Every easter, I find myself reminiscing about the celebrations of my childhood. Mom always had us dressed up in a new Easter outfit. Dad always took us to a really special Easter luncheon. The church was always full – my pastor seemed to bounce all morning long, and the music was always something memorable. Easter was something to anticipate and look forward to as much as any other day in the year. Sure the candy and baskets were great, but it was pretty small in comparison to Christmas, but the day just seemed to beam.
I remember hearing Pastor Larry, one of my childhood heroes, saying, Easter was super bowl Sunday for the church. I later learned that the ancient church called it the festival or Feast of Easter. That is certainly what my childhood Easters were – festivals. I think what I loved most was that everyone seemed to have a little extra pep in their step. I noticed more people humming. And everyone smiled – it was a NO Grumps allowed day.
This Easter was very different than any of my past celebrations. My special outfit included regular old pajamas as we tuned in for our online worship service. Since the pandemic and closing of in-person worship, our church has prerecorded our services; so I preached my easter sermon on Maundy Thursday to an empty church building. Even with those radical changes, Easter still brought all those past memories racing to my mind.
I grew up thinking that the real focus for our church was Christmas, Easter, and then every other week. I had no clue that the church has long held a year-long calendar that invites us to enter all kinds of special times or focuses that helps keep and deepen faith. Since learning of this calendar, I’ve discovered that my favorite season is the very short 10-day period from Ascension to Pentecost.
As I studied these two days in particular, I came to the realization that they are pivotal moments in the life of a Jesus follower. These are the days that the rest of the story of scripture is building toward. Sure Easter is the great victory, but the story doesn’t end there; in fact, the sequels to Easter make Easter all the more important. Let me try and explain my thoughts…
The story of the Old Testament tells us how creation began, how it was corrupted, and then how God began to put into work the plan to rescue us from the mess we have made. The violent act of sin ripped and tore apart of the fabric of what God had called good. God’s holiness cannot stand that sin and God could have just thought and everything would be gone – poof, no more. But as God is holy, God is also full of Love, and God’s love decided to rescue instead of a wipeout.
We see God’s reach of mercy repeatedly presented throughout the stories of the Old Testament and we see provisions made for God’s people to be covered. But underneath all those stories there was a longing for complete redemption. There was a hope that what was violently ripped a part would be renewed and restored. And so throughout the pages, we find hints that God will still do something – that God would end our exile.
Some of the hints included individuals specifically called out and empowered with the creating, hovering Spirit of God in their lives. They led like Moses and David. They prophesied like Samuel and Elijah. They fought battles like Gideon and Deborah. They pressed the people to return and trust in God like Hezekiah and Josiah. These folks had, in small doses and for short times, the presence of the Holy Spirit in and with them. It was hoped that one day, this same Spirit would come on all God’s people (the prophet Joel even spoke of this hope).
When Jesus’ birth was announced, it wasn’t just that a special baby was being born, but that God’s plan was finally happening. The rescue operation was occurring – albeit unlike what anyone had thought, but it was happening. The angels declaring “Glory to God in the Highest Heaven and peace on earth and goodwill to all humanity” are the early announcements that redemption is coming.
Jesus’ baptism and ministry are connected to one single mission – that the kingdom of God has come. His healing and miracles were moments of the way God designed the world breaking into this broken world. His teachings reordered the way people thought about how life was to be lived. His ministry alarmed the powers that be for a reason – he was saying those powers were pretty paltry compared to what God had in mind.
His death, well it broke the power of death. It severed the control that sin had. His blood not only covered our sin, but it removed our sin. His resurrection was a victory over all the brokenness and dominion of the evil one. His resurrection says that the new creation has begun. The empty tomb said that what God had meant for creation was once again possible.
These events we celebrate every year – Advent, Christmas, Epiphany (where Jesus was revealed and his ministry begins), Lent, Holy Week, and Easter all tell us this redemption story. But, while the work was done, there were still things that needed to occur. Forty days after his resurrection, Jesus ascended to the throne of all that is. For so long, sin and death had ruled this plane but now no more. God, in the person of Jesus, is in charge. The ascension says the broken and dislocated creation is being, actively, renewed.
Then 10 days after he ascends, Jesus fulfills the promise to never leave us – he gives us that very creative, consoling, comforting, empowering Spirit of God to dwell in all God’s people. Think about that – the same order over the chaos of creation dwells in you and me! The same Spirit that empowered Moses, Samuel, David, and Elijah empowers us! The Spirit that rested on Jesus at his baptism, rests on us!
See, the work of Jesus on the cross has been accomplished – no doubt. But it is in the days that follow that his work becomes our work. In the ascension, his kingdom come is our kingdom mandate and responsibility. In Easter, we are saved, and in Pentecost, we are in-dwelt with the life-giving presence of God and sent to do as the Father had sent the Son.
As these new realities began to settle in on me, I noticed a difference in my yearly focus. I still get REALLY excited for Easter, but I also get equally excited to celebrate the Ascension and Pentecost. These days keep the crescendo rolling and they release me into the summer and fall living, or at least prepared to live, differently – as if the Kingdom were on earth as it is in heaven.
So, as we celebrate Pentecost this week, I hope and pray that you will find yourself filled with anticipation for a new, fresh outpouring in your life of the Holy Spirit. I pray that you’ll remember that the cross stands and the tomb is empty and that the King is on the throne. I pray that you and I will begin to see our work is far from finished and that we are sent with his mandate and empowered to accomplish it. And I pray that as we celebrate, a new pep will be in all our steps.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS