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Ascension

April 27, 2008

Good Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church

Sioux Falls, SD

Rev. Norman F. Seeger

 

Acts 1:1-11

       In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach  2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.  3 After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.  4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.  5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

6 So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.  8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.  11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

 

Acts 1:1-11

“ASCENDING JESUS’ CORONATION CLARIFIES HIS KINGDOM”

  1. Our Commanding King Controls Our Life
  2. Our Conquering King Will Come Again

 

Dear faithful followers of a crucified but risen & ascended Jesus Christ,

Ascension – rising to a higher level -- is a cause for celebration.  In life, we celebrate births, graduations, weddings.  Climbing life’s ladder, we rejoice in new jobs & enjoy promotions.  We appreciate rising into the ranks of senior citizens; we anticipate retirement.  In fact, we look forward to a funeral where Jesus will ultimately lift us from earth up into heaven.

How can a disciple see my future ascension so clearly?  How can we who may not know when we will graduate, whom we will marry or where we will work during our lifetime – how can we who definitely do not know the date of our death -- know without a doubt we will ultimately be lifted up into heaven?  Jesus, who was put to death to pay our sins’ penalty before being raised to life Easter Sunday to assure us God’s forgiveness “led his disciples to the vicinity of Bethany forty days later.  While Jesus lifted his hands & was blessing his disciples, he was taken up into heaven.”[LK 24]  Ironically while his disciples lift their eyes to watch Jesus ascend until “a cloud hides him from their sight,” Jesus’ ascension clears the clouds which were confusing souls who confessed Jesus as Christ without truly understanding Christ’s commission.

Asking, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” Jesus’ apostles apparently anticipate an earthly kingdom the crowd wanted when they tried to forcefully make Jesus their king after he had ed five thousand with a few fish – a worldly rule James & John also anticipate as they ask for powerful positions at his right & his left in Jesus’ kingdom.  Glory on earth & power Jews enjoyed as King David conquered their world a thousand years earlier seems to be his disciples’ desire today, but Jesus’ ascension will force his followers to focus on heaven instead of earth, to stress spiritual rather than material blessings, remembering “Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world,” as he told Pilate.  Yet at the same time, “Jesus is a king.”  Stating a simple fact, Jesus tells Pilate, “Everyone on the side of the truth will listen to me.”[JN 18] 

What does this mean for us disciples today?  Jesus’ ascension – Jesus’ triumphant return to heavenly glory -- Jesus’ coronation clarifies his kingdom.  Ruling us in righteousness, our commanding king controls our life.  Listening as Jesus keeps speaking to us in Scripture, we faithful followers of Christ can confidently & conscientiously apply our Lord’s orders in life, knowing nothing will occur without his approval.  While we serve our ascended Savior who first came down to earth to destroy death & the devil’s power over us, we can know without a doubt our conquering king will come again.

Commands & control are key thoughts as Luke’s inspired writing moves from a record of Jesus’ earthly ministry (which we read in the gospel of Luke) to a record of our Savior’s effect on his believers’ lives after he ascends.  One command is highlighted here:  “Do not leave Jerusalem,” Jesus orders, “but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.”  Referring to John the Baptist, who used water to baptize people for repentance, preparing souls to receive our Savior’s forgiveness – the Baptist who pointed people toward Jesus & identified his all-surpassing Successor as one who will “baptize with the Holy Spirit”[JN 1] -- Jesus instructs his disciples to just wait in Jerusalem until God the Father pours the Holy Spirit on them in a way that will equip them to fulfill their essential assignment to witness Jesus in our world.

