 Did you ignore one of the greatest events in Christian history this year? Did you go about the day as if it were just any other ordinary day?The ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ was once celebrated universally and dramatically. Some churches had special holes in their roofs that were used on Ascension Day; when the words were read - "While he blessed them, he parted from them, and was carried up into heaven" - a likeness of the risen Lord would be hauled up from the floor of the nave to and through the roof and out of sight of the people worshiping below. The same hole was used on the Day of Pentecost when, in some of these same churches, roses were showered down from above to symbolize the tongues of fire that "rested on each one of them" on the first Pentecost. Today, we do very little if anything at all. Now, few among us would suggest a revival of the medieval practice of lifting a statue of the Lord up and through the roof, and with good reason. But, we should do something even greater to witness to the world that our Lord and Savior ascended forty days after he rose from the dead. Here is a map of where people have agreed to celebrate Ascension Day!A non-believer, probing for soft spots in the Christian's creed, might congratulate himself upon having found a specially vulnerable one at this point (Luke's version of the ascension). "Do you mean to tell me that Jesus took off vertically, like a helicopter, while His disciples stared and strained their necks?" Could anything be more incredible to modern man than such a picture, or harder to defend against this cynicism? But that's the way that Luke tells the story, not once but two times; first in his gospel and, second, in the book of Acts. For us, the ascension of the Lord ought to mean that the resurrection of Jesus is now complete. His God-given mission, which ended so suddenly and, in the eyes of the world, so ignominiously, is closed out in triumph. He had to return to his Father, simply because he could not go on, century after century, manifesting his resurrected person to doubters and believers alike. That would have mislocated belief in Christ in the realm of sight, rather than of faith (where it belongs). Even the women and the disciples had to take the Resurrection on faith; no one saw him actually rise from the dead and leave the tomb that first Easter morning. Jesus actually appeared to them because it was necessary that he should be seen and recognized by those who knew and loved him. They saw him die on the cross, and they saw him after he broke out of death's grip and the grave. Today, in faith, we celebrate what they saw - his parting from them and from this earth, the event which we call the ascension. What it means for us is more important than how it was accomplished or precisely where he went to in order to be with God the Father in Heaven. Luke's version of the ascension of our Lord contains Jesus' last farewell speech to the disciples and to the world. Christ himself tells all of us that God has turned the tragedy of the tree into a triumph over the tomb. Usually, someone has to speak for us after our death. That Christ is able to speak for himself, rather than needing someone to speak for him about this matter, is an actualizing of his victory over sin and death. No one had to make a case for Jesus' death and resurrection; he spoke for himself. As Paul points out, "He humbled himself" and not only because (in the eyes of people looking for an all-conquering Messiah) a total failure, but God changed that tragedy into a glorious triumph in his resurrection and ascension to "the right hand of God." The ascension was the last chance Jesus had to clarify, once and for all, the nature and scope of his mission on earth, to the disciples. The good news which the world needs to hear is that story of Jesus' birth, death, resurrection, ascension along with pentecost and what the story means. It includes a call to repentance and the assurance of forgiveness. It was up to them now - and it is up to us today - to tell the truth of the tree and the tomb, as well as the trumpet that is yet to sound, to Jew and Gentile alike. To the disciples, Jesus said, "You are witnesses to these things." Indeed, they became faithful witnesses, even to laying down their lives for the sake of Christ and the gospel. He had prepared them for their work by opening their minds "to understand the scriptures" and told them to go back to the city and wait "until you are clothed with power from on high." Then they would be ready, fully equipped for witnessing for Christ in the world. And that's the way it was - and still is. By the time of his ascension, the disciples clearly understood what Jesus had been doing and achieving for God and humanity during those three years they had spent with him. God had intended the story to come out this way and, despite his departure from them, their hearts were filled with joy and they did as he commanded them; they went back into the city to await the "power from on high" that he promised them in his last talk with them. They knew he was alive. They knew he was the Son of God and the Savior of the world, the long-promised Messiah. They knew that they would see him again when he returned, as he had assured them that he would, at the end of time and the day of resurrection. They knew that he still loved them, simply because he appeared to them after he rose from the grave and, most importantly, he had entrusted his mission on earth to them. As Luke tells the story, the ascension took place forty days after Jesus emerged from the tomb, and he ascended from the earth to be with his heavenly Father. They had begun to comprehend the nature of God's love and power; so should we. Next year, let's have an Ascension Celebration to celebrate the Ascension of Jesus Christ. The promise and the power have been passed on to us by the faithful of other times and places. We know the Story. We believe that Christ is the risen, ascended Lord. And we are convinced that it is now up to us to tell the glorious truth to all people, so that our joy might be theirs. Mark your calendars now for every 39th day after Easter, and let's plan to celebrate the Ascension with a grand celebration. Future Ascension Day Dates May 5th, 2016 May 25th, 2017 May 10th, 2018 May 30th, 2019 May 21st, 2020
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