Another Forty Days

Easter proper - Resurrection Sunday - is the hinge between two 40-day periods. Before Easter, the Church at large observes Lent: for the Church, a period of preparation. After Easter, the Easter season which culminates on day 40, with the Ascension: for the disciples, a period of preparation. 

Lent is a liturgical artifice. That is, an invention of the church, thoughtfully rooted in biblical, doctrinal, and devotional practices. But it does not "correspond" to a specific biblical historical "event." (None of which rules it out as a sound practice for individuals or churches. But also, which does make it entirely optional as Christian practice.)

The Ascension, on the other hand, is a vital component of biblical historical redemption history! And we know the day it happened, relative to Easter (the Passover). For this reason, the Reformers kept it on their calendars, while many of the old holy days were jettisoned. It was considered one of the "evangelical feasts" - a day to celebrate the Gospel.

Ascension ends a biblical forty day period, during which Jesus appeared to his disciples, and taught them. In this way, it is a mirror of how Lent is postured. The 40-day walk to the cross is a time of teaching in and through suffering. The 40-days between Resurrection and Ascension is a time of teaching out of victory. Then, the only thing left for the disciples - indeed, for the Church - was the sending of the promised Holy Spirit. But let's not get ahead of ourselves!

So, just as we did during Lent, I want to highlight some hymns of these forty days. Hymns that highlight Jesus the Teacher, Jesus in all the Scriptures, and Jesus the Ascended Victor and High Priest who ever lives to intercede for us. We begin with a hymn by Martin Luther, which is the basis of Bach cantata 4, the Easter cantata "Christ lag in Todesbanden" - Christ lay in death's bonds.

Christ Jesus lay in death's strong bands
for our offenses given;
but now at God's right hand he stands
and brings us life from heaven:
Wherefore let us joyful be,
and sing to God right thankfully
loud songs of Alleluia!
Alleluia!
   It was a strange and dreadful strife
   when life and death contended;
   the victory remained with life,
   the reign of death was ended:
   Stripped of power, no more he reigns,
   an empty form alone remains;
   his sting is lost forever.
   Alleluia!
So let us keep the festival
whereto the Lord invites us;
Christ is himself the joy of all,
the sun that warms and lights us;
by his grace he doth impart
eternal sunshine to the heart;
the night of sin is ended.
Alleluia!
   Then let us feast this Easter day
   on the true bread of heaven.
   The word of grace has purged away
   the old and wicked leaven;
   Christ alone our souls will feed,
   he is our meat and drink indeed,
   faith lives upon no other.
   Alleluia!

The forty days began with Jesus appearing to his closest disciples on the day of Resurrection. And from the beginning, as with those on the Emmaus road, he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures about himself. That surely began with "and rose on the third day, in accordance with the Scriptures." Which is where our Easter/Ascension worship rests as well.

Sing on!