Acts 1:1-11
Our Lord Jesus Christ has ascended into heaven. And this event is of no small significance
for the Christian church. It is part of
our creeds. St. Luke writes about it
twice – once in his Gospel and then again in the Book of Acts. But it is also something that is of great
importance to you, as an individual Christian.
Far from being some dusty old dogma about some minor miracle Jesus once
did among so many others – the Ascension is deeply connected to his
resurrection, to his promised return in glory, and even to his present comfort
for you today in the Lord’s Supper.
Today I’d like to take a more doctrinal treatment of the
Ascension than to slavishly follow any one of the texts. We will raise and examine a number of different
implications for Christ’s ascension, a survey, if you will, of how this
teaching of Scripture brings us great comfort.
We confess that Christ has ascended and sits at the right
hand of the Father. But this doesn’t
imply that Jesus is “sitting around”, as if he were doing nothing, like I do in
my living room on Sunday afternoons. The
right hand of the Father is less a place but a position. It is the place of highest honor and
glory. Even the cloud that obscured him
from their sight hints at this – for we often see clouds, as in Exodus,
obscuring the unbearable sight of God’s glory.
This Jesus, who for a time, set aside the full exercise of his divine
rights, now takes them back. This Jesus
who, for a time, entered a state of humiliation, now completes his exaltation
and returns to his rightful status. This
Jesus, with his name above all names, now sits on high – higher than any other
throne or rule or power.
Christ’s power stands in contrast to ours. We sinners wield our pitiful powers for selfish
purposes. We seek power over others for
our own ends. We are always clawing and
clamoring for more power, prestige, and any advantage we can get in the world –
so that we can get our way (and that way is usually pretty twisted). Sure we rationalize our power seeking and
power exerting – but it’s usually just another expression of our sinful nature
at work. Trying to put ourselves in the
place of God, rather than loving our neighbor as we ought.
But Jesus – the one who rightfully has the power – all power
– everything is under his feet – he uses his power in the most benevolent
ways. He gives and gives and gives. Just as he gave his life on the cross as a
ransom for many, so he gives of his mighty power - blessings to all
people.
It is a mystery, in many ways, exactly how he exercises this
power. We have some clues, and some
precious promises though. We know that
he’s working all things together for good for those who love him. We know that he gives daily bread, even to
the wicked. We know that nations rise,
kingdoms fall, but none without his permission.
He is the giver of all good things.
But the promises of blessing found in the means of grace are his highest
gifts – forgiveness of sins, life and salvation – found in Holy Baptism, Holy
Communion, Holy Absolution.
And finally, we’d be remiss not to mention Christ sending
forth his Holy Spirit, who works through the Word, to convict and comfort, to
accuse and to justify, to kill with the letter, but by the Gospel, to give
life! This, of course, happened
spectacularly at Pentecost, as Peter preached in Acts 2:
This Jesus God raised
up, and of that we all are witnesses. 33 Being therefore exalted at the right
hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy
Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.
That same Spirit who miraculously empowered the speech of
the disciples at Pentecost also empowers the preaching of the Gospel today, and
equips the church with pastors and teachers and missionaries, that all nations
may continue to hear the wondrous works of God proclaimed to them. The Spirit of Christ is still sent forth from
the ascended and reigning Christ!
Some might say that the Ascension is a sort of a going-away
party for Jesus. That it is bittersweet,
at least, for so many of our goodbyes and partings are such sweet sorrow. Certainly we can’t see Jesus any longer. We can’t touch his wounded hands and
side. We can’t eat and drink with him
like the disciples did during those 40 days after his resurrection.
But here is one of those blessed paradoxes of the Christian
faith: Though he is gone from sight, he
is nearer than ever. Though it appears
he is nowhere, yet he is everywhere. And
not just everywhere, but he also locates himself in special ways by promised
means. He puts himself in the water and
word, and bread and wine, and in the preaching and teaching – in the midst of
Christians wherever they gather 2 or 3 in his name. Thus he speaks truth when he says, “Lo, I am
with you always, even to the end of the age”.
Jesus is not MIA.
He’s not on holiday. He’s not Elvis
who’s left the building and left us to our own devices. He is present, in churches and homes all over
the world, where Christians gather around his word. He is with you always, individually, you are
so near and connected to him by baptism you have even been buried and raised
with him. He is present, according to
his promise, in the Holy Sacrament, for the forgiveness of sins. There indeed we can eat and drink with, or
rather of - the resurrected Christ – bodily present. There at his meal we see him with the eyes of
faith, and taste and see that the Lord is good.
What else is Christ busy doing at the right hand of
God? Interceding for us! He is the great go-between, who speaks to the
Father on our behalf. This is his High
Priestly role, representing us to God the Father – but from the best spot, the
closest seat. You might imagine him
leaning over and saying to the Father, “This one’s with me.”
And one final thing we can say – something that is taught to
us by Jesus’ Ascension – from the words of the two angels who there
appeared. This Jesus will return. He will return the same way you have seen him
depart.
Christ who once ascended into the heavens and was obscured
by a cloud will return again – visibly – all eyes will see him as he comes in
the clouds with great glory, with the shout of the archangel and the trumpet
call of God. His Ascension, then, is a
kind of deep breath a powerful singer might inhale before he exhales the
crescendo and climax of the solo. What
goes up, must come down, we say. And
with Christ, it is also true. He who
ascended will descend once more – for judgment, for victory, to usher in the
kingdom of glory that will have no end.
But like the disciples, we too are urged not to stand around
staring at the sky. They had things to
do. So do we. They returned to Jerusalem – waiting for the
fulfillment of his promise that they would receive power from on high. And while they waited, they worshipped with
joy. So do we. Worship of the ascended Christ is central to
all the church is and does. To gather in
his house, around his word, receive his gifts, to call on his name, pray,
praise, and give thanks. While we wait
for his return in glory, the church ever worships Christ in a ceaseless and
joyful liturgy.
He promised them “power from on high”! Of course, that’s the Holy Spirit, which the
ascended Jesus also pours out on his church from his heavenly throne. It happened in a special way at Pentecost,
but he continues to send forth the Spirit who lives and breathes in and on the
church to this day. We, too, receive
power from on high – power for the preaching of his word, for the
administration of his sacraments, power to forgive and be forgiven, to love one
another as he has loved us.
Our Lord Jesus Christ has ascended to the right hand of God
the Father Almighty, and will come again to judge the living and the dead. Until then, he remains in his rightful
position of king over all things. He
rules heaven and earth for the good of his church, and of you. He is not gone, but ever-present, in the
word, in the sacrament, wherever 2 or 3 gather in his name. And he will return in glory, coming in the
clouds with the heavenly host in tow. A
blessed Ascension day to you, in Jesus Christ our Lord.
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