The One Present in the Absence

Light of Truth

Jacob Chanikuzhy

Perhaps, we humans are more happy about arrivals than departures. In general we do not like “good-byes.” No wonder, we celebrate Christmas (the coming of Jesus) with greater solemnity than ascension (the “departure” of Jesus). However, for Luke, the ascension of Jesus was so important that he described it twice: In the gospel (Luke 24:51) and in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 1:1-9).

Sometimes we are confused to read seemingly contradicting statements in the bible. The account of the ascension is one among them. For example, according to the Matthean gospel, the very last words of Jesus are the words of great assurance: “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Mt 28:20). How great a comforting message! It means that we will never be left alone. But, in the Acts of the Apostles, Luke says that Jesus ascended to heaven at the very sight of the apostles: “After He said this He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight” (Acts 1:9; Cf. Luke 24:51). The Jesus who promised to stay with the disciples till the end of the age, is now disappearing from their sight. Jesus is in heaven, the disciples on earth. It seems that these two texts contradict each other. Whereas the first text (Mt 28:20) promises an eternal presence of Jesus with His disciples, the second text (Acts 1:9) describes the “departure” of Jesus. The first one makes a promise and the second one seems to cancel it!? How can we understand these two texts? May be the children who play “hide and seek” game understand these texts better – they know from this game that it is possible for one to be present and absent at the same time.

The promises Jesus makes before His ascension gives the necessary tool to solve the seeming contradiction between Matthew 28:20 and Acts 1:9. Before His ascension Jesus promised that the apostles would be baptized by the Holy Spirit and that they would be empowered by the Holy Spirit. That means, the Holy Spirit is the connecting link between the two statements about Jesus’ perennial presence and permanent departure.

The disciples saw the cloud on the occasion of Jesus’ ascension. Cloud does not function here as the elevator that takes Jesus to heaven. In the Bible, cloud signals the presence of God. Jesus entering the cloud indicates Jesus abiding in the presence of the Father. The ascension of Jesus is very important for Luke because ascension is the reason that Jesus can send the Holy Spirit: “Exalted to the right hand of God He has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear” (Acts 2:33).

Through His ascension Jesus was not departing from His disciples. Actually His ascension made it possible for Jesus to be present with all His disciples all the time. Because, it is the ascended Lord Jesus who sent the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus and through the working of the Spirit Jesus Himself is present to all till the end of the age.

Jesus promised the disciples: “…In a Few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:5). To be baptized with the Holy Spirit means to be fully immersed in the life of God. It means to be made bold and beautiful with the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit. Again Jesus promised: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you” (Acts 1:8). It is this power that makes one capable of continuing the works of Jesus; it is the power that enable us to do the good we desire and intend to do; it is the power that helps us to remain loyal to Jesus as a believing person and community.

Though Jesus promised us that He will not leave us as orphans, though He promised that He would be with us till the end of the ages, some times we feel so lonely, and isolated. We feel that we are deserted by all – family, friends, and even God. Even then we should be able to believe that we are not forsaken by our Lord and He is ever present to us through His comforting Spirit who is also our advocate. It is this Spirit that enables us to leave ourselves into the hands of God believing that He will not leave us alone.

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