Leading the Way Home

Happy Easter! It seems like a long time that we’ve been saying that—a long time since the Easter fire and our joy-filled celebration to end the somber season of Lent. When we say Easter, though, that’s what most of us think of—our glorious celebration of Christ’s resurrection from the dead. But the beautiful glory of Easter is more of a trifecta, a salvation story in three parts—three distinct celebrations that make up and complete the Easter season:

Easter Sunday—the Resurrection of the Lord; we see Jesus for who he really is, and why he came down to us

The Ascension—Christ ascends to heaven, revealing the destiny for all believers, and showing us our way home

And finally, Pentecost—God sends the Holy Spirit to help us on our journey.

Three distinct feasts—and all three CRITICAL to God’s plan for us, essential pieces of the Easter salvation story. So let’s look at all three.

First of course, there’s Easter, which most of us understand pretty well—the Resurrection of the very mortal Jesus from the dead. Christ overcomes death, ransoms mankind from sin, and opens our eyes to who he really IS—God Incarnate, Emmanuel, God among us. God loved us so much that he came down to save us from ourselves.

And next week we’ll celebrate Pentecost—the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and the birth of Christ’s Church on earth. Having ransomed us at Easter through Christ’s Pascal Sacrifice, God in His mercy sends us a helper, a defender and supporter in the ongoing battle against evil in our lives. Most mature Catholics have a passable understanding of Pentecost and the Holy Spirit as well.

Today, though, we celebrate the Ascension—the Risen Christ commissions his disciples, then leaves them and ascends to Heaven. A lot of us struggle with what this is about. Jesus has overcome DEATH! He’s proven he’s more than a man, that he’s truly the Son of God, the Messiah, just as he claimed. And his apostles finally begin to understand what he’d been trying to tell them. So why didn’t Jesus simply stay with them and grow the church? Think of all the people he could’ve drawn through his miracles and signs—all the people he could’ve healed // the good he could’ve done. Even in ancient times, people would’ve heard the story. They would’ve come from near and far to hear him and follow him.

But God in His wisdom knew better. We speak of God as our Father, and that’s not a bad analogy. If you’ve been blessed by raising children, you know it’s a delicate balancing act. Early on you keep them really close, protecting them from themselves— “don’t touch that, it’s hot”; “hold my hand crossing the street”; “stay in the backyard”. You guide and direct them, pull them back from danger, teach them manners and how to treat other people // and roll your eyes and bite your tongue as you struggle through their growing pains. As they begin to grow though, you slowly grant more and more independence— “you can ride your bike to the store”; “you can go swimming at Katie’s, but stay out of the deep end;” “be home by eight.” Until one day, with angst in your heart, you’re handing them the car keys to go on a date, praying that the example and lessons you tried to instill somehow took root—hoping and trusting they’ll make the right choices.

I think God must sometimes look at us like that. After the fall from Eden, humanity was so screwed up that God finally directly intervened. He sent Jesus into the world to show us our true nature, who we are created to be. That’s the miracle of Christmas, the Incarnation—God came to earth and became Man. Jesus came to save us from ourselves, and lead us back to the Father. But even then, God gave us free will—the choice to listen, to follow // or to simply turn away.

God is love. He loves us beyond all understanding. And he wants OUR love in return. But love has to be freely given, a choice freely made. If it’s not, it can’t be real love. Had Jesus remained here on earth after the resurrection, he WOULD have drawn people to him, as decades and centuries of healings and miracles unfolded. His skeptics would’ve been silenced. They would’ve had no choice but to believe, and neither would his followers. No choice—no room for faith—and no room for love. And that would be the problem. So instead, Jesus commissions his disciples—ALL his disciples, then and now—to welcome and embrace the Spirit, and bring his message of love and salvation to all the earth. And then he leaves us // free to make our choice.

Today’s celebration completes the circle begun at Christmas. God, our Creator, came to earth to join and become part of His creation—God became Man, to show us who we’re called to be, how we’re called to live. Today, Jesus, the Man, ascends to heaven to rejoin the Father—the creation with the Creator—and mankind is forever joined with God. Jesus goes before us to show us the way, to prepare a place for us, and to become a continuous intercessor for all mankind.

The Ascension HAD to happen. Christ HAD to leave us. Had he remained on earth, our focus would be HERE, on this life; with no room for choice, for love, or for our faith to blossom and grow. We’d be a SHELL of what God created us to be. And that’s not God’s plan for us.

We have been called, commissioned to become an “Easter people”—people of the Resurrection, freed from sin; alive with the Pentecost Spirit within us; eyes set on the ascended Christ, calling others to join our journey of faith. That is our Easter challenge, God’s plan for us, and our choice to make. May we embrace and accept this challenge, that we may one day meet Jesus in our heavenly home.