Tag Archives: King

Up, Up and Away

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I missed it.
I always miss it.
I didn’t even know I was missing it.
Did you miss it, too?
Probably.

Last Thursday was Ascension Day.
Until recently, I wasn’t aware there was such a thing.
It’s a big thing.

Ascension Day is celebrated 40 days after Easter Sunday and commemorates the moment Jesus ascended into heaven and took His rightful place on the throne as ruler of the universe.

That’s a really big thing.

Eugene Peterson said, “Ascension Day may be one of the the most under-celebrated events in the church’s life. Part of the reason is that Ascension Day always falls on Thursday, never on a Sunday, and so no sermon is required.”*

There are no presents to buy, no cards to send, no baskets to hide.
Mail gets delivered, banks are open and nobody gets the day off.

“When Luke set out in Acts to tell us the story of the church, he began with Jesus’ Ascension. It’s the opening scene that establishes the context for everything that follows: Jesus installed in a position of absolute rule—Christ our King.”*

So, why should we celebrate Ascension Day?

  • It’s the day Jesus entrusted us to take His message to the world
  • It ushered in the coming of the Holy Spirit ten days later
  • It gives believers hope for a future resurrection
  • Jesus, the divine, went up without abandoning His humanity
  • The ascension gives us a picture of what His return will be like
  • It shows Jesus’ triumphant victory over death
  • This day crowns Him King over the universe in glory
  • It begins Jesus’ role as intercessor for us in heaven

Celebration is in order, my friends.

Mark your calendars for Thursday, May 14, 2026!

He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
Why do you stand here looking into the sky?
This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven,
will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.
Acts 1: 9, 11

God has gone up with a shout!
Sing praises to our King.
He is king over all the earth;
He sits on his holy throne.
Psalm 47:5-7


*Eugene Peterson, Practice Resurrection, p. 43

Tuit

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My father-in-law used to carry a couple of these in his pocket.

As a pastor, they often came in handy in conversations like these:
“Pastor, life is so busy, I just haven’t given faith much thought.”
“Son, you shouldn’t put off something this important.”
“I know. I will someday, when I get around to it.”

Then, with a twinkle in his eye,
my father-in-law would reach into his pocket,
pull out a coin-sized wooden disk and hand it to his friend.

“Here. Now you have a round tuit.”

The only thing I regularly carry around in my pocket is lip balm. But Deuteronomy 17:18-20 is making me think I should add another item.

My Bible reading plan has me wading through the laws that Moses laid down for Israel. Right in the middle there is a curious paragraph titled “The King.” It has three points:

  • When you ask for a king, make sure you pick an Israelite. (Which they did in 1 Samuel 9:1)
  • Don’t let your king amass lots of horses, lots of wives and lots of gold. (Oops. According to 1 Kings 10-11, King Solomon broke all three of those rules.)
  • When the king takes the throne, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of the law. It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life.

On coronation day, the king had a royal duty to copy the entire law by hand and keep it close at all times. The reigning Sovereign was required by law to read the scriptures every single day. That’s a pretty good law.

Maybe this week I’ll copy a verse or two out of the Bible
and keep it in my back pocket.

That is, if I get around to it.