Scripture for Today – The Ascension of our Lord

Psalm 110            Acts 1:1-11            Ephesians 1:16-23            Luke 24:44-53

 

Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer.  Amen.  (Psalm 19:14, adapted)

 

Acts 1:8b  “…and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

 

Grace, mercy, and peace to all of you from God our heavenly Father and Jesus Christ our risen and ascended Savior.  Amen.

 

Remember the old chain-mail thing?  You would receive a letter with the instructions to forward it to several others.  The intent was for the message to be spread and for the original senders to receive many times back what they originally sent out. 

 

Today’s e-mail works so easily that way.  Click the symbol to forward the message, click the addresses you want to send it to, click send, and,  “Voila!” the message is instantaneously to the recipient’s mailbox.  How convenient it is to forward a message.  How eagerly we forward messages, both good news and bad news alike.  It is our human nature to be so eager to spread news, to forward the message.

 

Jesus said to his disciples, “and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  Luke continues in his account of the Ascension in Acts, “After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes.”  Jesus’ last words to his disciples was, “Forward this message.”

 

 

We are gathered here to celebrate the Ascension.  Jesus’ ascension into heaven was not and is not a sad occasion.  In his gospel, Luke records that the disciples returned to Jerusalem “with great joy,” and “stayed in the temple continually praising God.”  In the verses that follow in Acts we see how many continued constantly in prayer awaiting the day the promised Holy Spirit would come.  And, when it did, how rapidly the church grew as the Gospel of Jesus was forwarded throughout the known world.  And, by God’s grace and will, it continues to be forwarded throughout the world to this very day.

 

The Ascension is one of the most significant celebrations in the life of our Lord and in our faith.  But in this world and in this day and age, we have effectively reduced this great happening to a relatively unknown event.  Ascension is not celebrated in our stores with bright lights.  It is not promoted as a day to send cards, share gifts, put decorations on our eaves and in our bushes. 

 

Yet Ascension is the day that concludes all of our Lord’s work of salvation for those who believe in him.  He does not leave us but leaves to us his Holy Spirit and the command to forward his message to others.  Had Jesus stayed on this earth, he would not have been able to send the Holy Spirit.  Why?  Had Jesus stayed on this earth, the multitude of believers, his church, would not have the gift to go out and forward God’s message of love through Jesus. 

 

When he ascended into heaven Jesus did not go away from us.  As he ascended into heaven he resumed the fullness of his divinity.  In that fullness is his omnipresence, ability to be with you and all believers in all places at all times.  He is no longer local, confined by his human nature.  In other words, he is nearer to you every moment of every day of your life than had he stayed on this earth in the restrictions of that human nature.  By his Ascension he is now head of the church (Col. 1:17) and Lord of all (Phil 2:11).  He is your advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1) always interceding for you.  (Rom. 8:34, Heb.7:25)  His presence in Heaven assures us that we will follow as he promised and as the angels declared to the disciples that day.  It is interesting that those angels also declared his conception to Mary, to Joseph, his arrival to the shepherds, his resurrection to the ladies at the tomb, and now God’s last promise, that he will return again.

 

Without Jesus there is no life.  Without Jesus there is no forgiveness of sins.  Without Jesus there is no sacrifice that pays the price for all sins.  Without Jesus there is no love that forgives and saves.  Jesus is light.  Jesus is life.  Jesus is truth.  Jesus is death of sin and resurrection to eternal life. 

 

Imagine you would receive a letter or e-mail directly from Jesus telling you he is coming to be with you.  How exciting that would be!  And that is what his message to us at his ascension is all about.  Forward this message I have taught you, that I have lived and died for you, that I have risen from the grave for you, that I have ascended to the heavenly throne in all glory and honor of God the Father to prepare a place for you and will come back to take you to be where I am. 

 

The world around us does not know that message.  If it did, thousands would be gathered  in and around this building right now rejoicing together at this great promise and in anticipation in the faith that Jesus is soon to fulfill that promise to each one.  It is a message we have not forwarded very well as evidenced by the lack of attention to this day. 

 

Each day of our lives, our ascended Lord is telling each one of us, “You’ve got mail,” and to “Forward this message.”  The message is God’s word, his plan of salvation for all people.  The message is baptism where, in faith your sins are washed away and you are given new life in Christ, one that strives to do his will and keep his commands to love one another as he has loved us.  The message is the Lord’s Supper where he presents his sacrificed body and blood miraculously to you so you are strengthened knowing that he makes himself one with you, forgiveness of sins purchased by that body and blood are yours entirely, and you are one with him and all believers in his body the church of all saints.  The message is amazing grace, a love so great that he forgives all sins, takes those who put their trust in him at any point in their lives, a love so great that even an infant can believe and receive his gifts without doing anything on its own.  A love so great that he humbled himself, came down from heaven, suffered, died, and was buried for each soul.  A love so great that he showed his resurrected body repeatedly and returns that body countless times in the sacrament just to strengthen and build you up in faith in him.  It is a love so great that he has promised to come again to take you to be where he is.

 

Isn’t that a great message to know and trust in?

Isn’t that a message worth forwarding? 

Then let’s do it.                     Amen.

 

 

Philippians 4:7  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.