Ascending into Glory?

On Thursday we remembered the Ascension of Jesus. The is based entirely on the Book of Acts. The gospels either don’t talk about it or have it on Easter Day. We sometimes describe the Ascension as the risen Jesus leaving earth to be with God, leaving us to carry on the work of God in the Spirit. Because Christ is no longer with us, we become his hands and feet. I am not sure that is what is meant here.

In the incarnation, the Word of God came among us in a particular place and time in Jesus. The crucified and risen Jesus was still present to his disciples in that particular time and place. The Ascended Christ returns into God who is beyond time and is present in all places and in all time. Through the Ascension Christ is known in all times and in all places and continues the work of bringing about the reign of God on earth as in heaven. Which means that Christ is with us in all times and places. That is pretty good news.

In our gospel reading for this, the last Sunday in Easter, we return to John’s version of the last supper and hear Jesus’ prayer as he prepares to leave his friends and disciples. His prayer, how he prays and what he prays for, reveal who he knew God to be. In this prayer he described what is to come as being glorified, which in the gospel of John is to make visible presence of God.  Jesus trusts the community to God’s care as he ascends back to the Father because they remained in the world. But that remaining in the world as we have seen throughout the whole farewell discourse is a call to glorify God, is a call to make visible the presence of God particularly in love. But we don't do that on our own. We do that because of the promise of the Spirit. We also are able to be that in the world because of this remarkable moment of “holy father protect them in your name” and that entrusting of the community to God's care.

As we regather and rebuild after these last year, how do we see us making visible the presence of God particularly in love in Tauranga? What does it mean to be entrusted into God’s care?

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