There was a time when our grandparents would only have thought of Jesus sitting on a throne in great power and glory. Then a reaction set in and many of us grew up more with a vision of Christ as a Good Shepherd or friend. But in the readings today, we have a reality check -- we have Christ with an attitude. The Scriptures show us a triumphant Jesus and though that image is not one we emphasize in our day and age, yet, it is essential to our understanding of who Jesus is. When we say, "Come, Lord, Jesus!" we really believe that Christ’s Second Coming will bring a complete end to the rule of evil, of sickness, of death. Christ’s Ascension tells us that Jesus Christ is Lord and has all power, dominion, honor and glory. Deep in our hearts, we know this triumphant, all-powerful Christ is the God we worship. We’re glad he’s our friend, and a merciful one at that, but if he wasn’t this strong, why would we follow him? This image is not one that should strike us with fear or guilt. The triumphant Christ should fill us with peace and joy. He is what he says he is! We have nothing to fear. We’ve backed the right man! Christ is the One!

This is what we mean when we say Jesus is Lord. There’s an old practice taught to many of us that is very Scriptural in nature. When we hear or say the name of Jesus, we bow our head to acknowledge him as Lord. That’s a worthy action to teach to ourselves and to our kids. The readings today help us keep a balanced view of Jesus. He is our friend and our brother, but also our Lord and Savior. He walked with us on earth, but also rules the universe. How blessed we are to be so close to a God so awesome. The greatest mystery of our faith is not that he became one of us, but that he thinks enough of us to live with him in glory forever.