Mission complete

Last Thursday was Ascension Day when we remembered how Jesus returned to God the Father, having fulfilled his life’s ministry of salvation.

Please do not think in spatial terms.

Jesus did not return to God‘up there’in the sky. Jesus returned to the immediate presence of God. Just as we will when our present life is over.

In our human existence there is a veil between our present life and eternity, between our temporal span and infinity. So our relationship with God is one of trust.

We trust, we have faith, in our God we cannot see.

But when our days have run to sunset we will see our God whom, in faith without seeing, we at present trust.

Throughout his life from Bethlehem to Ascension , Jesus lived in our world.

In his human life Jesus had to seek and search for God, so at night he would pray for hours to the Father (Matthew 14.23).

Jesus had to struggle to find God as we witness in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26.38) and at the very end on the Cross.

But after Jesus had lived within the confines of our human existence, he then returned to the immediate presence of God

Theology is the discipline of balanced thinking.

Jesus came from the immediate presence of God to be with people. At Christmas we celebrate the Incarnation, Jesus’ coming from God.

This movement of Jesus to the human race is balanced by the Ascension.

In that Ascension movement Jesus returns to the immediate presence of God.

Again, another example. At the beginning of Jesus’ministry Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness preparing for his ministry of salvation (Matthew 4.1-2).

While after Easter the risen Christ tarried40 days with his disciples preparing them for ‘their’great mission into the world in the power of the Holy Spirit.“Go ye therefore into all nations”(Matthew 28.18-20 and Acts 1.1-3).

The discipline of theology balances our Christian thinking.

Consider what Jesus has accomplished. Jesus has built a divine circle of care and love, grace and protection around you.

At strategic points on the circle there are guiding markers. First, Jesus was born to share our humanity.

Then, Jesus lived to show us our new life.

Next, Jesus died on the Cross to save us from our sins.

After that, Jesus rose again to free us to our new life. Finally, Jesus returned to God, His mission completed, and our protecting circle of grace sealed. This is Pentecost and life in the Holy Spirit.

“The Holy Spirit is no other than God himself. The Spirit is God’s personal closeness to people”(Hans Kung,‘On Being a Christian’).

God himself is with us, that is life in the Spirit. You know that this is true.

Because you have only to look into your own soul and God is there smiling back at you with Jesus.

Listen to Jesus:“If you love me, my Father will love you.

“And we will come and make our home with you”(John 14.23).

That is the Christian gospel, God’s presence is our Christian experience, and Jesus’passion our Christian joy.

Place this wondrous truth into the time and space of one day in your own life.

There used to be a popular song:“I wake up in the morning and you are on my mind.”

But we can sing better:“God, we wake up in the morning and your are in our life and soul.”

Each day a new beginning with a host of words and deeds, joys and sorrows.

How are we able to confront each day, brave challenging issues, and overcome unexpected hurdles?

How are we able to share our faith, support our friends and family, and feel supported in ourselves?

All because the good Lord God has built a divine circle of care around us.

All because when we face the world around us we also meet the good Lord God within us.

That is living in the Spirit. You possess such a wonderful faith!

Jesus said: “I will not leave you ‘desolate’.” The Greek word is ‘orphanos’meaning‘orphans or father-less.

“I will not leave you orphans and fatherless.

I am in my Father, you are in me, and I am in you”(John 14.18-20).