Now, it's our turn

Forty days after Jesus was raised (“The Resurrection”) from his death on a cross, Jesus was lifted up to heaven. This is known as “The Ascension.”

Forty is a common number in some of the most important biblical events – the 40-day Flood, the 40-year exodus journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, the 40-day fasts of the prophet Elijah and Jesus himself. Jesus spent 40 days appearing to his disciples, presenting himself “alive to them by many convincing proofs and speaking about the kingdom of God.” (Acts 1.3)

On the fortieth day, Jesus leaves the world he entered as God-in-the-flesh and returns to heaven. You have to ask yourself, Why? Why would Jesus, having done all he did to begin collecting followers, to “open our eyes” to the Law and the prophets, to defeat the power of Sin and death and open the way of eternal life for all to follow; why would he leave us behind? The answer is, Jesus leaves us here on earth to live as changed, redeemed, reconciling people.

Christ gives us to know the truth about our lives, that we are God’s children and that God wants us to live in proper relationship to Godself, to other people, and to all of creation. But Jesus does not do all the work for us. Like a wise teacher, Jesus leaves us by ourselves to explore the lessons he taught us and use them to make a better world – to reconcile our differences, to lift up the downtrodden, to dismantle the practices that degrade and impoverish others, to show the world that the best way to live is loving God and loving one another. (Actually, Jesus does not leave us entirely alone – God remains present with us in the Holy Spirit. So, it is not our efforts so much as God working through us that makes the world better.) Jesus has shown us the way God wants us to live, and in the Ascension he has effectively said, “Stay here. Now, it’s your turn to live as I have taught you.”

We can’t sit around, as if there were nothing to do, waiting to be called to our eternal reward in heaven. Perhaps the greatest of all Jesus’ gifts to us is this opportunity to discover for ourselves the glory of living in this world as God meant it to be.