He Was Carried Up Into Heaven

”He Was Carried Up Into Heaven”

Luke 24: 44-53

            We are approaching the end of the Season of Easter celebrating Jesus’ resurrection and we will soon welcome the Spirit of God on Pentecost. But in this time of transition a significant event occurs which we often understand only as an aside even though it was and is important to the story of Jesus. After Jesus rose from death he appeared to his disciples and spoke with them about the Holy Spirit. He breathed on them and told him and shared with them his peace. It is only a short while later when we read in Luke 24 that Jesus led his disciples outside of the city of Jerusalem to the community of Bethany.  While there, Jesus raised his hands and he blessed these disciples who had been most faithful to him and who truly knew him and loved him as their Saviour and Teacher. While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. They worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. Jesus had ascended into heaven in bodily form and the disciples returned to the city of Jerusalem with joy.

            Most often when we take leave of a friend at  the airport, bus or train station there is mixed emotions based upon the experience that has been shared. The one leaving is either returning to their own lives or beginning again. Those remaining also have mixed emotions because of time shared and what will happen next.

            When Jesus ascended into heaven the disciples worshiped him. They returned to Jerusalem with great joy- They knew Jesus as God’s Son and believed that He would never leave them. But their future was uncertain—or was it?

            The disciples had been told that Jesus would no longer be with Him in a physical way. Jesus had promised the Spirit to be with them and so they waited. How could they explain Jesus’ going away- ascending into heaven? This is the same man who died and rose to new life and now he had just gone up into heaven?

            These disciples waited for the Spirit to direct their lives into a new mission. We who know Jesus and experience the Spirit amongst us also need to have our lives directed- or redirected by the Spirit. And this is the role of the Spirit—we just need to call the Sprit to us and to ask God to show us what our mission is.

            The disciples began to teach and preach and heal in the name of Jesus. We too are still called to do the same as this is our mission in Christ’s name. Let us reflect on this as we remember Jesus’ ascension into heaven and how He is with God the Father. Let us think about what God calls us to do so that we can rejoice in the Risen Christ who is with God in heaven.

PRAYER

Holy God,  hear us as we seek your plan for us this day. Help us to respond with love and devotion as we seek to fulfill your mission for our lives. Enable us to know the joy the disciples experienced as they saw Jesus ascend into heaven and as they worshiped Him. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

            BLOG QUESTION:

Why is it important to hear the story of the Ascension of Jesus? The disciples worshiped Jesus as he left them to be with the Father and they were filled with joy. What were they to do next? Does hearing this story of Jesus’ ascension and the disciples joy make a difference to your understanding of being a disciple in Jesus? How and why?