Category: Ascension

The Significance of Jesus’ Ascension

5/17/2021

The Ascension, John Singleton Copley. 1775. Public Domain

Ascension Day (Observed)
Acts 1:1-11; Mark 16:14-20
Pastor James Preus
May 16, 2013

Last Thursday marked the fortieth day of Easter. St. Luke tells us that Jesus, after his death and resurrection, showed himself alive to his disciples for forty days before He was taken up into heaven. Yet, for most people Thursday passed by with little noted significance. But should the day of our Lord’s ascension to the right hand of God the Father be ignored by the faithful? Don’t we confess in the Apostles’ Creed every day, “He ascended into heaven…”? Let me give you four reasons why we should celebrate Jesus’ ascension into heaven not only on the fortieth day of Easter, but every day.
First, Jesus’ ascension to the right hand of God the Father proves that Jesus is victorious over sin, death, and the power of the devil. When Jesus sat down at the right hand of God, he fulfilled what David prophesied in Psalm 110, “The LORD says to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.’” Jesus is the Lord God. He is the eternal Son of God the Father, who from eternity has shared in his divine essence and majesty along with the Holy Spirit. Yet, for us men and for our salvation, he came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary. Not only did the Son of God take on our human flesh, but being born under the Law, he humbled himself to the point of death on the cross. In our place he fulfilled the law actively, that is, in our human flesh he perfectly loved the Lord God with all his heart, soul, and mind and loved his neighbor as himself. And in our place, Jesus also fulfilled the law passively, that is, in our human flesh he bore the punishment of all our sins on his body and soul.
Our Savior Jesus was vindicated Easter morning when he rose from the dead. He proved that he was innocent of all sin, that he is truly God’s Son and the teacher of truth, and that he has washed away all our sins forever. Now, in his ascension, God the Father took him who was made for a little while lower than the angels and has crowned him with glory and honor (Psalm 8:5). It is as St. Paul says, “[the Father of glory] raised [Christ] from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he has put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him who fills all in all.” (Ephesians 1:20-23)
What does this mean? It means that our Lord Jesus is victorious over our enemies and rules over all powers and authorities. Your sin is under Jesus’ feet. Satan, who attempts to lead you into sin and unbelief and accuse you before God is now crushed under Jesus’ heal. The Law, which condemns you is under Jesus’ feet along with death and hell. And all other powers and authorities are under his dominion. We have bad government on this earth. Our own government sanctions the killing of unborn children, the destruction of the family with bad laws that destroy marriage, and increasingly, the persecution of the church. History will repeat itself. Christians will suffer from governmental persecution. Yet, these governments too remain under Jesus’ feet. Jesus is in charge. All powers and authorities on earth will pass away. But Christ’s rule will never pass away.
The second reason we should celebrate Jesus’ ascension to God’s right hand, is because it proves that he is always with us. This might sound contradictory. Jesus ascended into heaven. His disciples watched him go. How can he be with us? There is a lot of talk lately about flying rockets back to the moon and even astronauts landing on mars in the near future. Maybe that’ll happen. But I assure you, astronauts will never find Jesus in their adventures among the stars. Elon Musk can’t build a rocket to the right hand of God the Father. Yet, this does not mean that Jesus is far away from us. In fact, it is precisely because Jesus is at God the Father’s right hand that we know that he is with us in the Church today.
It is exactly as God says in Isaiah chapter 57, “For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.” (vs. 15). Jesus dwells in the heaven of heavens. Yet, Jesus dwells also with us lowly creatures here on earth. How can this be? Because the right hand of God the Father is not a location far off in a distant galaxy. The right hand of God the Father is God’s right hand of power. Jesus is not limited by his position at the Father’s right hand. Rather, he is unlimited in his power. He is able to do far more than we can either ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). The term, right hand of God, does not refer to a local place, but rather to a position of power. Most people are right-handed. When a person is called someone’s right hand man, it means that that person accomplishes the work the other person sends him to do. Jesus does the work of God the Father. Jesus at the Father’s right hand is all powerful. We celebrate Jesus as the Father’s right-hand, because at the Father’s right hand Jesus is with us here on earth.
