Sermon for the Ascension of Our Lord: "Hidden But Not Absent" (Acts 1:1-11)

 

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from our risen and ascended Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

[The Ascension]

When Jesus and His apostles met on the Mount of Olives, the apostles were full of great expectations. They asked Him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). This question is puzzling. After all they had experienced with Jesus, they ask this question. It appears that they were still expecting Jesus to establish a kingdom here on earth that, in some respects, would be like other earthly kingdoms.

But at the same time, the apostles also believed that this kingdom of God would be one that would bring them spiritual redemption. They were expecting forgiveness of sins won by their Messiah, Jesus, and all the blessings for the soul which flow from forgiveness.

So, Jesus responds saying, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:7-8).

As Jesus spoke these words, He began His ascent into heaven. With the eyes of the apostles resting upon Him, they witnessed Jesus being slowly and visibly lifted up. They see all of this with their own very eyes as the witnesses they were to be.

There was an awed silence over the apostles. Their eyes are wide with astonishment as they follow Him and strain in their looking and then a cloud took Him out of their sight. From this event, we confess this great article of faith in the Creeds: “He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty” (Apostles’ Creed).

Although Jesus had vanished and appeared throughout those 40 days since His bodily resurrection – to the Emmaus disciples on the road, to the apostles in the locked upper room twice, at the Sea of Tiberias, and various other appearances to many – the apostles knew that something was different here. Jesus had never vanished from their sight in this way.

So, the apostles do what we would naturally do: stare into the sky. They stare even as the last cloud folds Him in. They gaze after Him – but He is gone.

The ascension was visible for the sake of the apostles. The moment the cloud hid Jesus from their sight, He was transferred timelessly into the heavenly glory. Jesus is now visible in heaven with the same body that died nailed to the cross and lay in the grave.

The obvious questions now for the apostles are: “Now what?”, “What’s next?”

So, as they stare, two angels in white robes appear and say: “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). This question intends to turn their minds from mere astonishment to more important thought. You see, the Ascension and the Last Day go together.

[He Shall Return]

Christ departed visibly; He shall return visibly. He went to heaven; He shall come back from heaven. He went away bodily; He shall return bodily.

This is what the two angels spoke to the apostles. The presence of these angels marks the Ascension as one of Christ’s saving acts. Remember, when two angels appeared at the tomb on that Easter morning? What did they say? “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how He told you, while He was still in Galilee, that the Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise?” (Luke 24:5-7). The angels did not just appear previously to proclaim the resurrection. They also announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds saying, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11).

Today on this Ascension of Our Lord Day, we know that because Jesus is risen from the dead, by faith in Him alone, we will also rise! Since Jesus ascended into heaven, we will also ascend! You see, the Ascension of Christ is a feast to celebrate!

So, as the apostles stood staring, these angels brought the glorious promise to them at this great moment that Jesus will come again in the same visible way.

But someone may ask, “How can Jesus be visible to everyone when He returns? If He returns on one side of the earth, how could people know on the other side of the earth?”

Oh, believe me, everyone will know. God is God and we are not. He is the Creator of heaven and earth, so He is capable of accomplishing everything.

So, Jesus will not announce His return on a television talk show or announce His return to you privately at a street corner. And if anyone does say he is Jesus, you ought to know that that man is a fraud, since He will not return in secret. So, don’t be fooled by people claiming to be Jesus. When Christ returns, there will be no mistaking Him. For He will return from heaven in the same way He ascended into heaven. “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” (1 Thessalonians 4:16).

The day of Christ’s return will be a day of comfort for all in Christ. It is a day of promise for us! But we also know that He will return as the Judge who will strike paralyzing fear into His foes (Matthew 24:30; Revelation 1:7) as He will say: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. Acknowledge Me” (Revelation 1:8). But because He is and remains our Savior, the sight of Him will fill our hearts with overwhelming joy. For He will be our acquitting Judge, the Judge who will speak to us these gracious words: “Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34).

[Sitting at the Right Hand of the Father]

Today, we live in the age between the Lord’s ascension and His return in glory on the Last Day. During this time, He is hidden from our physical sight, but He is not absent. The Lord’s promise of His continuing presence concludes the Gospel according to Matthew: “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Jesus is ascended, but He is still present.

