The Ascension of our Lord – May 9, 2024Psalm 47; 2 Kings 2:8-15; Acts 1:1-11St. Mark 16:14-20
In the Name of the Father, and of the +
Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Forty days after the Resurrection,
Jesus gathered the Apostles on a mountain near Bethany and taught them
directly, one last time. He said many things to them, important things. He spoke
to them about how the Old Testament testified of Him, foretelling His coming,
life, death, resurrection, and ascension; that all of this was done for your
salvation. He “opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the
Scriptures.”[1]
He commanded them to preach the Good News
about His life, death, resurrection, and ascension to all the ends of the earth[2]
but first to wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit had descended upon them.[3]
Then, He instructed them to begin in Jerusalem before going into Samaria and
all the ends of the earth.[4]
How is it that the Apostles are to
accomplish this? How are they to bring this saving Gospel to all people? By
baptizing and teaching, for, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved;
but he who does not believe will be condemned.”[5]
After saying these things, Jesus was received into heaven, being lifted up into
the sky until a cloud covered Him and removed Him from the sight of the
Apostles.
It would be tempting to think that
Jesus went away at the ascension. Afterall, when Elijah was carried up into the
sky on a flaming chariot, he was no longer present with his dear student,
Elisha. If I walked away and went out of your sight, I wouldn’t be with you
anymore. I would be somewhere else, with other people. The difference between
me, Elijah, and Jesus is that Elijah and I are not God. Jesus is God. He is
true God and true Man.
When Jesus ascends to the Father, He
sits down at the Father’s right hand. The right hand of the Father is not a
golden throne floating somewhere in the sky. The Father’s “right hand” is a
phrase that means Jesus is the Father’s power, the one through whom and in whom
the Father works. It means Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords, who
rules the entire universe not by being away from it but by being present within
all of it. And Jesus does this ruling as both true God and true Man.
There are many clear statements in Scripture regarding the presence of Christ in the church, which is His kingdom. And not the least part of the work of Christ as our Mediator and Savior is that as Head He is present with His members, gathering, ruling, defending, preserving, and saving His church. For in all our afflictions and temptations—in the depraved infirmity of our nature, among the various offenses and the many pitfalls under the powerful tyranny and the rage of Satan, the world, and all the enemies of the church—our greatest and only comfort is our knowledge that Christ is present as our King, our High Priest, our Head, and the pastor of us who are His sheep in the midst of ravening wolves. He does not place the burdens of governing in His kingdom on the shoulders of others through delegated work, as the custom of our kings is, for the government is always on His shoulders (Is. 9:6), but when He Himself is present He cares for us, governs, defends, preserves, and saves us, as His peculiar people whom He has bought with His own blood. As John says, ‘He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world’ [1 John 4:4]. And Ezekiel 34:24 says, ‘My Servant David is prince in the midst of them.’[6]
Christ is present with all of Creation because He is God,
but He has especially promised to be with His Church through the means of
grace. The means of grace are those things through which God works to bring you
the forgiveness of sins. These are the Word of God, Holy Baptism, the Lord’s
Supper, and the Absolution.
When it comes to the Word of God, Jesus is always working
through His Word. That means when you hear the Bible read in Church, when you
attend Sunday School, when you read the Bible together as a family, and when
you read the bible on your own, Jesus is speaking to you. He is working through
His Word. But Jesus has also established the Office of the Holy Ministry to
give voice to that Word. He has established preaching so that His Word would be
brought especially to you in this time and place.
With the other means of grace, those that we call the Sacraments, Jesus has combined His Word with physical elements—water in the case of Holy Baptism; bread and wine in the case of the Lord’s Supper; and the voice and hands of the pastor in the Holy Absolution. He is doing this not because Pastors have special powers but so that you would know that Jesus is true God and true Man. He has established His Office—into which He places men—such that when a human being, a man, baptizes, gives you the Lord’s Supper, or absolves your sins, you would know that Jesus Christ, in His human body and in His divinity, is present delivering it to you. It is easy to remember that Jesus is God. It is difficult to remember that He is man. So, He has set His means of grace into the hands of men as a reminder that God became man to forgive your sins.
Now, we mustn’t forget that immediately before and
immediately after His ascension, the Apostles are rebuked for their lack of
faith. Before the ascension, they are rebuked because “they did not believe
those who had seen [Jesus] after He had risen.”[7]
Even though the Apostles themselves had seen the risen Christ, they questioned
others who had seen the same. Perhaps they still didn’t believe the
resurrection themselves. Perhaps they thought it necessary for an Apostle to be
present to make it a true appearance of Christ. Or perhaps they thought
themselves to be above the “normal” disciples so that only their word could
stand. It was probably a little of everything.
Then after the ascension, two angels rebuke the Apostles for
staring up into the sky. This is the same rebuke Jesus gives to Mary Magdelene
on the day of the Resurrection, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet
ascended to My Father, but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending
to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.”[8]
Mary and the Apostles have a job to do and standing on a mountain, staring into
heaven is not it. They are to go and tell others about Jesus. They are to live
in this world, even if they are citizens of heaven. In fact, because they are
citizens of heaven. They are to live in this world as citizens of Christ’s
Church, as subjects of the Almighty God who has ascended to His throne, “far
above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that
is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come; and hath
put all things under His feet.”[9]
For you, that means being in the place that Jesus has
promised to give you His means of grace, that is, most especially His Church.
That means receiving those means of grace—His Word, Holy Baptism, the Lord’s
Supper, and the Holy Absolution. It also means to carry this grace with you as
you go about your station in life. Be the best mother that you can be, changing
diapers and teaching your children to pray. Be the best husband and father you
can be, working hard to provide and teaching your children the catechism. Be
the best child you can be by obeying your parents, paying attention to your
studies, learning about the world around you, and paying attention in church.
Do all of this because Jesus is with you. He is with you as
true God and true Man. He is not absent in anyway, but He is present in many
ways. Do these things because your King reigns from the right hand of the
Father, where you will be with Him for all eternity.
In + Jesus’
name. Amen.
