Scripture Readings
Twice today we hear about the ascension of Jesus into heaven, where the letter to the Hebrews tells us that as “the supreme high priest” he gives us “the right to enter the sanctuary” where “he appears before God on our behalf”, after shedding his own blood in a sacrifice that need never be repeated.
Luke’s Gospel opens in the Temple in Jerusalem with the angel appearing to Zechariah. On Easter Sunday, after Jesus walked with two disciples to Emmaus and then appeared to the Eleven, he ascended to heaven. The gospel ends with the disciples joyfully praising God in the Temple, in Jerusalem. Acts starts in Jerusalem with Jesus’ ascension after appearances over 40 days but finishes in Rome. Jesus’ earthly ministry was “to go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel”. His ministry started and finished in Israel. But gradually the Apostles, guided by the Holy Spirit, came to realise that they were to preach “repentance for the forgiveness of sins” “to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem”. Acts tells us how Jesus Christ continues his presence through the Church, spreading the gospel worldwide. Christianity could not be contained within Judaism, it had to break away from the Temple, with its daily sacrifices. “No one puts new wine into old wineskins”.
Psalm Response: God goes up with shouts of joy; the Lord goes up with trumpet blast
(Acts 1:1-11; Psalm 46(47); Heb 9:24-28, 10: 19-23; Luke 24:46-53)
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.