On Christ's ascension I now build The hope of my ascension.
This hope alone has always stilled All doubt and apprehension;
For where the head is, there as well I know his members are to dwell
When Christ shall come and call them.
CW 172 "On Christ's Ascension I Now Build" stanza 1
When we think of Jesus' acts on earth on our behalf, is the ascension the first thing we go to for comfort? Probably not. However, in the hymn above the author takes us to the mountain where Jesus left his disciples physically to ascend into heaven. Why does that scene bring comfort? Shouldn't it bring sadness because our Savior left? Shouldn't it cause us to be afraid to no longer have Jesus physically present to guide and protect his followers? No. Why?
Because Jesus ascending into heaven means something very important. It means Jesus had the right to ascend. He had earned that right through his righteousness and his innocent suffering and death. He had accomplished his mission to defeat sin, death and the devil for us and then return triumphant to his Father's side. Jesus has the right to sit at the right hand of his Father. Jesus has the right to sit in the judgment seat over all people of all time. Jesus has the right to rule all things for all time.
At first glance and first thought, the ascension can seem like a goodbye and leave loneliness and fear in its place. But that is not what the ascension of our Lord is. It is on his ascension that we build our hope for our own ascension into heaven. It is because our Savior sits on the judgement seat that we know we will never have to face the wrath of the Almighty God. It is because of His promise that we know he has built for us a mansion to live in forever. That hope of our ascension is what helps us deal with all the doubt and apprehension of these days down here. We know that we are part of the body of Christ and that where Jesus is, so also will his members be. It is just a matter of time until the day when Jesus literally calls us up to be with him.
So... Let us celebrate this awesome event in history. TODAY we will have a short Ascension Service at 7pm. Join us in-person or online live on our Facebook or YouTube pages.
I hope to see you then! May God bless the rest of your beautiful evening.
In His service,
Pastor