Yesterday, Thursday, might have felt like just an ordinary day. Shops remained open, streets were busy, people went about their work, and life in Australia continued as if nothing special was happening. Many people may not have realized that it was the Day of Jesus' Ascension to Heaven. But for us believers, that day was far from ordinary. It was a commemoration of a monumental event: Jesus, who died, rose again, ascended to Heaven, and will return.
Acts 1:9–11 clearly records this event. After Jesus spoke to His disciples, He was taken up into Heaven. The disciples saw Him with their own eyes, until a cloud hid Him from their sight. Then two men dressed in white said that this same Jesus, who was taken up into Heaven, would return in the same way.
This is not a fairy tale. This is not a legend. This is a testimony of faith that forms the foundation of our hope to this very day. Jesus' Ascension does not mean He departed and left us alone. Quite the opposite, the Jesus who ascended to Heaven is the glorified Jesus, who reigns, and continues to work for His people. He has not stopped loving us. He has not stopped being with us. And most importantly, He promised to return.
Christian faith does not stop only at Good Friday and Easter. We believe Jesus died on the cross. We believe He rose again, conquering death. But we also believe that He ascended to Heaven and one day He will return to gather His people. This is the hope that keeps us strong, even though the world around us often seems increasingly dark, busy, and far from God.
However, waiting for the Lord's return does not mean we live in fear or are busy speculating about the timing. Jesus Himself said that the times and seasons are in the Father's power. So our task is not to calculate the date of His coming, but to live faithfully and be His witnesses.
That was Jesus' message before He ascended to Heaven: “You will be My witnesses.” This means that as long as we are still living in this world, we have a task. We are called to witness for Christ wherever the Lord places us.
After Jesus ascended, the disciples did not go home in despair. Instead, they returned with joy. They prayed, waited for the Father's promise, and when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Day of Pentecost, they rose up to boldly proclaim the Gospel.
This is where the church today needs to recall its true focus. The Gospel is not primarily about miracles, material blessings, or life's successes. The Gospel is the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. Miracles and blessings can accompany it, but the center remains Jesus: who died, who rose again, ascended to Heaven, and who will return.
Therefore, let us live in readiness. Be faithful to the Word. Be diligent in prayer. And be courageous in being witnesses for Christ, not out of compulsion, but because we truly believe: He Will Return. Maranatha. Come, Lord Jesus.