We Have Liftoff

          The date was April 5, 2010, and I was standing on my front deck carefully looking toward the northeast of my Punta Gorda home. It was Monday and the time was 6:21 in the morning.  My eyes were focused on the horizon when I saw a brilliant light slowly began to rise from the ground with a huge exhaust plume trailing it. The exhaust rose until it reached a certain point in the sky and then it began to slowly fall back to earth.  What I had just witnessed was one of the last Space Shuttle launches from Kennedy Space Center.  Space Shuttle Discovery began a 15-day mission to the International Space Station to deliver a Multi-Purpose Logistics Module to the station. The mission was a success.  The shuttle lifted off because it had a mission to accomplish in the sky.

Christ gathered His disciples to Him on the Mount of Olives.  As He spoke to them, He began to ascend into heaven to accomplish a new phase of His mission.  The ascension of Christ began His present ministry to us as His disciples.  His new mission involved a mission of exaltation.  The period of His suffering and death gave way to restoration of His glorious position seated at the Father’s right hand. The right hand of God is the preeminent place of honor and authority for all eternity. 1 Pet. 3:21,22 states: “…through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him”. 

Christ’s new mission after His ascension also involved being Head of His church.  He leads it, He guides it, and He fills it with the Holy Spirit.  As the Head of the church, He ought to be the recipient of our worship, and the subject of our preaching.  Christ also is interceding for His church as our Great High Priest so that we can come boldly to the throne of grace.

Jesus told us that after He went back to the Father, He would be preparing a place for us in the Father’s house.  One day He is coming back for His bride.  O glorious day!