|
He ascended into heaven, |
Documented by
Luke in Acts 1,6-13; at least 11 witnesses, possibly more, and some of the
witnesses were around at the time of writing. |
Jesus’
work was finished; He’d died, been raised to new life, promised the Holy
Spirit, taught the disciples “all about himself” … and now it was time to
return, temporarily, to His Father, to continue His work there.
The
ascension seems to have been a case of being lifted from the ground up into the
skies. It was not the first such event – Enoch in Genesis (5,24), and Elijah in
2 Kings 2 are examples – but certainly the most profound.
The
most noteworthy part of this account is the angelic message that followed –
that Jesus will one day return “in the same way” (and according to Old
Testament prophecy, at the same place, the Mount of Olives). More of which,
anon.
Why
is this important?
·
The
risen Jesus, able to speak, feel, empathise, is taken to heaven without a
second death. This means that, in heaven, seated right next to God the Father,
is a human being “who knows what it is to be human”. That is so
reassuring.
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