This is indeed what Jesus promises us. He doesn’t simply tell his disciples to go out and preach the Gospel to the whole creation (Mark 16:15), but he also promises to be with them always even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). When Jesus’ ministers proclaim the Gospel, they are not only delivering words, but they are delivering Christ Jesus himself, as Jesus said, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” St. Mark even records that the Lord Jesus accompanied the disciples in their preaching and worked with them (Mark 16:20). And he works with us today as well. Jesus is with us today in this church. This is where he promises to be. We all were baptized by different pastors at different times and places, yet, it was the Lord Jesus who baptized all of us and clothed us with himself. At the altar, although we cannot comprehend how this can be, we eat the true body and drink the true blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, because Christ has ascended to the Father’s right hand. And so, we have Jesus bodily with us here today. Every time you have heard the absolution spoken to you by your pastor, it was spoken to you by Christ himself.
All this is possible, because Jesus has ascended to the right hand of the Father. St. Paul writes in Ephesians 4, “He who descended is the one who also ascended above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.” And indeed, he has filled his Church. And he has raised us up with him and seated us with him even now in the heavenly places through his Word and Sacraments, a reality we will realize more clearly when our faith is turned into sight.
The third reason we should celebrate Jesus’ ascension is because, as the angels told the disciples, Jesus will return in the same way he ascended (Acts 1:11). We all will see Jesus coming on the clouds of heaven. He will come to judge the living and the dead (2 Timothy 4:1). This is the natural result of Jesus ascending to the Father’s right hand, because Jesus has received all authority from his Father, so naturally, he has also received the authority to judge. And the world must be judged. And Jesus has warned us that he will come at a moment we do not expect. Now, this might sound like a strange thing to celebrate. Jesus’ judgment sounds terrifying. How awful are the words Jesus foretold that he will say to some, “I tell you, I never knew you.”? (Matthew 7:23)
Yet, for us who trust in Jesus and believe that his death has taken away our sins and that through him we are reconciled to the Father, Jesus’ return to judgment is not a terrifying thought. Jesus promises, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgement, but has passed from death to life.” (John 5:24) Jesus does not come to judge us, but rather to bestow on us the crown of righteousness. Rather, Jesus says, “whoever does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:16) Our sins cannot condemn us, because Jesus has taken them away. It is not, “Whoever has committed the greatest sins will be condemned,” but rather, ‘Whoever does not believe will be condemned.” This is because Jesus has already paid the price for our sins. The only way we can be condemned is if we reject Jesus. (Which many people do, because they refuse to listen to his word and repent of their sins). But for those who repent of their sins and trust in Jesus for salvation, Scripture says, “So Christ having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” (Hebrews 9:28)
And this brings us to our fourth reason to celebrate Jesus’ ascension to the Father’s right hand, because Jesus will return to bring us to live with him. Through Jesus’ ascension, we too will ascend to live with Christ before the throne of God in righteousness and purity forever. St. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with him in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”
As surely as Jesus has ascended to the right hand of God the Father, so surely will he return to bring us to be with him. This is a real salvation. Jesus Christ is true God and true man. He has a human body, which was nailed to a cross and laid dead in a tomb, which truly rose from the dead and dwells gloriously in heaven. And we will see that same body descend to meet us. And our bodies will be changed in the twinkling of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). We will dwell with Jesus in our bodies, which will be changed after the image of his imperishable and immortal body. What our eyes cannot yet behold, we will see with our own eyes. Jesus’ bodily ascension into heaven means that our end is not to be disembodied spirits floating around in the heavens, nor will be become angels. Jesus became a human being to redeem human beings, body, soul, and will. We will truly live bodily with Jesus in a physical new heavens and new earth, one that is not corrupted by sin, but which will last forever, world without end. Amen.
When we celebrate Jesus’ ascension to the Father’s right hand, we celebrate Jesus’ victory over sin, death, and the devil; we celebrate that Jesus is with us today in his Church through the ministry of his Word and Sacraments; we celebrate that Jesus will return to judge the living and the dead; and we celebrate that we too will ascend to live with Jesus in imperishable bodies without sin, death, and suffering forever. These are things worth celebrating. Amen.

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The Lord Works in The Preaching of The Gospel.

5/24/2020

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Ascension of Our Lord (Observed)
Mark 16:14-20
May 23, 2020
For additional readings, please go to: https://sanctus.org/2020/05/21

So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs. ~ Mark 16:19-20
Jesus ascended to the right hand of God the Father, yet St. Mark tells us that he continued to work with his disciples. This is difficult for us to understand. If Jesus has ascended into heaven and is seated at God’s right hand, how can he be with his Church here on earth? Many try to reconcile this by saying that Jesus’ human body is up in heaven at God’s right hand, but his divine nature can be anywhere. So, while Jesus’ body must stay up in heaven, Jesus’ divine spirit can be with us down here on earth. This is the conclusion of many, because Jesus is a human and a human can only be in one place at one time.
Yet, this creates serious problems. We confess one Lord Jesus Christ, not one Lord Jesus who is human and another Lord Jesus who is divine. The divine Lord Jesus and the human Lord Jesus are one and the same Lord Jesus. John’s Gospel tells us that “the Word became flesh.” (John 1:14) The divine Word did not simply possess human flesh for a while, but became flesh. The Son of God assumed human nature, so that he truly is and always will be a human being. This is why the angel Gabriel told Mary that the child to be born to here will be called, “the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35) The Virgin Mary gave birth to God’s Son.
When we speak of Jesus Christ, we always speak of him as both human and divine. He is a man and he is God. Whatever he does as a man, he also does as God. And whatever he does as God, he also does as a man, whether that is being born, healing the blind, dying on the cross, rising from the dead, or ascending into heaven. This is why St. Peter tells the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem, “You killed the Author of Life.” (Acts 3:15) The Author of Life is none other than God himself. God cannot die, yet Jesus Christ who is true God died. Therefore, we rightly say, “Our God died upon the cross.” And St. Paul, speaking to the pastors in Ephesus, refers to God’s blood when he says, “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the Church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.” (Acts 20:28) Now, God is a Spirit and spirits do not have blood. Yet, God became a human being, so God indeed has blood which he shed for us on the cross.
If Jesus Christ is not a human being, then he could not take our place under the Law nor could he die on the cross in our place. And if Jesus Christ is not God, then his death for our sins would not be a sufficient price to pay for our sins. Unless Jesus is both God and man, we cannot be saved. So, we need a divine and human Jesus Christ at the Father’s right-hand interceding for us at all times and we need a divine and human Jesus Christ working with us here on earth at all times if we are to be saved.
But how can Jesus be both at God the Father’s right hand and here on earth? Well, first you need to understand that God’s right hand is not a place up in the sky that you can find with a satellite. Rather, God’s right hand is his right hand of power (Luke 22:69; 1 Peter 3:22). That Jesus is at God’s right hand does not mean that he is stuck in one place, but rather that he is filled with unlimited power and authority. Psalm 139 emphasizes that God’s right hand is everywhere when it says, “If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.” And St. Paul speaks of Jesus’ ascension in Ephesians chapter 1 when he says God raised Christ, “and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head of all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” and again in chapter 4 he writes, “He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.”
That Jesus is at God’s right hand means that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him. It means that he is with us always even to the end of the age. Jesus’ human nature does not limit him in any way. Jesus our God has the power to be in all places at one time in his body while remaining human. This means that Jesus can be and is indeed with us in his Church here on earth.
Jesus is everywhere, but he is not everywhere for you in the same way. St. Mark tells us that the Lord continued to work with them. What did he work with them to do? He worked to confirm the message he sent them to preach. Jesus said to them,

“Go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel to the whole creation.”

