The following piece was first written for the May 17, 2026 pew sheet at St Augustine’s Anglican Church. I share it here again in the hope that it may continue to encourage and bless.
There is a verse in Scripture where God says, 'My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways' (Isaiah 55:8). Many of us, at one time or another, have questioned not only why God does certain things, but why he does them the way he does. The ascension of Jesus is one of those mysteries that naturally raises questions. Why did Jesus have to leave? After his resurrection he was already present among his disciples in his glorified body. Surely it would have seemed better for him to remain visibly on earth – ruling the world, teaching openly, and allowing people everywhere to see him and believe. Yet the ascension reminds us that God's purposes are greater than our immediate human instincts. We naturally value physical presence. We know the pain of absence and the comfort of having loved ones near us. But physical presence alone does not guarantee faith, love or obedience. Even when Jesus walked visibly among humanity, many still rejected him. Scripture teaches that Christ ascended not because he withdrew from the world, but because he entered into his heavenly reign. The ascension is not Christ's absence in defeat, but his exaltation in glory. As the Apostle Paul writes, God 'raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion' (Ephesians 1:20–21). The present age, therefore, is a time of grace: a time for the gospel to be preached, for repentance and salvation, and for the Church to grow through the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus himself told his disciples, 'It is to your advantage that I go away,' because through his ascension the Spirit would be poured out upon the Church (John 16:7). Yet this age is not permanent. One day Christ will return in glory. Faith will give way to sight, and we shall see him face to face. Until then, the ascended Lord reigns even now, and his final words before ascending still guide the Church today: 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations" (Mathew 16:18–19)
