ASCENSION DAY

When we took our walk this morning things were different. Where we usually see many people hurrying to work or taking children to the school bus, cars rushing here and there, people on the sidewalks walking to their job or hoping for a lift to town, teenagers walking to their bus stop; there was almost none of that.

Today is Ascension Day and in this country that is a public holiday. Schools are closed, as are many businesses. There are a few churches holding services, but not many.

It is odd that a country that is really still mostly pagan celebrates the day that Jesus ascended to heaven and sat down at the right hand of the Father. These people do love their public holidays.

Sadly, most people don't seem to even know what Ascension Day is or why it is celebrated.

I come from a Christian upbringing. In the church where I grew up we celebrated the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus every Sunday through the Lord's Supper. We chose not to celebrate Easter just once a year and that Sunday was no different from any other Sunday. 

Sometimes we would hear about the ascension of Jesus as a Bible fact, but no emphasis was placed on it and certainly we never celebrated the day.

However, the ascension of Jesus is vitally important to us today. I am not suggesting that we should celebrate a special holiday 40 days after Easter, but we should certainly praise God for the fact that it happened. We should meditate on it and what it actually means for us.

When Jesus was born into the world, the incarnation, he was born a fully human child. He grew up in a physical body just as all of us did. He chose to limit himself to the confines of a human body.  He was also fully God as we can see from his perfect life, his amazing miracles and the way he faced his death. (Even the Roman Centurion in charge of the crucifixion recognized his divinity.)

When Jesus was resurrected after his burial, he still had his human body, but that body had been changed. He was able to join his disciples in a closed room without opening a door, for example. But, that body still confined him to being in one place at a time. 

When Jesus ascended to the Father something changed. From that time on, he was able to be with all of us at all times. He sent his Spirit. Each of us who is in Christ has the Spirit living in us. We are never alone in this world.  That could not have happened if Jesus had remained in a physical body on earth.

So, today and everyday, let us praise God that Jesus ascended to the Father and that he is still here with us.  We have so much to rejoice in. We are highly blessed.