Dear Rose Park,
I can remember one of my most favorite parts about going to the mall or the airport as a kid was getting to ride on the escalator. Don’t get me wrong, walking up stairs or hopping into the elevator is just as useful, but there was something so fun about watching the steps move as you held onto the handrail and ascended to the next floor. We don’t typically use the word ‘ascend’ in today’s language, but the concept of ascension is very important to the Christian faith; in fact, this coming Sunday is Ascension Sunday.
On ascension Sunday (forty-days after Easter) we celebrate that Jesus ascended into heaven after His resurrection. You might remember this story from Luke 24 or Acts 1; it’s also intertwined with what’s known as the ‘great commission.’ from Matthew 28. Right after Jesus sends His disciples to “make disciples of all nations” He leaves earth and ascends into heaven. This might seem more like a story of logistics explaining how and when Jesus left the earth, but if we take time to consider the overarching theme of these stories we’ll discover the ascension of Jesus functions as far more than a plot-filler.
Here’s what I mean: by ascending to heaven not only does Jesus further create a space for us to participate in the soil of ministry He’s already planted seeds in, but this also transitions us to the arrival of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. By sending the disciples to minister to the nations, ascending to heaven, and then immediately sending the Spirit we are comforted knowing that we are not alone, but instead are empowered by the Holy Spirit to continue the ministry of Christ.
Here’s another way to think about it: Jesus invites the disciples to be apart of His ministry, He teaches them and models it for them, and then He gets out of the way and allows them to do it for themselves. It sounds a lot like a leadership development model that goes: I do, you watch. I do, you help. You do, I help. You do, I watch.
Jesus taught us how to do His ministry through His word, He’s invited us to be apart of that ministry, He’s sent us a helper in the Holy Spirit, and by ascending into heaven He’s allowed us to innovate His ministry in a new context.
So, the next time you take a ride on an escalator be reminded that just as you ascend to the next floor, Jesus ascended to heaven to further create a space for us to participate in His ongoing ministry.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Mark