Forward Today: Jesus Christ fills all in all

Dear friends in Christ,
 
Tomorrow is one of the most important feast days of the church, Ascension Day. On this day, we celebrate the ascension of Jesus as he returned to his Father in heaven 40 days after Easter Day.
 
Celebrating the ascension of Jesus is less about the mechanics of his return than it is about the fact that Jesus is reigning with his Father—no longer confined by time and space. Jesus is, as Ephesians says, all in all. He is for all people for all time in all places.
 
We now have a Lord who loves us wherever we are, who abides in the church, and who is our advocate in heaven.
 
The heart of the Christian faith is a theological concept called the Paschal Mystery—the suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. By these acts, Jesus made possible our salvation, and not only our salvation but the salvation of the whole world. We just need to turn to him and accept this gift by believing.
 
His victory changes everything. Earthly tyrants no longer have dominion over us, nor does death itself. Instead, we live in a world that is defined by eternal grace and mercy.
 
That’s worth celebrating! I hope you’ll find your way to a church tomorrow to celebrate the triumph of Jesus Christ over sin, evil, and death. “Clap your hands, all you peoples; shout to God with a cry of joy.”
 
Yours faithfully,