Jesus Christ R. I. P.
He's hard at work for you, because his career never ends.
Stand and Marge are retired, and they never dreamed they’d enjoy life so much. No, not life’s tranquil sunset into the retirement’s typical routine, but a sunrise into 36 holes of golf a day and traveling to every state in the country before their RV needs new shocks and an overseas missions trip to Africa and scuba diving in Mexico and keeping track of the grandkids and ... well, you get the picture. These senior citizens boast a bumper sticker on their RV that brags “R.I.P. - Retirement is Powerful.” And their new lifestyle, too action-packed to allow them to put a foot in the grave, proves it.
Life is now different for Jesus Christ. Don’t misunderstand - he recalls with joy growing up as a carpenter’s son, his mother’s tender care, talking religion in the temple and the trips to Jerusalem; he remembers with a glad heart the smiles of the people he met and ministered to, helped and healed; he realizes the incredible accomplishment of his suffering, death and resurrection. But to say that Jesus Christ, whom we confess every Sunday “ascended into heaven,” is now filling out his days in retirement is about as much as saying that Stan and Marge have nothing to do.
The living Jesus Christ was still ruling the universe when your head hit the pillow last night and when your feet hit the floor this morning and every thunderbolt in between. The living Jesus Christ interceded for you yesterday as he approached the throne of his Father with your prayer request to make doubly sure it didn’t get lost in the shuffle, and he’ll intercede for you today to seek out and to offer the forgiveness you need to be doubly sure you are at peace with God. The living Jesus Christ is cleaning the sin from your life and dusting off the cobwebs of spiritual inactivity and scaring away the devil and all his demons from their fourth attack on heaven this hour and organizing the angel armies to prepare heaven for you as a place of new life, like it is for him.
His ascension should have a logo or commercial jingle to it that boasts, “Jesus Christ R.I.P. – rules, intercedes, prepares.” If you picture Jesus Christ sitting at the right hand of God in retirement after a hard career’s work, you’ve got the wrong picture of his ascension.
As the ascended Savior, he’s begun a new era of activity as the Father’s right hand man. The Bible says he’s hard at work for you.
He’s ruling for your good. Nothing is out of his control and care.
He intercedes for you. He steps between you and your worst nightmares.
He prepares a place for you in heaven. You don’t have to spend your life worrying about it or arranging it.
“He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.” When you say those words, don’t think retirement. Think R.I.P. Jesus Christ rules, intercedes, and prepares. He’s hard at work for you, because his career never ends.
PRAYER: Up, up, and away you ascended until they could see you no longer, Jesus, just like I can’t see you kneeling beside me in front of this computer. Because I can’t see you, sometimes I don’t remember your words, and I don’t live according to them. Be merciful to me with your faithful love and forgiving grace. Let me delight in you as much as you delight in me. Keep me by your side now and forever. Amen.