Conventional wisdom would say if Christ has ascended into heaven, he is further away from his followers than when he was visibly on earth. The resurrection reality is that it is the other way around. Now that Christ has ascended, he is closer than ever. The living and ascended Savior has reassumed full use of all his divine power. So if you need Christ’s help, you don’t need to hunt for him in Galilee. You call to him in prayer, wherever you are, whenever you want, and he hears and acts. You want to hear Jesus speak? You don’t need to chase him down. Open his Word and listen to his powerful, life-giving voice. The ascension marks the completion of Jesus’ earthly mission, but it does not signify the end of his work. Christ ascended to exercise his limitless authority for the Church as we carry out our mission to be Christ’s ambassadors of grace to the world. Therefore, the Festival of the Ascension is one of the oldest and most joyful celebrations in the Christian Church. It will be observed by Christians until Christ returns to take us to be with him.

The entirety of God's Word can be summed up in one word: love. God's Law is all about love. "Love the Lord your God with all your heart..." and "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:37,39). The gospel is all about love: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son..." (John 3:16). From his compassion for the sick & broke, to his sacrificial death on the cross, to the peace he provided after His resurrection, Jesus was the perfect embodiment of love. Love is his business. Therefore, love is our business too. The resurrection reality is that with the same supernatural power by which God raised Jesus from the dead, God now enables us to live a new life - one marked with radically selfless love. The motivation and ability to do this comes from seeing the endless love Christ has for us. We love only because he first loved us.