In
Acts 1:3 we're told that Jesus walked this earth for 40 days after His
resurrection and in that time he had contact with his
disciples. "He appeared to them over a period of forty days
and spoke about the kingdom of God." Though at times he
appeared to them in the midst of a locked room, he also had a human
body because he told them in Luke 24:39 "Look at my hands and
my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a
ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have."
At the end of the 40 days after Jesus' resurrection a most miraculous,
super-natural (not normal or usual) event happened. Acts
1:8-9 relates Jesus final words to the apostles and tells what
happened, "...you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit
comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all
Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. After he
said this, he
was taken up before their very eyes,
and a cloud hid him from their sight."
Jesus ascended into heaven 40
days after his resurrection. This incredible event is another
bold underscore that "this truly was the Son of God!
It was a glorified human
body with which Jesus ascended into heaven. There He is
seated on the throne of God. Mark 16:19 tells us that "After
the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he
sat at the right hand of God." The wonderful significance of
this, not fully recognized, is that humanity is now within the circle
of all that is God. Jesus came to this earth to be our
Emmanuel -- God
with Us,
and now while being the Son of God he is also Man
with God.
That's how he can be our mediator -- the bridge we need between God the
Father and all of us who fall short of God's glory -- us
sinners. 1 Timothy 2:5 tells us "...there is one God and one
mediator between God and men, the man
Christ Jesus."
Jesus is on the throne of God
as the Son of God, taking us with Him into fellowship with God the
Father and the Holy Spirit. He is The Way for us into
relationship and communion with God. And what a wonderful
communion of love, joy, mutual care, involvement of the Father, Son and
Holy Spirit with each other this is. So much so that the
early church called this aspect of God, "circuminsession" and
"perichoresis". This denotes an inter-penetration, a mutual
intertwining involvement with each other to such a degree, that the
members of the Godhead are what they are only in relationship with one
another. The term "perichoresis" used primarily in the
Eastern church is a relational term. The roots of the word
are "around" and "dance." Perichoresis speaks of an active
dynamic self-emptying love, filled with zestful, joyous life and
enthusiasm. It's adoption as children into -- inclusion into
this God-life -- fellowship, participation and communion with God, both
now and for eternity -- that Jesus made possible for us.
Now that's what salvation is all about!
Praise Him for His awesome goodness!
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