For some Christians, they take Jesus sitting at the right hand of the Father to be a literal location. So, for them, Jesus is stuck in heaven, so it’s impossible for Him to be with us here today. Now, how do they account for His resurrection appearances? They say He just snuck through a window or snuck in and out when the people weren’t looking. So, to this they say, “The body of Christ is enclosed in heaven, so He cannot be present in more than one place at a particular time.”[1] But, if this is the case, then Jesus is not fully God. Since Christ is true God, He is indeed present everywhere. He has “ascended far above the heavens, that He might fill all things” (Ephesians 4:10).

So, when we confess He “sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty” and as our Epistle proclaims today that God the Father “seated Him at the right hand in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 1:20), we are not confessing that Christ is confined or restricted to a place, but that He again has full use of all His divine powers that were His before He took upon Himself our human flesh at His incarnation. So, “right hand” means strength and power, and not a restriction. Again, the “right hand of God the Father almighty” is not a location, but instead an office. If Jesus was confined, He would not be with us always, to the end of the age.

So, for a time, Jesus willingly relinquished much of His divine power as a man, but now that He has returned to heaven as man and God, He has again taken up full use of His divine power. At the Ascension, Jesus was exalted into heaven. On earth, His exaltation was His crucifixion. But His Ascension is His triumphant enthronement as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Today, because the ascended Christ is not only God, but God and man united in one Person, therefore wherever He is, He is present as God and man. This means that He is not only present as God, but He is present also as man, with His Body. Christ is bodily present in the Lord’s Supper, where He gives us His body and blood to eat and drink for the forgiveness of sins.

In this time between the Ascension and His return, the presence of Christ for us is a hidden presence as we no longer physically see Him as a man or audibly hear the words from His mouth. Nevertheless, His presence is not spiritual in the sense that He has nothing to do with this world. Otherwise, how would we identify His presence? He is present to us and speaks to us through His Word, as it is proclaimed and read. These words are not simply written by man; they are not simply words spoken to our ears, or printed signs to our eyes. No! Through the Holy Spirit-inspired Scriptures, Christ speaks to us. For the Church is the assembly of believers around the Word and Sacrament. Around the Means of Grace, the Church gathers around the hidden, yet powerful presence of Christ.

So, the Ascension of our Lord is not a time of mourning. Jesus has not left us. His Ascension is all about our comfort, peace, joy, and confidence. Imagine the awe and delight of the angels and archangels as the Son of God returned as also the Son of Man with all power and authority in heaven and on earth, where He rules with grace and mercy, where repentance for the forgiveness of sins in preached. Jesus is not absent as He rules all things for the sake of His Body, the Church.

Even though He reigns in heaven, He still carries for us the marks of His crucifixion. He is the Lamb who was slain, who “is above all rule and authority and power and dominion” (Ephesians 1:21). He blesses us with forgiveness, lifts us up in His hands and seats us with Himself “in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 1:20). Alleluia! Christ is Ascended! Amen!

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

---

[1] Book of Concord, Formula of Concord: Epitome, Article VII: Holy Supper. The Reformed argued that Christ cannot be present in the Lord’s Supper, since He was trapped in heaven.

Being Thankful

 

What does being thankful really mean? We can’t be thankful for nothing. So, we ought to stop and think about what really matters. Being thankful is being content, since the Lord will provide.

 

Oftentimes, our old sinful nature gets the better of us. Our sinful nature causes us to think we always need more things, like more money and more possessions. Or we look at the world around us with a glass half-empty mentality as we look for all what our sinful mind perceives is wrong with the world through complaints.

 

The thing is, the Lord always provides for both the just and the unjust. He provides daily bread – food, clothing, and shelter – to the just and the unjust.

 

Martin Luther explains it this way in the First Article of the Creed in his Small Catechism:

“I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them.

“He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all I have. He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life.

“He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil.

“All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me. For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him. This is most certainly true.”