While one command is highlighted here, “Giving instructions to his disciples” as he “he appeared to them over a period of forty days,” Jesus did more than just tell his followers to wait (ten more days) for the Holy Spirit to be poured upon them in unlimited measure at Pentecost.  Matthew records Jesus’ command in hopefully familiar words:  “All authority in heaven & on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go & make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son & the Holy Spirit; teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you,” while Jesus promises, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” [MT 28]  Mark similarly records Jesus ordering his disciples to “Go into all the world & preach the good news to all creation,” promising, “Whoever believes & is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”[MK 16]  Luke himself notes Jesus announcing, “This is what is written:  The Christ will suffer & rise from the dead on the third day; repentance & forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”[LK 24]

“You are witnesses of these things,” Luke records Jesus saying there as he does here.  Please realize, Jesus is not issuing an order.  Jesus simply states some future facts:  “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.  You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem; in all Judea & Samaria & to the ends of the earth.”  Please recognize & rejoice in the way our ascending King Jesus not only commands but also controls our life in this world.  When faithful followers apply Jesus’ orders in our life – when we “let our light shine before men so they may see our good deeds & praise our Father in heaven”[MT 5] – when we “love our enemies, do good to those who hate us, bless those who curse us & pray for those who mistreat us”[LK 6] – when we “forgive the brother who sins against us seventy-seven times”[MT 18] – when we “give to Caesar what is Caesar’s while giving to God what is God’s”[MT 22] – when we “store up treasures in heaven, not treasures on earth”[MT 6] -- when we “first seek God’s kingdom & first seek God’s righteousness without worrying about what we will eat & drink or wear in this world”[MT 6] – we can be sure we will be blessed because our king, Jesus, ascended & has been “seated at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms,” Paul explains, “far above all rule & authority, power & dominion; above every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.”  Whether our life’s circumstances appear to be positive or negative today, we know we will come out ahead in the end for “God placed all things under Jesus’ ascended feet; God appointed Jesus to be head over everything for the church.”  Jesus who controls us disciples with his love possesses enough power to overpower unbelievers’ evil intentions.  Ruling over everything & everyone in heaven, on earth & under the earth, Jesus is even able to overrule the devil & his demons’ plans to destroy our souls by tempting us to sin.  In complete control, Jesus can foretell our future, telling us we will be his witnesses in our homes, in our country; in the ends of the earth – telling us we believers will be lifted up into his Father’s heavenly home as he returns at the end of time.

Knowing nothing will ever be able to stop our Savior-king from loving us, I pray we will celebrate Jesus’ ascension by obeying his commands as we look forward to our conquering King coming again.  Jesus’ coronation – Jesus’ ascension – makes it clear he has conquered sin, death & the devil for us, for “after Jesus’ suffering, he showed himself to his disciples for forty days & gave many convincing proofs he was alive as he spoke about the kingdom of God.”  Easter evening, Jesus stresses the fact his death has fully paid our sins’ penalty.  Announcing, “Peace be with you,”[JN 20] as he enters the locked room where his followers are fearfully huddled, Jesus assures his disciples, “If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven.”

Seeing their risen Savior overpower death & defeat the devil, it is not too surprising to hear these disciples ask if Jesus is now ready to establish Israel’s kingdom again.  If King David conquered the world, who could possibly stop Jesus, David’s greater Son, from ruling our earth?  Who can prevent King Jesus from providing everything his people would possibly want in this world – health -- wealth – whatever?  For a fact, our all-powerful Lord Jesus “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,”[EPH 3] but Jesus points our prayers to spiritual rather than physical blessings.  Jesus focuses our sight on a heavenly rather than earthly kingdom as he begins to rise while he raises his hands to bless his disciples.

After the clouds hide him from their sight, two angels appear, asking, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky?” before announcing, “This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”  Visibly, God the Son & the Son of Man – Conqueror of Satan – our Savior from sin – King Jesus who rules our life today, speaking to us in the Scriptures, promising forgiveness while commanding faithfulness – King Jesus will return at the end of time to lift us disciples up into heaven to live in God’s glory forever.  Is a greater promotion possible?  No, no greater gift can be given.  So, saints, let’s celebrate Jesus’ ascension; let’s enjoy Jesus’ coronation as a commanding King who controls our life – let’s rejoice in Jesus’ coronation as our conquering King who will ultimately come again as the undeniable Savior of our souls!

Amen.