Thoughts for the Day

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over the course of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. ‘This’, he said, ‘is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’

The Ascension of Jesus

So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

At Ascension Day, are we left like the Disciples, looking up into the heavens wondering where Jesus has gone and hoping that God's Kingdom has been initiated? Those of us who go to church today may even look at stained glass windows showing a pair of feet disappearing into the clouds. The whole incident is imbued with "vertical upness", yet we all know that heaven is not "up there". So let's look at this incident in a different way.

The 'Acts of the Apostles' is not, of course the beginning of the story, but the second book written by Luke. It continues that of Luke's Gospel which ended with the death, the resurrection, and also the ascension of Jesus at Bethany (Luke 24.49-53). So the beginning of Acts is a reprise of the end of Luke's Gospel, without the two men in white robes. The first book has been about the work of Jesus the Second Person of the Trinity who comes to rescue God's people, the second book is about the work of the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity, who comes to empower God's people. The end of the Gospel has shown us that Jesus "opened their minds to understand the scriptures", but now at the beginning of Acts after commending his book to his patron Theophilus, Luke promises the power of the Holy Spirit will be given to them, in order that they can be his witnesses to the world.

As successors to those who were to receive the power of the Spirit, the question is - are we still looking hypnotically into the heavens waiting for God's Kingdom to arrive? Or are we empowered by the Spirit and inspired to witness to God's work in our world, and so in turn enable His Kingdom to come to completion?

Collect for Ascension

Risen and Ascended Christ,
you have raised our human nature
to the throne of heaven:
help us to seek and serve you,
that we may join you at the Father’s side,
where you reign with the Spirit in glory,
now and for ever.
Amen.