 

Since God provides for all the needs of our body, it is good and right at all times and all places to give thanks to Him. But how? How is it proper to give thanks to God – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?

 

Do we say to God, “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”? We could certainly do that, but God doesn’t need our appreciation, since He gives daily bread to all people – the just and unjust.

 

So, what can we do to show our gratitude to God? We come to where He is. We show our gratitude by putting our complete faith and trust in God as our sole provider. And where is He always found? He is found where His Word is purely proclaimed and His Sacrament is rightly administered. The Divine Service is where Jesus is found. We give thanks to God – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – as we come together at each Divine Service to receive more of what we are thankful for: forgiveness of sins. Each Sunday, we return to receive more of what we are thankful for since true gratitude proceeds from a heart sustained by faith.

 

The almighty and merciful Lord, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, bless and preserve us on this Day of Thanksgiving and all our days ahead! Amen.

Let’s Get Back to the Basics

This month, I debated on what my article would be. I had two themes I wanted to write about. Originally, what you are about to read was going to be my “Pastor’s Corner” submission for the August 12^th McLeod County Chronicle. So, my second theme will be in the August 12^th newspaper. So, onto the August newsletter:

Why do bad things happen to good people? How would you answer this question? Take a moment to think before reading on.

Why is there so much crime? Why are there so many shootings? Why is there hate? Why is there racism? Why this? Why that?

While these answers may seem unanswerable, there is an answer. The answer is: sin. Now, what is sin? As the culture around us has eliminated sin from our collective conscience, some may wonder “what exactly is sin?”

Today, many sins have become accepted — or even praised — by society. But, according to the one true God, humanity cannot just eliminate sins. If humanity had this power, we would step into God’s office. So, again, what is a sin? Well, the one true God tells us in His Ten Commandments. Ever since the fall of Adam in the Garden, humanity has been destined to death, hell, and damnation. Every human being is under the curse that Adam set forth, since every human being is descended from Adam, so “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

But, didn’t God reveal the Ten Commandments to Moses? Didn’t Moses live well after Adam? Yes, but before the Law was revealed, the Law was written on our hearts — beginning with Adam. So, Adam, like you and me, was bound by God’s Law.

God reveals to us that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a). So, are we just doomed? No! Why is this? “The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23b).

But, what can Jesus do? Isn’t He like us — a descendant of Adam? Well, Adam was created by God. While, Jesus is God Himself. Jesus is the Creator. You see, Jesus is like us in every way, except Jesus never sinned. How is that possible? The answer lies in the good news, or the Gospel, that was revealed to us in the New Testament and is also revealed to us in the Creeds.

You see, the Creeds (Nicene, Apostles’, Athanasian) reveal this good news short and sweet. Although, Jesus is man, He is also fully God. He is fully God in that His mother Mary did not become pregnant via a descendant of Adam, but she became pregnant by God Himself. The Nicene Creed puts it this way: “And [I believe] in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man.”

This free gift of eternal life is found only by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. By faith, we receive this grace through Christ’s perfect life, His sacrificial death for our sins upon the cross, and His bodily resurrection from the dead for our justification. This same Jesus is reigning in heaven at the right hand of God the Father.

Until, Christ comes again to judge the living and the dead, we pray as He has taught us to pray in the Lord’s Prayer. We pray to God the Father and ask Him confidently about all our needs of body and soul. We are able to ask these petitions through the person and work of Jesus Christ, who is the only mediator between God and man.

So, why do bad things happen to good people? Well, according to God, there are no good people on their own merit. We are all just lost and condemned sinners. But, through believing, trusting and following Jesus, we become good. In Christ alone, we are made good. In Christ alone, we receive forgiveness of sins, salvation, and life everlasting!

In Christ,

Pastor Adelsen

Sermon for Holy Trinity Sunday: "The Greatest Spectacles" (Acts 2:14a, 22-36)

On this Memorial Day weekend, we remember the men and women of the armed forces who gave their lives to protect our freedom.

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen!

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

[Intro]

Today is the 102nd running of what is known as “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” — the Indianapolis 500 mile race.

