The Day of Ascension is far more than another day on the church calendar. For followers of Jesus, because of this day we can rightfully worship Jesus as King.
Things got messy quick between God, humanity, and the spiritual beings at the beginning of creation. God sought covenant faithfulness and in return handed over the gift of managing creation to humanity. That gift was quickly thwarted, but just as quickly, God lavished mercy, not wrath, on humanity. Through that mercy, God set in motion redemption that would be needed for all of creation. God said that from Eve would come one who would “crush the head of the serpent”. Today, we now know that the serpent crusher is, but what exactly does that mean?
To fully understand the scriptures, we must see the Bible in its entirety and how much more beautiful it is when we do. Each passage and story is woven together as a grand narrative of the consummation, redemption, and completion of all creation. Unfortunately, we are not the center of attention of this story as we may like to think, but God sure is.
The gospel is not simply about the issue of sin, but about the establishment of Jesus as the one true King. The Day of Ascension is the day Jesus is seated upon his throne next to the Father. With many other deities vying to be worshipped as God, Jesus today is seated and established as the God above all God’s.
The death and resurrection of Jesus disarmed the spiritual forces seeking to destroy and dethrone God, thus liberating humanity from the slavery of the enemy. As I’m sure God’s does, my heart hurts for those who are living bound to voices and lies that simply do not have the power we believe they do. Because of the resurrection of Jesus, we have freedom today, here and now, if we so choose to believe and worship him and him alone. This freedom is far more than freedom of speech or the right to bear arms, but an internal freedom experienced in the depth of our being. This freedom changes a person from the inside out.
Sin still created a fractured existence between man and God. If the issue of sin wasn’t part of the death and resurrection, then when was it addressed? Interestingly, the Levitical law established a “day of atonement” where once a year a solemn event took place in which the high priest would enter the holy of holies or Most Holy Place, to atone for the sins of the people of the community through blood sacrifices and offerings.
There was a specific order of this event. Certain animals were sacrificed, but not as a sin punishment, but as a purification ritual. The blood of the first goat was used to purify the holy of holies, the most sacred room of the tent of meeting, where the high priest and God would meet. (Lev 16:16). He was to purify not only the holy of holies, but also the tabernacle, and eventually the alter that stands between he and the Lord. Notice, the blood was never applied to Aaron, however because of this he and the congregation of Israel were made right with the Lord. (Lev 16:17)
Is today, the Day of Ascension, now also the Day of Atonement? Possibly.
It’s certainly worth your time to pray and dig in deeper, but either way, we can say confidently that Jesus is the King of Kings and is worth honoring as such not just today, but because of today.
We have an incredible gift in the spiritual connotations of Jesus's humble journey as man, a servant, the sacrificial lamb, the great high priest, and the King of Kings seated at the right hand of God. The cross and resurrection sure mattered, but today we celebrate ourselves as being cleansed and purified by the blood of Jesus so that we now can live empowered by the very presence of God residing in us. We are now God's holy of holies, the space where God and man exist together once again. These truths demand a response, one where we can easily say that our lives should look like a living sacrifice for the sacrifice that was made for us offering us.
Lev 16:15-16
Then Aaron must slaughter the first goat as a sin offering for the people and carry its blood behind the inner curtain. There he will sprinkle the goat’s blood over the atonement cover and in front of it, just as he did with the bull’s blood. Through this process, he will purify the Most Holy Place, and he will do the same for the entire Tabernacle, because of the defiling sin and rebellion of the Israelites.
Hebrews 9:11-12
So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever.
Psalm 110
The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit in the place of honor at my right hand
until I humble your enemies,
making them a footstool under your feet.”
The Lord will extend your powerful kingdom from Jerusalem;
you will rule over your enemies.
When you go to war,
your people will serve you willingly.
You are arrayed in holy garments,
and your strength will be renewed each day like the morning dew.
The Lord has taken an oath and will not break his vow:
“You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”
The Lord stands at your right hand to protect you.
He will strike down many kings when his anger erupts.
He will punish the nations
and fill their lands with corpses;
he will shatter heads over the whole earth.
But he himself will be refreshed from brooks along the way.
He will be victorious.
The question remains for us whether we believe this to be true and how do we live here and now because of it?
The response is “All hail the King!”
The commitment is to Jesus alone.
The purpose is to keep and cultivate creation.
The way there is though discipleship.
I hope to see you along the path...