Jesus works with the proclamation of the Gospel. Where can Jesus be found? Where his Gospel is preached. The Gospel is the good news that Jesus died on the cross to save sinners. And where did Jesus send his disciples to proclaim this message of good news? He sent them into all the world. Every human being needs to hear this Gospel. This is an urgent command our Lord gives his Church before his departure and it is a task that He continues to work with in His Church even today.
That the Gospel is a message that God’s own Son had to take on our human flesh and die for the sins of the entire world and that it is necessary that this message be proclaimed to everyone in the world, tells us that the world needs this Gospel. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Everyone needs his sins forgiven. Everyone needs to be rescued from the wrath of God and eternal condemnation. This is the greatest problem we all face. And so, we all need this Gospel above anything else.
You might try to deny that your sin is such a big deal that you need this Gospel above all things. You can ignore your own sins by making excuses and justify everything you think, say, and do. You can ignore God’s Law, so that your conscience doesn’t feel guilty. You can cut people out of your life who make you feel uncomfortable, whom you’ve hurt or who’ve hurt you. You can take pills to take away the pain in your body that reminds you that you are indeed mortal. You can ignore the death around you by plugging yourself into Netflix or Amazon Prime and watch your shows, which distract you from reality. You can block out your conscience and God’s word from your heart with banal conversations about things that do not matter. You can do all these things and more to try to keep the reality of your sin from making you uncomfortable. But eventually the reality of sin will strike. You’re going to die. And judgment comes after.
Jesus’ final command to proclaim the Gospel to the whole world emphasizes to us what is most important. We need this Gospel. We need what Jesus gave his life for on the cross and what he continues to work to give us today: the forgiveness of sins and eternal peace with God.
We need to turn from our sins. In St. Luke’s account of this story, he says that Jesus declared that “repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in [Christ’s] name to all nations.” To repent means to turn. When we think of repenting, we think of saying sorry for our sins. And that is good. We should be sorry for the wrong we’ve done. Yet, there is a misconception about repentance. Many think that when you repent you then try to make up for the wrong you’ve done in order to be accepted by God. But Christian repentance does not mean that you turn from your sins to your own works in an attempt to appease God’s wrath. Rather, repenting means that you turn from your sins to God’s grace for forgiveness for Christ’s sake. This is why Jesus declared,
“Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”
Jesus does not say, whoever does enough good works to make up for his sins will be saved. Jesus does not say, whoever lives a perfect life will be saved. Jesus says, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.” What are we to believe? That Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose again for our justification. God forgives us and is at peace with us on account of Christ. This is the Gospel that Jesus commanded to be proclaimed to the whole earth.
There must be something else! Certainly, our eternal salvation cannot hinge simply on whether or not we believe a promise from God! Yes, indeed it does. When you believe the promise from God that your sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake, you receive forgiveness and eternal salvation. To make it abundantly clear that Jesus demands nothing else in addition to this faith for our salvation he then says, “Whoever does not believe will be condemned.” Not, whoever does not prove to be a good enough Christian will be condemned. Not, whoever is the worst criminal will be condemned. Rather, whoever does not believe will be condemned. Unbelief is the only damnable sin, because unbelief throws away God’s salvation, which he offers you through Christ. It is just as Jesus said in John chapter 3, “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”
So, it is irrefutable that faith alone saves. Yet, what is this talk about Baptism? Is Baptism some work required by us in addition to our faith to save us? No. Rather, Baptism is God’s work which joins us to Christ. And just as with the proclamation of the Gospel, Baptism does us no good unless we believe. Through faith we receive the benefits of Baptism, which include forgiveness of sins and rescue from death and the devil. Baptism gives us these benefits, because it is not just plain water, but water combined with the words and promise of God. Baptism carries with it the power and authority of Christ himself, who commands Baptism. When a child is baptized, although it looks like a pastor pouring on water, it is Jesus Christ himself from the right hand of God the Father who is cleansing that child of sin.
God lavishes the Gospel on us in multiple ways; through preaching, Baptism; also, through the Absolution and the Lord’s Supper. When the pastor forgives your sins in the stead and by the command of Christ, you must believe that Christ himself, who sits at the Father’s right hand is forgiving you with all the authority of heaven. When you eat the Lord’s Supper, you must not believe that this is mere bread and wine, but that Jesus who fills all things is present with his body and blood in order to forgive your sins and strengthen your faith. Baptism, Absolution, the Lord’s Supper, the preaching; these are all Gospel and their benefits are all received through faith in God’s promise.
Jesus seems far away from us, but at the Father’s right hand he is able to be with us in his Gospel with the authority and power to give us eternal life through faith. And he who worked with the first disciples to confirm their word with signs still works with us to produce fruits of faith that glorify God. Christ Jesus is at God the Father’s right hand; therefore, he is with his Church here on earth. Amen.

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Ascension Day 2018:Jesus Still Gives Us the Promise of the Father

5/14/2018

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May 10, 2018

44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
50 And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them.51 While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven.52 And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple blessing God. ~Luke 24:44-53

Before Jesus ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, he preached one last sermon to his disciples. And in this sermon, he gave his Church instructions and promises concerning the mission of the Church during his physical absence. He did not leave his disciples without hope or promise. Rather, he gave them a rich treasure-trove and equipped them superabundantly for everything they would face on this earth.

