expanding our vision

We're nearing the end of what is, theologically, no doubt the most awesome season on the Christian calendar. Some say the Christian faith is too narrow. Maybe so. But if we have an expansion of our vision, those observations themselves will seem too narrow.

We're nearing the end of the Easter season, which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christ has broken the boundary of death itself. "Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died" (1 Cor 15.20).

Last week was Ascension. Christ has broken the boundary of the cosmos. As the cosmic Christ, he has broken the boundary of everything. Christ "fills all in all." Christ "ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things." Christ "is before all things, and in him all things hold together" (Eph 1.23, 4.10; Col 1.17).

This Sunday is Pentecost. Jesus said, "Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father" (Jn 14.12). "Let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, 'Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water.'" Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified" (Jn 7.38-39). We're given access to all of this.

That's quite a vision!