The Bridegroom Ascends

As Jesus ascended into Heaven, His feet lifted from the earth not in farewell, but in promise. The Ascension is not an end—it is a beginning. Christ, having completed His mission of redemption, returns to the Father to take His rightful place in glory. But in His rising, He does not abandon me. Instead, He draws me upward, toward the destiny He has prepared for me: union with Him forever.

The Church is more than a gathering of believers. She is the Bride of Christ—loved, redeemed, and espoused by the One who laid down His life for her. The Ascension reminds me that the Bridegroom has gone ahead, not to leave me behind, but to prepare a place for me… a place for each of us, His bride. As Jesus said, 

"I go to prepare a place for you, so that where I am, you also may be" (John 14:3).

To be His Bride is to live in hope and readiness. The Bridegroom is enthroned in Heaven, but I am still on the journey. I walk this earth clothed in grace, bearing His name, carrying His light. Just as the early disciples stood gazing into the sky, wondering when He would return, so I too look upward with longing—yet I am not meant to stand still. The angel's words to them echo for me: 

"Why do you stand looking into the sky?" (Acts 1:11). 

I am not to wait in passive silence, but to prepare for His return by living faithfully, joyfully, and boldly and drawing others closer to Him. 

As His Bride, I am called to be a faithful witness, just as He instructed before His departure: 

“You will be my witnesses… to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). 

My fidelity is shown not only in prayer and worship but in mission—in loving the poor, speaking truth, healing wounds, and building up the Body of Christ.

The Ascension assures me that my home is in Heaven. Christ has taken my humanity into the heart of God. He has not just saved me—He has exalted me!  And now, as His Bride, I am being made ready, day by day, for the great wedding feast of the Lamb.

I will not be content with a distant love. Let me live as a Bride in love with her King—pure, watchful, full of longing, and deeply committed to the work He has entrusted to her.  Let me trust in His promise to me; His promise that I am not left alone. He tells me:

“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”  (John 14:26)

He has not left me alone.  I am not left as an orphan.  I am His beloved bride.  His Divine Love is for each one of us.  He is reigning now, in glory, and He will come again. Let our lives, each day, be lived so as to be ready to proclaim and echo the final cry of Scripture:

“Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20)

Nicky Verna, Copyright 2025