Ascension of the Lord (Fr. Simham)
Ascension Why
Somebody asked me “why did Jesus take forty days to ascent to heaven? Any technical problem to his rocket-launcher?” Funny but good question to begin with. Why forty days? Let us read a quotation from Venerable John Henry Newman. He said “”Moses brought out of Egypt a timid nation, and in the space of forty years trained it to be full of valour for the task of conquering the promised land; Christ in forty days trains his apostles to be bold and patient instead of cowards. They mourned and wept at the beginning of the season, but at the end they are full of courage for the good fight;”
Yes, after his resurrection this is what he did for forty days appearing to them and strengthening them in their faith. All his three years of hard work in choosing them and training them to continue his work would have been a waste if he had not spent these forty days with them. It filled them with courage, purpose and conviction. And then after forty days he ascended to his Father. And this is what we celebrate today. The feast of ascension. In the Apostles creed we say “He ascended into heaven and seated at the right hand of the Father.”
Now let me ask you another vierd question, why did he ascend into heaven? Why did he go to the place where he went? Question may be vierd, but it has got some important answers for our faith. What ascension means? What it is all about?
First, it means that Jesus going back to the place where he came from. That is our initial thought. He came from the father on a mission. And after accomplishing his mission he is going back to his place. That is it. Is it all? No there is something more to it. That is our second point.
Secondly, ascension is the reward he got for his humility. In St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians he writes 2/6ff “Though he was in the form of God he did not count equality with God, a thing to be grasped but he humbled himself taking the form of a servant being born in the likeness of man. He humbled himself to death, even death on the cross, therefore God has highly exalted him. And given him a name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus Every knee should bow in heaven, on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.” So what is ascension here. It is a reward for his humbling himself. It is a sharp contrast to Adam and Eve. Humans working out to become like God, here god becoming man. So is this reward.
Thirdly, Jesus’ ascension has a purpose. He himself says it. We read it as our gospel last Sunday. In John 14/2ff he says “ In my Father’s house there are many rooms……… I am going to prepare a place for you.” The gates of heaven that were closed because of the sin of Adam have to be opened by some one and Jesus Christ the first-born from the dead should be the first one to go and open the gates to invite everyone in. So he says “I have to go and open the gates to invite you all in.”
Finally, in John 16/7 Jesus says “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counsellor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” Friends, this has got lot of meaning. It is not that Counsellor who obviously is the Holy Spirit and he cannot work together but it means that it is the mission of the Holy Spirit to lead the Church. So he says I need to go and send the Holy spirit to lead you. If we look at the whole of the Bible we can see God the Father playing the dominant role in the Old testament and Jesus Christ playing the dominant role in the gospels and the Holy Spirit taking over the church from Acts to the end of New Testament.
It is not that the other persons of the trinity are absent during those time, but the particular person of the trinity plays predominant role according to the plan of God. So Jesus says I will go and Send you the Holy Spirit who will take control of the Church.
So this is what ascension means for us too. Heaven is our home and the Spirit leads us to this home and makes us long for this home. And our hearts are restless until they rest in him.
Fr. Showreelu Simham