Thursday, May 17, 2007

Ascension of the Lord


Acts 1 : 1 - 11
He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God...."you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses....." After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
Jesus had completed his work on earth and was returning to his Father. Indeed he has gone ahead of us, to prepare a place for us also. Jesus may have ascended to heaven yet we are to do more than passively await his return. As followers of Jesus, with the indwelling Spirit, we are invited to adopt a way of life here in this world that prepares us to share life with him forever. It is ridiculous to think that a Christian does not need to lead a transformed life. As someone commented, those who continue to be conformed to the world would "not be able to fit into heaven" even if they went there. Living a life that readies us for our heavenly home will identify us as witnesses.
Jesus wants his followers to be his witnesses... to the ends of the earth. This statement is often understood as a reminder of the need for missionary efforts to all tribes and peoples on this earth. And that is rightly so. But how then does it apply to people who could never, because of various family and other responsibilities, become missionaries in far off lands? I think the point is that we be witnesses, by the power of the Spirit. Witnesses are required - people who can testify to the truth of the new life they now lead because of their faith in Jesus. Witnessing does not require going on mission trips to far away lands. Right at our door step there are opportunities to witness every day - even to people of different nationalities. And such opportunities are often more challenging because in our day to day existence we are often lulled into routines that make us look and act little differently from our neighbours. Christians are seen by others to be just as materialistic as non Christians. If our value systems are so similar to that of the world, the good news we preach will sound hollow.
The Lord who ascended to his Father will return for us, so that we will be with him always. In the meantime, we are his witnesses in this world. Do others see Christ in us? Are we empowered by the Spirit to show by word and much more by deed how Christ is present in and among us?

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