Why the Ascension Matters — Bible Reflection for Thursday, May 18

Listen to the audio of today’s Reflection:

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Matthew 28:16-20

 The Great Commission

     ¹⁶Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Today is the day on which much of the church marks “the Ascension of the Lord” – the day when Jesus departed from the earth and returned to heaven. It’s counted as the fortieth day after Easter, with the understanding that Jesus walked among his disciples for forty days after the resurrection.

And as you might remember, forty days (or forty years) is significant in the Bible as a period of transition or transformation. So it seems that the forty day period between the resurrection and the ascension is to be understood as a time in which the band of followers around Jesus was transformed into the church as a new movement.

This passage from the gospel of Matthew is the very end of that gospel, a part that’s traditionally know as the Great Commission. It’s obviously an important passage, because as Jesus leaves this world, he commissions us to spread out into it making disciples, baptizing them and teaching them to obey his teachings.

But the church’s observance of the Ascension of the Lord is probably meant to get us to stop and think about the occasion – to reflect on its meaning.

First of all, it’s important for us to be reminded that two of the four gospels tell us that with his disciples watching, Jesus left this world and went back to the heavenly realm he had come from. He was here among us for a while, and then he left.

And that phrase ‘for a while’ is significant. Both Jesus and the other New Testament writers state clearly that his time in this world was always intended to be limited. The Gospel of John says “The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” And the Greek word that’s translated “made his dwelling” is derived from the word for ‘tent.’ So the sense of it is that Jesus came and ‘camped’ in this world for a while, but never really moved into this world as his permanent home.

The Great Commission reminds us that as he left this world, Jesus commissioned his followers to continue the work he had begun during his time in this world. I other words, he gave them (and us) the assignment to do the work of making disciples and teaching them to obey his teachings. (And it seems to me that the Bible scholars are correct who say that obeying his teachings includes living in imitation of Jesus.)

There are some who say that we can’t make disciples – that only the holy Spirit can do that. In a sense, that’s no doubt true. But by giving us the Great Commission, Jesus seems to be indicating that we are to have a role in the process, and that we are to do what we can to bring others to know and love Jesus as we do.

That probably starts with bearing witness to the ways that knowing and following Jesus have made a difference in our lives. It probably also includes bearing witness to what we have seen the body of Jesus do in the world. The church has certainly committed many sins throughout its history – and its worst sins have probably come when it enlisted the power of the state to enforce its morality. But the church of Jesus Christ has also done more works of charity, founded more schools and hospitals, fed more hungry people, and stood up for more abused and neglected people than any other movement in human history. And we are to be witnesses to those things, too.

In ten days, we will celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. And coming as it did ten days after the ascension, the Pentecost explosion of spiritual energy that propelled the church out into the world in ministry doesn’t seem like just a burst of enthusiasm from a group of religious Jews. Instead, it seems like an act of God to energize the church to fulfill the Great Commission – to make disciples and teach the world his commandments.

By ascending to heaven, Jesus was leading the way for the rest of us. He had come into the world to share in our humanity. Now he was going before us to pave the way for us to share in his divinity. Rising from the dead on Easter, Jesus established a way to eternal life for us. Ascending to heaven on the day of the Ascension, Jesus was going before us to prepare a place in his Father’s house, as he promised. He was returning to his eternal life with God, and giving a sign that we’ll share in that life with God, too.

So you see why I say we really should stop and think about the Ascension of the Lord – there’s a lot of important meaning in this event we Protestants tend to overlook.

Let’s pray. Lord, we thank you for this important reminder of where our new lives in Jesus are meant to be going. As we live in this world and continue the work he gave us to do, bearing witness and making disciples, empower us by your Spirit to live with a hope that comes from keeping his kingdom always in sight. Amen.

Blessings,

Henry

(The other readings for today are Psalms 68 and 113; Ezekiel 1:1-14 and 24-28; and Hebrews 2:5-18. Our readings come from the NIV Bible, as posted on Biblica.com, the website of the International Bible Society.)