Balloon Ascending

On January 1, 2012, after church two of my grandsons and I were sitting in the car eating a sandwich when we noticed that someone let loose of a helium balloon, and it began to ascend into the sky. We were all taken aside by the sight, and the boys enjoyed seeing it ascend slowly into the cloudy sky. We sat there staring into the clouds, watching this beautiful, green balloon travel away from us, seemingly getting smaller and smaller as it floated into the distance.

As I watched the balloon disappear as it went into one of the low-lying clouds, I said to the boys, "Boys, just stay the way you are. Don't move!" As they froze in position, I explained that the surprise on their faces was somewhat like it must have been with our Lord's disciples as they watched Jesus ascend into the heavens just as the balloon had done. If we are in wonder at this sight, how much more must the disciples have been in wonder at the ascension of their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

I pray this was an object lesson that will not soon be forgotten. Sometimes we as believers forget things we should remember often. Jesus has gone back into heaven, and on to the "heaven of heavens" to sit at the right hand of God (Col. 3:1-3). He is there to make intercession for us forever, and we are guaranteed a home in heaven because of the eternal work of our High Priest, Jesus Christ.

Paul expresses a recap of the work of Christ in 1 Tim.3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.