LETTER FOR MAY 1990
*****

Dear Friends,

Ascension Day comes during May and we are remembering it by a communion service.

Both the Resurrection and the Ascension of Jesus are marvellous events. The death of Jesus would not be effective without them. They are full of meaning for us.

The resurrection of Jesus is a declaration that the death of Jesus was a complete and all-sufficient atonement for our sins. It declares that Jesus fully met all the demands of God's justice against our sins, and that there is no more for us to pay. The resurrection of Jesus is a full assurance that whoever believes in Jesus has in Him all their sins blotted out and remembered no more by God.

Death was the punishment Jesus endured for our sins. Resurrection is a statement by God that Jesus paid the full price of sin and so the punishment is complete and therefore death for Jesus could be ended, and ended forever for all who believe on him. Paul tells us this in Romans 4:25 where he says, "Jesus was delivered over to death for our sins" i.e. He was punished for our sins -- "and was raised to life for our justification". Paul is saying that the resurrection marks the end of the punishment, and as God raised Jesus from the dead, God declares by the resurrection that he is completely satisfied that Jesus has met all the demands of his law against sin, and we can now be declared just in his sight. If Jesus had not risen then we would never be sure his death was sufficient to pay the price of our sins.

The Ascension follows on from the resurrection. Those lovely words of Jesus in John 14:1 -- 4 describes it all. Jesus speaks of empty rooms or dwelling places in heaven. Rooms unoccupied ever since sin entered the world and human beings became sinners, cast out of God's presence.

Now because Christ has died and risen, he has opened heaven again for those who believe on him, and he ascends to heaven to prepare these rooms for his redeemed believing people to dwell in.

Jesus says in verse 2 that he is ascending to heaven to prepare a place for us in one of these rooms. By taking the evidence of triumphant death with him into heaven in his nail scarred body, he secures our entry into heaven and the title deed to one of these dwelling places.

By his ascension Jesus paved the way to this heavenly realm and life. By entering heaven he secures us a home there. He is now reigning in heaven to order things in this world for our safety, to keep us from Satan, and to purify us for heaven. All things work together for our good -- this eternal good God is preparing for us.

Then he does not leave it there, for Jesus promises in these verses to come again to this earth, whether at our physical death or when he returns in glory, to take us to be with him in heaven, and to occupy these rooms he has prepared for us. He promises in verse three, "if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am".

The Death, Resurrection, Ascension, and Coming Again of Jesus are all linked together to this end of bringing his redeemed people to his heavenly home. Just as he secured, by his death and Resurrection, our full forgiveness, so by his Ascension, reigning on high, and return, he will most surely secure our entry to heaven he has prepared for us.

The amazing thing is this wonderful news that Jesus loves us and wants us to enjoy heaven with him for ever, and has done all he has done in death and Ascension to this end. It is wonderful news that Jesus is not leaving anything to our failing efforts. He does everything in love to secure our eternal happiness.

Let us rejoice not only in the death of Jesus but also in his resurrection, ascension, reigning, and coming again.

Your servant for Christ's sake,