8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
Acts 1:8-9 (NIV)
As I write this article (Thursday 18th May), it is Ascension Day! It’s a day that often passes us by without noticing yet the ascension is a significant piece of the gospel story worth celebrating. And the heart of Ascension Day is highly relevant to us today! Why? I’m glad you asked : )
Jesus’ ascension into heaven, which looked to the disciples as if he disappeared into the sky, tells us something incredible about his nature and his decision to become a human being for us. When Jesus came to earth as a human baby, he took on humanness in all forms, he never intended it to be a temporary stint. He actually committed himself to being human for eternity! And when he ascended, Jesus didn’t leave his human body behind, or stash it on a cloud on the way up – incredibly, he is still human in heaven today!– As the first human to walk into heaven, he has done what we never could on our own and he promises that this has now been made possible for us too.
So Ascension Day reminds us of both the depth of Jesus’ commitment to us, and the new way he has opened up for us. As one theologian put it, ‘a human hand opens the gates of heaven’. May this knowledge gladden your heart and deepen your faith today,
Love to you all, Miranda.
Photo: https://www.crosswalk.com/