Jesus explains to his disciples that everything he taught them came true: everything written about him in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms were indeed fulfilled by Jesus. The Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms make up the Old Testament. Jesus is saying that the entire Old Testament is about him. It prophesies of what Jesus would do. This means that Christ's suffering and death and resurrection on the third day vindicate the Old Testament. How do we know that the Old Testament is true? Well, Jesus fulfilled it! He died and rose from the dead, just as Scripture in many and various ways foretold (Hebrews 1:1).
Jesus tells his disciples that the Old Testament Scriptures have the authority of God. The Old Testament is an effective tool to reveal the truth of Jesus' death and resurrection for sinners, to preach repentance and forgiveness of sins, and turn hearts to God. The Apostles made good use of the Old Testament Scriptures and so does the Christian Church to this day.
Then Jesus says to his Apostles, "You are witnesses of these things." Here Jesus validates the authority of the New Testament. The New Testament is the collection of the writings and teachings of the Apostles, who were witnesses of Christ's death and resurrection. Jesus gives their teaching authority. And we believe from Scripture that the writings of the Apostles are from God and in fact God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16). And so, we see in these final words spoken by Christ that he has established the Old and New Testaments as the authoritative Word of God, which teaches the truth of Jesus' death and resurrection. This is why we believe that the Bible is the Word of God and the only rule and norm according to which all teachings, together with all teachers, should be evaluated and judged. Jesus equipped his Church for her sojourning in this sinful world with the Bible. And no Christian or church can expect success if they reject what the Bible teaches.

Having equipped his Church with a priceless treasure, the Holy Scriptures, Jesus then gave his Church a command to preach repentance and forgiveness of sins in his name to all nations beginning from Jerusalem. The mission of Christ's Church is not a mystery. Nor is it up for debate. Every congregation and church ought to have the same mission: to preach repentance and forgiveness of sins in the name of Christ. Scripture says that God "desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:4) and that there is salvation in no one else but Jesus, "for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

Jesus previously said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." (Luke 10:2) It is the Lord's harvest. They are his Christians, whom he desires to gather to himself. The mission of the Church is to do the work of laborers. To plant and water and yet depend on God to do the growth. We do not have a right, nor is it wise, to change the strategy or mission of the Church. It is Christ's command that repentance and forgiveness be preached.

To preach repentance, you have to preach the Law. The Law is the love God commands of us, summarized in the Ten Commandments. The Law is good, because it reveals God's will to us. Yet, the Law shows us our sin, because we are sinful. It tells you that you don't love God as much as you should, but rather in many ways show hatred toward him. You don't love your neighbor as much as you should. You're selfish, unchaste, greedy, and untruthful. And all this from the mouth of God. This hurts. The preaching of the Law causes guilt, embarrassment, humility, and as St. Paul says, "death" (Romans 7; Galatians 2). Yet, as unpleasant as the preaching of the Law is to a heart racked with guilt and shame, it is necessary for repentance. And without repentance from sin, there can be no forgiveness nor salvation.

It is a divine mandate given by Christ himself that the Church continue to preach the full extent of the Law to lead sinners to repentance. Yet, this is for the expressed purpose of preaching the Gospel. St. Paul writes, "Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!" (1 Corinthians 9:16) And "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. For it is the power to salvation to all who believe, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." (Romans 1:16) Christ does not command the Church to preach the Law to no end. If the Church only preached the Law, then sinners would not be saved. They would either despair of any hope of salvation and curse God or become insufferable self-righteous hypocrites with a false faith in themselves; both of which lead to hell.

But the purpose of the Law is to prepare the soil for the Gospel. Only a person convicted of his sins can receive the Gospel. And indeed, the Gospel is the greatest treasure we have. Jesus has ascended to the Father, yet this is not sad news for us. He has ascended victorious, having won for us salvation and freedom from our bondage to sin, death, and the devil, as St. Paul writes in Ephesians 4, "When he ascended on high he led a host of captives." We are those captives set free by the blood of Christ. Jesus' enthronement at the Father's right hand means that his death and resurrection have accomplished everything necessary for our salvation. He now makes intercession for us before God the Father. That Jesus sits at the Father's right-hand demonstrates God's love for us, as Jesus still shares our human flesh and blood, which he took upon himself in the womb of the Virgin Mary.

Neither is Jesus far away from us. The right hand of the Father is no more a local place in the sense of Europe or America as heaven and hell are. You can't take an airplane or a space ship to heaven or to God's right hand. Rather, the right hand of God is an office of authority, which places Jesus above all things and all things under his feet. Jesus has unique power to rule the universe. And with such power, he is able to be with his Church even today. This is also why we believe that Christ Jesus is present with his body and blood in the bread and wine of the Lord's Supper. His human nature does not limit his divine glory.

Finally, Jesus gave his disciples the promise of his Father, the Holy Spirit. He had already promised the Holy Spirit on the night when he was betrayed. It is the Holy Spirit, who opens people's minds and hearts to understand and believe the Gospel. The Holy Spirit works through God's Word. This is why Jesus equipped his Church with the Holy Scriptures. The Holy Scriptures is the Holy Spirit's book. We should not assume that the Holy Spirit will work apart from the ministry of the Word from the Holy Scriptures. That is why Jesus connects the promise of the Holy Spirit with the command to preach the Gospel as it is taught in the Holy Scriptures.

We still have this promise today. Because we still have the command to preach the Gospel and we are still equipped with the Holy Scriptures. Although it is approaching two thousand years since Christ ascended into heaven, he still sends us the Promise of the Father, the very Holy Spirit, who creates faith and forgives sins through the preaching of the Gospel. Where there is the preaching of the Gospel, there is the Holy Spirit working. And where the Holy Spirit is working, there is Jesus with us. And Christ will continue to send this promised Holy Spirit to us until he returns in the same way in which he departed.

Let us remain in the temple of Christ's Word and Sacrament blessing God until that awesome day of Christ's return. Amen.

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Ascension Day 2017

5/30/2017

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Jesus ascended into heaven and they saw him no more. Doesn't that sound like sad news? Wouldn't it have been nice if Jesus would have stuck around. Wouldn't our faith be stronger if we could see with our eyes our Savior in his risen body, yet still bearing the beautiful marks of the nails on his hands and feet, which proclaim "forgiveness won!"? And yet we celebrate this evening the Ascension of our Lord. But it is something to celebrate!
Christ Jesus himself said, "I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you." (John 16:7) And so Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to comfort us with the Gospel. Jesus sat down at the right hand of God the Father. This means that Jesus is out of sight, but it does not mean that Jesus is far away from us. The right hand of God is not some geographical place up in the sky. It is God's right hand of power. It means Jesus has taken his rightful place as Ruler over all creation. He is still a human being, but he is no longer in his state of humiliation. He is not limited by his humanity in his ability to be with us and help us. So Jesus at the Father's right hand still rules his Church on earth, shepherding his sheep.
St. Paul writes to the Ephesians, "[God] raised [Christ] from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all." (Ephesians 1:20-23)
Christ Jesus rules his Church today. St. Mark writes that after Jesus sat down at the right hand of God, "they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them." You see, Jesus is out of sight, but he still remains with his Church, working with the preaching of the word. Where there is the preaching of the Gospel, there is Jesus, as he himself says in Matthew 28, "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
This is why St. Luke records that after Jesus was carried up into heaven, the disciples, "worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God." (Luke 24:52) Jesus is still with his Church. He is her head. Without him, she does not exist. He still causes her to grow. He still works with his ministers today in converting unbelievers and forgiving sins.
Through his ascension, our Lord Jesus showered gifts upon his Church. St. Paul again writes to the Ephesians, "When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.... And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints, for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God." (Ephesians 4:8-13)
From the Father's right hand Jesus rules his Church and causes her to grow. He still sends his Holy Spirit today, who works through Christ's shepherds and teachers for the building up of the body of Christ. And how does Jesus rule? Our risen Lord commanded his disciples before he ascended to his throne, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned."
By the power of the proclamation of the Gospel Jesus rules. When the pastor proclaims the forgiveness of sins won by Christ, he does not speak on his own authority. Jesus himself forgives the sins of the penitent. By the power of Baptism Jesus rules. When a pastor baptizes a baby, the child is clothed with Christ himself and becomes an heir of the kingdom of God. Jesus rules through the Sacrament of this body and blood. When the pastor says, "Take, eat. Take, drink. Our Lord invites you to eat and drink for the forgiveness of sins. God's right hand does not keep your Lord from coming to you to feed you the food of immortality. Jesus does the work. Your faith receives the work.
Jesus did the work. "It is finished," he said from the cross. All sins have been washed away in his blood. God's wrath against sinners has been completely satisfied. And Christ's resurrection and ascension to the Father prove this. There is no work left for Christ to do in his bodily ministry on earth to save sinners. All is accomplished. There remains nothing for sinners to do to save themselves, Christ has accomplished it all. The only work left to be done is to gather Christ's sheep to him. This is done through the preaching of the Gospel, through Baptism, and receiving Christ's body and blood in faith. .
