Eastertide #7

He who Descended is the same One who Ascended

(Ephesians 4:10)

Today, Ascension Thursday, the church celebrates how the One who “descended into the lower parts of the earth”—as low as you can go; is the same one who forty days later, “ascended far above all the heavens”—as high as one can go. The New Testament church put it to a hymn (Phil 2): God the eternal Son…

            Humbled himself and became obedient to death

                        --even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

                        and gave him the name that is above every name,

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

                       in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

                        to the glory of God the Father.

This “descent” and “ascent” is preserved in our earliest creeds:

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord:

        …who was crucified, died, and was buried;

        he descended to the dead.

        On the third day he rose again;

        he ascended into heaven,

                        he is seated at the right hand of the Father…

The full name of this day is “The Feast of the Ascension of Jesus Christ.” It’s a festal day—a day for eating and drinking and rejoicing. It’s gospel—good news. The feast points to that feast that awaits us at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Rv 19). It’s a celebration of the whole of Christ who is always and already both lion and lamb (Rv 5):

Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda,

        the Root of David, hath prevailed…

Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,

        to receive power and wealth and wisdom

        and strength and honor and glory and praise!"

It’s not as if God the Son once humbled himself, but is now triumphant—once a lamb, but now a lion. Our triumphant Lord will always be our humble Lord. That’s just who he is.