Today we will continue looking at the Apostles’ Creed: 

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

Today we are looking at the phrase from the Creed, “he ascended into heaven.” This is a doctrine that is known as the ascension. At the end of His earthly ministry, we see Jesus give His disciples the Great Commission to go into all the world, preach, teach, and make disciples. The Holy Spirit falls upon them (and all of us) soon after, and the church truly begins.

Jesus returns to His Father, but His work is not done yet; we’ll see what He is doing, even now, in Monday’s passage. But today, we talk about the Ascension. This is another place in Scripture where the disciples get to witness His true power, but what we see in the Asecntin is this. He hands the ball off. His earthly ministry is done. He has completed His task upon the earth, died for our sin, defeated the grave, taught us to love, and given us a mission and a purpose. And now, it is up to us to continue His work.

It is now the work of the church. It is now your job. It is now my job. It is now our job. It is now the job of the church to complete His mission. It is now our job to be His hands and feet. It is now our job to be the church.

On His ascension, we are now His physical presence. If Jesus Christ is going to physically do something in the world, He will use us. After His ascension, the responsibility of the church begins.

So, today, let’s do our job. Let’s take the handoff. Let’s be the church. Let’s live out His mission. Let’s be His hands and His feet. Let’s live out the Gospel. He has returned to His Father and our Father. He will come for us in His time. But until that day, let us be about His work.

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