. The way Jesus withdrew His visible presence was so remarkable that His disciples couldn't stop staring into the sky. Its meaning went far beyond the fact that His disciples were not to expect any further appearances of their risen Master, Jesus' ascension spoke to the heart of who He was and what He had done. It said He would never cease to be our brother-- the Son of God who was made man as well. It emphasized the fact that He had accomplished what He came from the Father's side to carry out.
