“After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.” (Acts 1:9)
Yesterday was Ascension Sunday, commemorating that day when Jesus returned to be with God and left his disciples waiting and wondering. Pentecost is coming, bringing the Holy Spirit, but, for now, Jesus left them and leaves us with an image of distance.
The disciples stand staring as Jesus disappears from view. One moment he’s with them — teaching, speaking, blessing — and the next, he’s gone from their sight. You can almost feel the ache of it. The silence. The uncertainty. The wondering about what comes next.
Perhaps that’s why so many people are drawn to stories that help them imagine Jesus more personally. One of the most popular is The Chosen. I don’t know if you’ve seen it or not – and there are pros and cons – but it’s compelling and thought-provoking.
Part of what has resonated about The Chosen isn’t simply the storytelling. It’s the reminder that Jesus encountered people individually. He wasn’t distant or disinterested. He looked people in the eye. He called them by name. He noticed their fears, doubts, wounds, and hopes. He ate with them. He laughed with them.
Jesus met Nicodemus in confusion. Mary Magdalene in brokenness. Matthew in isolation. Peter in failure. Thomas in skepticism.
And somehow, each person discovered that Christ saw them as they were but, more importantly, as they could be. Jesus knew them more deeply than they knew themselves … and met them with open arms.
That truth matters after Ascension Day.
Because the risen and ascended Christ isn’t absent. He’s not removed from the struggles and ordinary moments of our lives. The disciples could no longer see him standing beside them, but his presence hadn’t vanished. In time, with faith, they would discover the Spirit nearer than they ever imagined.
Sometimes we think of faith only in broad terms: God loves the world. Christ died for us all. The Spirit moves through the Church.
And all of that is wonderfully true. But the gospel is also personal. Jesus still meets people individually. Still calls people by name. Still offers peace for anxious hearts. Still knows, still sees, and still cares.
Jesus is personal. And perhaps that’s one of the great wonders of grace: The Savior who rose from the grave and ascended from view still draws near to us today. The image may be one of distance, but the reality is that Jesus is with us … as close as we allow him to be.
Prayer: Ascended Lord, thank you that you aren’t distant from my life or unaware of my struggles. Help me to know you not only as Savior of the world, but as the One who calls me personally and walks beside me daily. Open my eyes to your presence and teach me to follow you with trust and faith. Amen.
