Happy Ascension Day!

For forty days after he rose from the dead, Jesus continued with his ministry among his followers. Today marks the celebration of his ascension, the end of Jesus's direct ministry on Earth and his ascension into Heaven. On this day, Jesus completed his mission given by God and reiterated the mission he gave to us, his disciples a few days before.

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.


Jesus did not come into the world to give us a code of ethics to make us better people. (In fact, Jesus's closest followers often realize just how bad off they really are - He'd never encourage us to grovel though). As odd as it may be to hear someone say it, you don't need Jesus to give up smoking, addiction or any number of personal ills.

Jesus did not come into the world to give us a set of principles to be happy people. In fact, from the first mention of Jesus being the Man of Sorrows, all the way through the final triumph against The Rebellion in the world, you'll find that God puts many many more things in a higher priority than our personal happiness. And as a result often uses the pain, suffering and discomfort in this world like spiritual vegetables or bad tasting medicine.

Jesus came into the world to save His people from their sins - from their rebellion against God. And as part of that mission, He's sent us to go tell others about God's love and mercy toward them, about His grace in making them His own and about how to work with Him in becoming more like Jesus everyday.

While the Gospel of Christ will ultimately make you the best and happiest version of you (usually in Heaven, sometimes before then), Jesus came to take care of something that He and the Father consider infinitely more important: our rebellion against God and His Kingdom.

You see, God created a good world, full of joy and love. But because you and I would rather do things our own way, and because we didn't trust God's love and character, we staged a rebellion against Him, and tried to depose God from his place as King. But God, being all-wise, all-knowing and perfectly loving, is really the only person who can be rightfully King. So as the Rebellion continues, not only do we continue to with the treason, but we hurt this world, and ourselves, deeply - and out of his love for us, the King hates the Rebellion.

Like many unlawful rebellions that followed in human history, we were caught, tried, sentenced now awaiting execution. But God still loves his enemies and sought them out in his perfect grace and mercy. He came into this fallen, rebellious place we'd turned his good world into and preached His good news:

If we would submit ourselves to him, waving a flag of surrender by admitting that we are wrong about ourselves and wanting and needing our own way and admitting we are wrong about Him and trust Him with our lives, He would take our place on the judgment block, He would take the punishment for our rebellion on Himself, as one of us, instead of us. (More than that, as if he were the only rebel at all.) And in return, He'll put Himself inside of us, making us part of His Family and His People - full of the love and strength that we were really looking for all along.

Today is Ascension Day, when we celebrate our King leaving this Earth to prepare the way for the next phase in his designs to stop the Rebellion. It's a chance to bow the knee to Jesus Christ and give up your rebellion if you have not yet. But it's also an opportunity to reach out and tell others of His love and grace even if you have!