What next?

Jesus has triumphed - what on earth will he do next?

Well, he doesn't hang around for long - he ascends to heaven. He leaves his people, the church to carry out his mission. But don't worry, he makes sure we are perfectly equipped for this task.

Q51. Of what advantage to us is Christ's ascension?Christ physically ascended on our behalf, just as he came down to earth physically on our account, and he is now advocating for us in the presence of his Father, preparing a place for us, and also send us his Spirit.

Some points to note:

This world is not our home In one sense, Jesus had to ascend - this world is not his real home. Nor is it the final home of his people, so he needed to go home, as we will one day too.

Jesus is still at work. He does not go home to rest. Jesus continues to work, as he advocates for his people. This is hard for us to get our heads around. It is wrong to think that he needs to persuade God the Father to accept us, as if we are in danger of being rejected by God, removed from being one of his people. It is also wrong to think that he is continually offering up new sacrifices. His one sacrifice on the cross was enough. Rather, we must see Jesus continual presence beside his Father as as the ongoing guarantee for his people. God doesn't forget, but he always sees that the price has been paid. There is more too, Jesus is interceding, praying for his people. Using his own words, and taking our prayers, presenting them to God. As he went into heaven, he opened the door for our access to God, and he keeps the door open.

Jesus has not left us alone. For the first disciples they must have felt alone. They could no longer walk along the shore of Galilee with Jesus, and listen to his teaching. Then Jesus said, I am not going to be beside you, but I am going to do better. I am coming to dwell in you - through my Spirit. And we too have Jesus in us, his Holy Spirit who from the moment he reached heaven, he sent to us. The Spirit who reminds and applies, Jesus life, death and resurrection to us. The Spirit says, the price has been paid, so you are no longer a slave, but a child of God. The Spirit equips us in our fight with sin, and for our mission in the world. The Spirit, gives direction and voice to our prayers. The Spirit, bears his fruit in our life and enables us to love each other well. The Spirit unites us to Jesus; he is the deposit and advanced party - who will lead us all the way home, to our rest in heaven with Jesus.