Wednesday, May 28, 2025

Ascension 2025

Ephesians 1:22 Ascension 2025
God has made Christ
the head over all things.
Ephesians 1:22

Ephesians 1:15-23

15 I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, 18 so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may perceive what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.

20 God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. 22 And God has put all things under Christ's feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Ascension

Easter is 50 days; Ascension Day is the 40th day of Easter—another instance of the biblical number 40. Although the Feast of the Ascension is on the fortieth day of Easter, a Thursday, since most people don't attend weekday worship, most churches observe Ascension three days later, on the seventh Sunday of Easter.

To paraphrase the Heidelberg Catechism, we move from Christmas/Incarnation with the mystery of Spirit in Flesh, to Ascension, with the mystery of Flesh in Spirit.

Ascension relates to space or action (a plane or a bird going up, an individual getting promoted), but in easy theological terms ascension, ascendancy, ascent means sovereignty, authority, stewardship—dominion in our reading from Ephesians.

Not "lording it over" as some misinterpret dominion in Genesis 2, but caretaking and responsiveness to the needs of creation, of all life everywhere. Unlike with human governments and organizations, Jesus' authority, his ascendancy, has no checks and balances. It is supreme. It is absolute. Along with Ephesians 1:20, the ecumenical creeds express that reality by saying Jesus is "seated at God's right hand."


Ephesians

The second reading for Ascension is from the letter or epistle to the church at Ephesus. The Temple of the goddess Diana was in Ephesus, with almost the entire city involved in her cult. Ephesians is not one of the seven undisputed or authentic letters written by the apostle Paul; the grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure are different from his. Back then, using someone else's name wasn't the legal and moral offense it is today. Attributing your writing to someone famous complimented that person, and it could lead to wider readership.

Today's short reading from Ephesians provides three (body part) images of Jesus' ascendancy, lordship, leadership, rule:

• 1:20 seated at God's right hand
• 1:22a all things under his feet
• 1:22b made him the head over all things for the church…

…1:23 which is Christ's body!

And I love verse 18, that the "eyes of our hearts" would be enlightened. That we'd see and perceive more clearly because we've experienced more light. In biblical terms, our will and our intentions reside in our hearts. Eyes of our hearts? Perception and insight – yes! – and everyone knows how literally painfully aware we are when something gets in an eye.


Pentecost Day and Season

The Savior's ascension means we're getting ready to celebrate the indwelling Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, the fiftieth day of Easter. That renewed awareness helps us prepare for the half year long Time of the Church, Season of the Spirit when we act as Jesus' representatives everywhere. For almost six months, we count Sundays after Pentecost, when the church really comes into its own with the Holy Spirit of life that enlivens and revitalizes all creation.

The Heidelberg Catechism asks, "Why is the son of God called Jesus, meaning Savior?" And then, "Why is the son of God called Christ, meaning anointed?" And then: "But why are you called a Christian?" Answer: "Because by faith I share in Christ's anointing, and I am anointed to reign over all creation for all eternity."

Because of Jesus Christ's Ascension and the gift of the Holy Spirit, we can walk the talk as his healing, redemptive, transformative presence.
Psalm 47:5,6,7
God is gone up with a shout,
the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
Sing praises to God, sing praises:
sing praises unto our King, sing praises.
For God is the King of all the earth:
sing ye praises!
Psalm 47:5,6,7

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