May 25 Devotion - The Ascension of Christ

Today is The Feast of the Ascension. The Feast of the Ascension is one of the ecumenical (i.e., universally celebrated) feasts of the Christian liturgical year, and is traditionally celebrated on the sixth Thursday after Easter Sunday, the fortieth day from Easter day.

The disciples were stunned and lost when Jesus was crucified, they lost total hope.

They regained hope when He rose from the dead and was with them again. Then He ascended to the Father.

After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. ¹⁰ As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them.

قَالَ هَذَا وَارْتَفَعَ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ وَهُمْ يَنْظُرُونَهُ. ثُمَّ حَجَبَتْهُ سَحَابَةٌ عَنْ أَنْظَارِهِمْ.

¹⁰ وَبَيْنَمَا هُمْ يُحَدِّقُونَ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ وَهُوَ يَنْطَلِقُ إِلَيْهَا، إِذَا رَجُلاَنِ قَدْ ظَهَرَا لَهُمْ بِثِيَابٍ بِيضٍ،

While they sadly gazed to the heavens angels told them:

“Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

Acts 1:9-11

ايها الرجال الجليليون ما بالكم واقفين تنظرون الى السماء. ان يسوع هذا الذي ارتفع عنكم الى السماء سيأتي هكذا كما رأيتموه منطلقا الى السماء.

What the Disciples saw when Jesus was crucified and when He ascended to Heaven was an ending, however God saw both situations as a bright and glorious beginning.

We can apply this lesson to everything that happens to us in life. Some things come to an end however they may be the beginning of something much better. This even applies to a believer’s life where it may be seen as an end however in God’s plan, he/she is starting a bright new beginning.

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, thank You for Your abundant blessings and Your deep, everlasting, and inseparable love for me. Lord, as You sent angels to the disciples; to deliver Your message; let me receive Your plan for my life and help me to move from the sorrow and pain of the endings to the joy of Your bright new beginnings. Lord, I thank You for endings that are truly new beginnings. Strengthen my faith Lord to take the next step. Lord God I praise You, lift You up on high, and glorify You. In the name of my Lord and Saviour Jesus The Christ, the only begotten Son of God, I pray. To Jesus be the power, the glory, the majesty, the blessings, and the dominion forever and ever, Amen.

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein