The Ascension of Our Lord “Easter to Ascension”
May 16th, 2021 – Acts 1:10
Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
We all know about Easter. That big, pivotal event we celebrate with a week-long leadup in Holy Week. Palm/Passion Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and that joyous Easter Sunday. All these events lead up to Jesus’ crucifixion for our sins and His “bursting forth” from the grave. Because He rose from death we will rise from death.
Here we now are. A hop skip and a jump away from Easter Sunday already at the end of the Easter Season.
Today we have a shift in our liturgical calendar. Our year long participation in the History of Jesus takes a change of direction. Today, is all about the Ascension of Jesus from Earth into Heaven.
Jesus ascended into heaven forty-days after Easter. (Acts 1:3) If you have got your calendar out at home counting the days, you will notice we are at the forty-third day since Easter – not the fortieth. That is because Sunday is the day we gather (the day in the week our Lord rose from the dead!) Today is the closest Sunday to the actual date of the ascension which was on Thursday.
We all know the big deal with Easter – He is Risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!
What about Ascension? What’s so special about it that we have a Sunday dedicated to it? Let’s explore three big things that are important for us to know about Jesus’ ascension – plus what was Jesus up to between that first Easter to His Ascension.
Timeline
What was happening between Easter and Ascension? Well, for us we have had many baptismal birthdays and anniversaries to celebrate, people have died, and people have gone to be with God. We have had enough stress to fill an arc – some beautiful weather too, another round of restrictions, shut-downs, anger, stress, depression – loneliness. Surprisingly, a lot has happened in the last forty-days for us as a congregation.
After Jesus rose but before His ascension? Well, unlike yourselves these days, He did a lot of visiting. He spread a lot while visiting, too – a lot of hope, a lot of joy, and a lot of indisputable proof that He is alive from being dead.
He talked with Mary Magdalene (John 20:11-18), then he came to the other Mary, Salome, and Joanna (Matthew 28:1), showed up to Peter, took a walk with Cleopas and His companion on the road to Emmaus and ate with them (Luke 24:13-35). He came to be with disciples twice, once with Thomas and once without (Luke 24:36-43; John 20:19-25; John 20:26-29). Helped the disciples catch more fish early in the morning by shouting to them from shore and ate with them and comforted them (John 21:1-23). Jesus gathered the disciples plus a large group of at least five-hundred people at a mountain in Galilee to commission them (Matthew 28:16-17, 1 Corinthians 15:6), He came to His half-brother James (1 Corinthians 15:7) and finally, He gathered His apostles together at Bethany, blessed them, and while blessing them He was taken up into Heaven (Luke 24:51).
Other than what I just named, there are not a lot of details about this time. Why should there be? It would be a lot of the same thing over and over again.
“Here I Am, alive from the dead just as the Scriptures foretold.”
“AHHH!” *Runs away* “Uhhh. Not again. James, come back!”
“WHAAATT????! I don’t believe it! How can this be??”
“I am alive, just as the scriptures foretold… and like I told you many times too…”
“Check out my hands. See my side. Let’s sit down for a bit to eat and I’ll explain how all the Scriptures pointed to Me all along. Let me teach you.”
Transition Point
The day of Jesus’ ascension mark a transition. Jesus life on earth was like the shape of the letter U. He initially came from heaven to earth, went through humiliation to the point of death on a cross as a criminal. He rose from death and at ascension, went back to where He came from (John 6:62; Ephesians 4:10). In a sense, the Ascension marks the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry. He taught, He preached to us, right up to the end.
And yet, He didn’t leave us. He didn’t even end His ministry. He sent the Holy Spirit to be with us (John 16:12-15), and the Holy Spirit has guided, and will guide us, to continue His mission of making disciples of all nations baptizing them and teaching them all He taught us about Himself.
Taking up Throne
In fact, Jesus, promised to be with us always. He even promised to be with us in His body and blood in His Supper. Somehow, He can fulfill these promises even though He ascended to Heaven to sit on His throne at the right hand of God the Father. Jesus is with us guiding and blessing us in His mission as He rules the world right now as its High King. No matter what has happened or will happen, Jesus will not be dethroned or lose control (Ephesians 1:21). Jesus did not have to step aside and let our world governments take over in order to care for us with this virus. Jesus is, and always has been, in control. He has been in control through the governments, through the doctors, scientist, lawyers, the pastors and Christians who preach peace in Jesus’ name. Jesus has always been, and always will be, in control on His throne which He took up at His Ascension.
We do not know God’s mind in every situation. We cannot probe the depths of the wisdom of God – no matter how much we want to. We cannot cling to these unknown things (Acts 1:6-7).
We CAN cling to the fact that God is good, and He loves us (Mark 10:18). He has given us eternal life through Jesus’ name (John 3:16). He works all things for good for those who love Him (Romans 8:28).
It is hard to see a cancer diagnosis as something God can use for good. It’s hard to see how a pandemic can be used by God to teach us something we need to know. Or how God can bless us with a pandemic… with all the bad it can also cause. Living in constant pain, physically or mentally, looks all bad – yet God can, and will, work even these things for good in ways we cannot see. He Ascended. He is ruling the world. Our brother, our God, who lived among us, who suffered for us. Who knows this world better than we ever could. He is in control of the world and every little detail in your life. And He loves you.
Reappearing Again
The last thing we need to know about His Ascension is that He is coming back again. He ascended to rule this world and to come back in judgement (Matthew 25:31-33; John 5:22). For us in Him, this is great news. Yes, we sin. Yes, we deserve eternal suffering in Hell. Yes, all bodies will be raised, good and evil, when He returns (John 5:28-29). BUT, the judge has paid our punishment and promises us eternal life in paradise with Him. His return is what we hope and pray for. We pray “Come, Lord Jesus!” His returns means a perfecting of this world. His returns means paradise on earth. His return means no more suffering, death, evil, pain, depression, stress, doubt or fear. When He returns He promises perfection.
Remembering His Ascension points us forward to His return. It encourages us to live like we will live forever (Colossians 3:1). It encourages us to see everything in light of The Resurrection and the Good News that Jesus died for our sins – it even encourages us to see the Law of God in this light! The Law which points out our need for the forgiveness we already have in Christ! Jesus Ascension reminds us that God loves the whole world, and He wants all people to experience His forgiveness in Baptism, His Holy Word, The Lord’s Supper, Confession and Absolution as the Holy Spirit works through them in the Church! Jesus’ Ascension reminds us that He wants us to encourage each other all the more as His return from Heaven is closer today than it was yesterday (Hebrews 10:25).
This Ascension, may your mind ascend with Christ so that you “seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God (Colossians 3:1) where He lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever, Amen.