- Jesus is sufficient in a huge and uplifted way for any challenge that might await you.
One of the craziest questions in the entire Bible came from two guys in white robes who asked, “Why do you stand looking into heaven?”
I never want to accuse anyone, much less (in all likelihood) two angels, of posing a dumb question; but if ever there were one, this would be it.
Here’s the context: Jesus had just spent forty days following the Resurrection teaching his faithful followers about the kingdom of God – undoubtedly what has occurred and what is going to transpire in the exciting days ahead. After His promise of the coming Holy Spirit, Jesus started ascending to heaven..
Ascending. Today, we have airplanes and escalators and elevators and drones and satellites…not so back then. The only thing that could move skyward in those days were birds. But in this moment, inexplicably to his watching disciples, Jesus started moving up. And up. And up. No one had ever seen anything like this…up and up and up.
Two men in white show up and say, basically, “Why are you craning your necks?”
I’ve read a few books on what is called “the Ascension.” Usually they are insightful theological tomes that expressimportant truths. But I think they miss the most obvious point: our God is an arising God. And we need to remind ourselves of that over and over again in a world of lowered standards and waning morals…of descents.
I love the Psalms and typically pray through at least six a day. Across a habit years, certain themes emerge and their repetition indicates vital importance. One of those consistent refrains regards our arising God:
Arise, O Lord! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked. (3:7)
Arise, O Lord! Let not man prevail; let the nations be judged before you! (9:19)
Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up your hand; forget not the afflicted. (10:12)
“Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan, I will now arise,” says the Lord; “I will place him in the safety for which he longs.” (12:5)
God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered; and those who hate him shall flee before him! (68:1)
Arise, O God, judge the earth; for you shall inherit all the nations! (82:8)
I think the key reason Jesus elevates in the first chapter of Acts is because He wants His followers to realize that – as they have sung in the Psalter while in the temple, or in their celebrations, or around the dinner table – He is now, and will be in the coming hard days, above and beyond their difficulties. In other words, he is sufficient in a huge and uplifted way for any challenge that might await them.
That same truth applies to His followers today. He, the Christ of the Ascension, will rise to meet any problem that we face in days ahead, for our benefit and for His glory. As the two men in white said to the gathered disciples: “This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
So, why did Jesus ascend that day? There are a lot of good theological books out there that explains some good reasons. Go read them. But for me, there is this: He is an ascending God. The songs of Israel said so. So, of course, after God-in-the-flesh leaves them, He would want them to see Him rising.
He went up. And He is coming again.
Matt Friedeman
