Dave’s Monday Blast – May 20, 2024

Recently, I read an article from the Denison Forum concerning Ascension Sunday. You can read the entire article off their website (referring to the date of 05-13-24). Any given year we can calculate that date by counting forward from Easter Sunday; this year, Ascension Sunday was May 9. The author comments: “This event is typically celebrated more by liturgical Christians than by evangelicals. When we reflect on Jesus’ return to heaven, we usually remember the angels’ pronouncement to the disciples that he ‘will come again in the same way as you saw him go into heaven'”.

The Bible reports that after his resurrection, Jesus “presented himself alive to his disciples after his sufferings by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3). Then “he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight” (v. 9).

The author continues: “When we reflect on Jesus’ return to heaven, we usually remember the angel’s pronouncement to the disciples that he ‘will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven’ (v. 11) and focus on the urgency of his return”.

However, between Jesus’ first coming and his second, there is his promise, “I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20). And with it, this fact: Our Lord is more available to our world now than at any time in human history. The author asks this simple question to Jesus’ promise: Why is this true? The author breaks this down for us in several compelling ways that are part of our apologetic:

1. Right now, Jesus is praying for you. Scripture assures us that he “is at the right hand of God” where he indeed is “interceding for us” (Romans 8:34). In fact, we are told that “he always lives to make intercession for us” (Hebrews 7:25). When Jesus was in his earthly body, he could not do what he can now do on his heavenly throne. He is no longer limited by locational physicality. Nor must he spend time eating, sleeping, and traveling. His omniscience  is no longer bound by time; he has all of eternity to pray for you.

2. Jesus is continuing his earthly ministry today through his church as the “body of Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:27). This is why he could ask Saul of Tarsus, on his way to persecute Christians in Damascus, “Why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9:4).

St. Augustine observed: “While in heaven he is also with us; and we while on earth are with him. He is here with us by his divinity, his power, and his love.” He added that Jesus “is our head and we are his body…the body as a unity cannot be separated from the head.”

Twenty centuries ago, Jesus could serve only where could travel in his incarnate body (his furthest journey was only 70 miles one way). Now he serves through 2.2 billion bodies. As his church continues to expand in number and scope, so Jesus’ ministry continues to expand around the globe.

The author concludes: “This global extension of Jesus’ earthly ministry is according to his plan: “This gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14).  On that day, “the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16 – 17).

The author concludes: And every day will be Ascension Day. If it were today, would you be ready? Come quickly Lord Jesus!