Christ’s Passion

Christ’s Passion

Then Jesus led them to Bethany, and lifting his hands to heaven, he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up to heaven. They worshiped him and then returned to Jerusalem filled with great joy. And they spent all of their time in the Temple, praising God.

Luke 24:50-53

I find it reassuring that Jesus remained on earth for forty days after his resurrection to minister to his disciples. The Jewish leaders’ official position on the Resurrection was that Jesus wasn’t alive—they said his disciples had just stolen Jesus’ dead body. It was very important that the disciples be able to refute that lie. The disciples’ spiritual power was dependent on Jesus’ resurrection, because if Jesus had remained dead, they would have had no message of hope to share.

Some people may wonder why Jesus went back to heaven. Wouldn’t it have been better for him to stay on earth and preach his message? But if he hadn’t left, the Holy Spirit—God himself—would not have come to dwell in the believers’ hearts. Jesus assured his disciples that the Holy Spirit would give ordinary believers extraordinary power through his work in their lives.

Before Jesus’ death and resurrection, the disciples had worried too much about the positions, privileges, and politics of God’s kingdom. After the Resurrection, Jesus spoke to them about what was most important—the coming of God’s kingdom to people’s hearts.

The ascended Jesus still plays a huge role in the lives of believers. He intercedes for us, petitioning God on our behalf and bringing us into relationship with God as a result of our faith in him. He’s also our advocate before the Father, offering forgiveness when we confess our sins (Hebrews 7:25).

The Savior who was spat on, humiliated, and crucified on the cross was lifted up to the heavens and now prays for us and offers us forgiveness!

Father,

Thank you for the reassurance you gave to the disciples after Jesus’ resurrection, and thanks for the reassurance we have today of the presence of your Spirit in our lives. May we talk to our children about what is most important in life—the coming of God’s Kingdom to our hearts. Thank you that Jesus intercedes on our behalf. Amen.