The Ascension

This weekend we are celebrating a very important but often overlooked day on the Church calendar: the Ascension of our Lord. As the Apostles' Creed states, we believe that Jesus "ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead."

While many people think of heaven being in the clouds and a part of the created universe, in fact heaven is the eternal realm of God who is not limited by time and space as creation is. Thus, God can be everywhere and know all things. And as for "the right hand of God the Father almighty," that is an idiom for equal power and authority with God the Father. In other words, Jesus is fully God who is using His full divine powers. And what is He using them for? For the benefit of His Church.

We celebrate that all Jesus came to accomplish as Savior is complete. There need be no fear that something else yet has to be done. To use a phrase attributed to Julius Caesar, Jesus could easily say, "I came, I saw, I conquered." And for all who believe in Him and follow Him, there is no doubt that in Him there is the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

The last thing Jesus did for His disciples as He ascended was bless them. Have you ever heard the phrase, "Blessed to be a blessing"? Indeed, the Holy Spirit now empowers you and me to be a blessing to the world around us as we share the love of Jesus by using the different gifts and abilities with which we have been blessed.

What are your specific gifts and abilities? How might the Lord use you to bless others? What a great thing to pray about, asking the Holy Spirit to lead you to realize and use the opportunities He gives for loving service in His name. After all, when our Lord does something it always has a purpose. So it is when He blesses you. He has a purpose for you in this life as we look forward to beholding His full glory and splendor in the wonder of the Father's House.