Weekly devotion no 5

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Weekly Devotion no 5
1 May 2020
Bible reading – Luke 24:50-53
50 When Jesus had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52 Then they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.

Reflection

The risen Lord continues to be the Shepherd of his flock, leading them out of Jerusalem to near Bethany (Bethany was significant – this was where Jesus raised his friend Lazarus from the dead and also where Jesus had started his journey into Jerusalem in the week before his crucifixion). And he cares tenderly for his flock – he raises his hands, encompassing the blessing of his Father in heaven, and he blesses them.

It’s important that they are present with him when he is taken up to heaven. He is going to sit at the right hand of his Father as Lord and King. This fulfils what he has already told them. However, I think they would not have believed it if they had not seen it with their own eyes. They were able to tell others because they were eye witnesses to this miraculous event.

And notice, the people who not so long ago had felt bewildered, anxious and fearful, are now worshipping Jesus and have great joy. Jesus had transformed their anxiety into joy. This time, when he left them, it was different to the last time he left them: the time when he died on the cross. Then they had no hope, until the angel spoke to them about Jesus’ resurrection. Now they were full of hope as the source of their hope had appeared to them. He had proven to them what the angel had told them. They could also now believe his promises that he was going to send the Holy Spirit to help them. And so, they were ok with letting him go. This time, there was no weeping, instead there was joy.

The ascension means that Jesus is now with us – he is present for all eternity. And as he sits on his throne, he reigns as Lord over all creation. He is also able to be our shepherd as he was their shepherd. He is able to bless us as he blessed them. And we do not need to be fearful of death, because he has conquered death and gives us the hope of eternal life with him. And so, with his followers, we can praise God, rejoicing that the Lord is King!


Hymn

Verse 1
Rejoice, the Lord is King;
Your Lord and King adore;
Mortals, give thanks and sing
And triumph evermore:
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice; again I say, ‘Rejoice’.

Verse 2
Jesus, the Saviour, reigns,
The God of truth and love;
When He had purged our stains,
He took His seat above:
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice; again I say, ‘Rejoice’.


Verse 3
His Kingdom cannot fail;
He rules o’er earth and heaven;
The keys of death and hell
Are to our Jesus given:
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice; again I say, ‘Rejoice’.

Verse 4
He sits at God’s right hand
Till all His foes submit,
And bow to His command,
And fall beneath His feet:
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice; again I say, ‘Rejoice’.

Verse 5
Rejoice in glorious hope;
Jesus, the Judge, shall come,
And take His servants up
To their eternal home;
We then shall hear the archangel’s voice;
The trump of God shall sound, ‘Rejoice’.

Charles Wesley © 1744 Public Domain CCLI:69198 

Prayer

Eternal God,
By raising Jesus from the dead
you proclaimed his victory,
and by his ascension,
you declared him Lord of all:
lift up our hearts to heaven,
where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

A Prayer Book for Australia 1995