And see how successful Jesus' rule is. When he roamed around Israel he gathered crowds, sure. He fed 5,000 men, not including women and children. They all heard him preach salvation. To how many does Jesus preach today? The Missouri Synod alone has an estimated 2.2 million members. And the Lutheran church throughout the world measures in many more millions. And despite the devil's best efforts, the Gospel of the free forgiveness of sins for Christ's sake is still proclaimed even within heterodox churches throughout the world, adding millions and millions more to Jesus' flock. So when Jesus was on earth he preached to many thousands at one time. Now he preaches to millions. You tell me that Jesus' ascension isn't for the good of the Church or that Jesus doesn't rule from his Father's throne.
Christ's command to preach the gospel itself is a proclamation that Jesus has done all that is necessary to save every sinner. First, Jesus does not say, "Preach the gospel to Jews and Western Europeans." He doesn't say, "Preach to some nations, I'll tell you which ones to avoid." No, Jesus says, "Go out into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation." There is not a human being to whom Jesus does not intend his disciples to preach the Gospel. And this is a very important point. If Jesus does not exclude anyone from the proclamation of the Gospel, that means that there isn't anyone for whom Jesus did not die and rise.
So take yourself. Is the gospel meant for you? Well, are you in the world? Are you a creature? Did not Jesus command that the gospel be preached to you? Is the gospel not the free forgiveness of sins won by Christ's death and resurrection? Well, then the Gospel is for you isn't it? "But I've committed some terrible sins. I lust. I covet. I speak poorly about my neighbor. I've done and said and thought things that ought not be repeated." Okay, then repent. And believe the Gospel. Jesus commanded that the Gospel be preached to you. He would not have made such a command if he did not intend for you to believe that God finds favor in you through the blood of Christ.
And Jesus did not command his disciples saying, "whoever follows my law perfectly will be saved." But rather, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved." Jesus has accomplished all that is necessary for salvation. All that remains necessary for you to be saved is to believe the Gospel and be baptized.
You might say, "well, yes, I believe. But I still sin. I sin against my God every day!" St. Paul says in response, "Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised--who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us." (Romans 8:34) And St. John writes, "My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:1-2) While Jesus rules his Church from the throne of his Father's right hand, pouring his Holy Spirit into us through his word and Sacraments, even now he intercedes for us. He intercedes for you, constantly showing his scars of salvation to the Father, proclaiming your ransom paid, your innocence won.
The angels told the disciples that Jesus would come in the same way they saw him go into heaven. And so we confess today, "From thence he will come to judge the living and the dead." This is a message of urgency. No one knows when the master will return. And so we must repent now and believe now. St. Mark writes, "Whoever does not believe will be condemned." Just as the gospel is for all people, so the rejection of the gospel means condemnation for all people. There is not one soul, who does not need the forgiving blood of Jesus. And so we should not act as if our master is far away and won't return. He will return. And he will come with judgment. His winnowing fork is in his hand and he will throw the chaff into the unquenchable fire. Do not wait until tomorrow to repent and believe. Repent of your sins now. Believe in the Gospel now. And continue to hear God's word and receive his Sacrament, so that you will be ready at his return.
And while Jesus' return does give us a sense of urgency and it is a solemn warning to those who persist in their sins and unbelief, for you who have faith in Christ, it is a message of comfort. It means that the sins and temptations that beat you down every day will pass away. Your aches and pains will be a forgotten memory. When he returns Jesus says to lift up your head for your redemption is coming near. (Luke 21:28) And St. Paul writes, "Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing." (2 Timothy 4:8)
And so even as we rest assured that Christ does still rule his Church, even from his throne in heaven, we still look forward to that glorious day when he will return as he went. On Christ's ascension we now build the hope of our own ascension. On that day of his return our faith will turn to sight. Our sorrows will turn to joy. And we will see him as he is, for we will be like him in his righteous glorious state. And we too will ascend to meet our Lord in the glory of God the Father. (1 Thessalonians 4:17) Come Lord Jesus, come quickly. Amen.

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"For faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." ~ Romans 10:17

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