Ascension Day(s after)

So, last Thursday was Ascension Day. Did you celebrate it?

I feel very blessed to belong to a Church and a tradition in which the Ascension of Christ is still thought of as a holiday, and worth having a special worship service for. But even for us, turnout was minimal.

Now, I'm not going to chastise the parishoners who stayed home, nor any of y'all whose Churches don't celebrate at all. I am going to bust on leaders, past and present, for their failure to teach and to lead concerning this most important day.

First, though, it's worth noting what the lack of importance of the holy day to most Evangelicals says about our view of Christ's Ascension. I think it highlights a couple of things: one, we don't really think Jesus is King of anything in any meaningful way; and two, we don't understand just what is accomplished in His "riding up the heavenly way."

Jesus ascended into Heaven to reign until all His enemies are made into His footstool, until the last enemy is put down. He didn't ascend into Heaven to wait around until He gets to be the King of Everything; he is and has been for nearly two millennia now. Obviously, He has always been the Ruler of all as God, but we are talking about His going up as Messiah to receive all authority in Heaven and Earth, as Daniel foresaw.

But a lot of us don't believe that. Want to know why I hate Dispensationalism? That's why. It teaches that the devil is ruling the world and Jesus hopes He gets to come take over soon. No. Let us read our Bibles a little more carefully, and see what Jesus said He was doing and came to do the first time. Let us note that He is the Ruler of the kings on Earth, and holds all authority. This is the very basis for the Great Commission! He says "therefore go and make disciples of all nations." Jesus' current Kingdom is muy importante.

And we fare no better if we take a radical "two kingdom" approach which limits the extent of Christ's rule to the hearts of His people. This the Bible simply does not teach. Jesus is not Lord of vapor. Every *ahem* Square Inch of the Universe is His. He came to save it, He paid for it in His Blood, He asked of His Father, He beat up the "strong man" and took his stuff. Everything is His, and we ought to joyfully acknowledge it and worship Him.

Further, it is Jesus' ascended humanity that is the veil through which we have access to the Holy of Holies in Heaven. It is only in His Ascension that He goes into the Temple as High Priest to offer His blood as an intercession and propitiation for us. For Evangelicals, whose worship centers on their own personal salvation, to miss how big of a deal this is is baffling. Humanity, in its unfallen state, is taken up into the realm previously reserved to God and the angels. Wonder of wonders! And in going up in His body, our Lord takes us there with Him, and seats us there in Himself. Ponder that. Understand what it says about Sunday morning.

Are these glories not worthy of at least the treatment we give to Christmas? Or even Thanksgiving? Fourth of July? Presidents' Day?

Those who have a duty to preach the Word, all of it, and teach us to live in these truths have for generations dropped the ball. Most of us truly know no better. We can't blame each other for that. But see, I have told you. Let us joyfully come to our great King and glory in His Coronation next time its day comes around. Let us live in its implications every day.