And where he came to, and where he then went after that—and where he is ultimately going to call his forever home—those are central plot movements in the Christian story.
He came from the Father’s presence—”heaven” we often say. God’s reality. God’s dimension. God’s kingdom where his good rule and reign are perfectly realized.
He came to the world. He entered into what we know as reality. Our physicality. Our time and space. All the beauty and joy and pain and suffering that make up our human lives. He stepped right into the thick of it and made himself at home—at least temporarily.
He returned to the Father. Back to God’s perfect presence. Away from everything in this world. Sure, he left the suffering and brokenness behind, but he also had to say goodbye to those who were dear to him. I think if we read the accounts closely we can get hints of this bitter-sweet parting.
But the story doesn’t end there—he is going to return to this world! Although the second coming will not be like the first. Rather than leaving heaven behind, this time he will bring heaven along with him, uniting God’s reality and our reality, all dimensions, the entirety of the created cosmos into one. He’s coming back to call this world “home” once again, although permanently this time.
The real mind-blowing thing is that all this is not just his story—it is our story as well.
