There’s a story that is told about Jesus on Ascension Day when Jesus arrived in heaven to the wild cheers and celebrations of all of heaven. As the party started to die down, the angels started to ask Jesus some questions.
Gabriel stepped forward first and said, “Jesus, now that you have done all that is necessary for the salvation of the world, how are people going to hear about it?”
Jesus gave a relaxed smile, “Don’t worry about it, Gabe, I trained them.”
Michael butted in, “Oh, so you trained how many? A thousand? More?”
Jesus responded, remembering His disciples that He had left on earth, “Oh no, just a few of them.”
At that point, a little concerned, the angel Raphael followed up, “Oh, well, if you only trained a few of them, then they might fail. Even worse, they may not take you seriously and may neglect your command. What is your other plan if this one doesn’t work?”
Jesus looked at His angels resolutely, “I have no other plan.”
Ascension is a day to remember that we are God’s plan to tell the world of salvation. There is no other plan. Perhaps, like the fictional angels above, that brings us a little anxiety. Should God trust you with this responsibility? Should God trust *that person* that you’re thinking of, who you may wonder how effective they could be at telling the world about God’s salvation? No, He probably shouldn’t. But He has. There is no other plan.
But a part of His plan is to continue to provide us with all that we need, to watch over us, and to give us the same power of the Holy Spirit that those disciples on the Mount of Olivet received after they saw Him ascend into heavens. God has no other plan, but He does have a plan.