I know that everyone is not a fan of auto racing, but being from Indiana, auto racing just becomes a part of who we are. There is something about that roar of the 33 cars as they pass by at more than 200 miles-per-hour and that roar of the fans cheering on their favorite driver.

It is called the “Greatest Spectacle” because no one knows what to expect. The pole-sitter may not make it passed the first lap. The leading driver may take the white flag — for one lap to go — and not finish. This race is so unpredictable.

And, this is why people are so mesmerized by this race. This race is so hard to comprehend.

In a similar way, God could be called a spectacle, because He is hard to comprehend.

[The Greatest Spectacle]

Now, many of us wear eyeglasses – like myself. We wear eyeglasses to better comprehend the world around us. For everyone who has poor vision, is lost without glasses.

There may be the “Greatest Spectacle” in racing happening today in Indianapolis, but for those with poor vision, we need spectacles — glasses — to be able to see close or far things.

By wearing spectacles — glasses or contacts — we are able to see better. We can better understand the world around us. So, instead of bumping into things or not being able to see far away things, we are able to see what is right in front of us – because of these spectacles.

Today, the Christian Church is celebrating Holy Trinity Sunday. Today, we celebrate the one true God in its union in Trinity. 

Now, the Trinity can be a spectacle in itself. For outside of faith, the Trinity is hard to comprehend.

For this reason, our Triune God has given us the true “Greatest Spectacles” — the Creeds — which helps us better understand God. The Creeds are like magnifying glasses into the Triune God.

You see, the Apostles’, Nicene and Athanasian Creeds give us a short explanation of what is fully taught about the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in God’s Written Word.

In fact, the reason the Creeds were written in the first place was so Christians could better understand God. The Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds were written short for a reason — so Christians could memorize the basics of the faith, since the printing press was still centuries away and most people could not read. 

Then some centuries later, the Athanasian Creed came on the scene, which further defined the Triune God.

[Peter Professes the Trinity]

In today’s second reading, Luke records Peter’s Pentecost sermon, in which Peter says, “[Jesus] being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing” (Acts 2:33).

Here, Peter is saying what we profess today — Jesus has equality with God the Father. And more than that — God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are One God.

Now, the Trinity can be hard to comprehend, but that’s why God gave us the Greatest Spectacles — the Creeds — so that we could better understand Him.

For in the Trinity lie our only comfort, life and salvation. (FC-Epitome, 512.18)

As fallen creatures, we could never fully comprehend God, but the Creeds give us a glimpse into what God has done for us and for all of His creation.

You see, the Creeds summarize who God is and what He has done for the world: 

• Creating and preserving all things of out of Fatherly love.  
• Redeeming the world in the life, death, and resurrection of the Son — Jesus Christ. 
• And, calling and gathering believers into the Church by the Holy Spirit. 

Out of love, the Father sends the Son:

Jesus said: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son…” (John 3:16a)

And out of love, the Father and Son together send the Holy Spirit:

Jesus said: “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth…” (John 16:13a)

The Holy Spirit brings us to Christ: 

For we cannot by our own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ. For it is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that we have come to know Jesus as our Lord and Savior. (Paraphrasing Luther’s Third Article on the Creed)

And, the Holy Spirit shows us the Father’s love:

“That whoever believes in [Jesus] should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16b).

For it is the Holy Spirit who led Christ’s apostles — and the prophets before them — to document what God had done.

[The Creeds are a Gift from the Triune God]

Now, at the time of the Protestant Reformation, there were many reformers who wanted to throw out everything tied to the Roman Catholic Church. Some reformers got rid of singing, others instruments, and some wanted to scrap the liturgical history of the church altogether.

Then there was Martin Luther. He was a reformer, yet he was particular on what should remain and what should be scrapped.

Luther emphasized that it was not his intention to lead Christianity away from the ancient creeds, but rather to call it back to them.

He wrote: “This confession of faith we did not make or invent, neither did the fathers of the church before us.”

What Luther is saying is this: God gave us the Creeds as a gift. God gave us these spectacles — the Apostles’, Nicene and Athanasian Creeds — to better understand Him.

Yet, like eyeglasses, even with them on, we can never see perfectly, but it opens our eyes to the world. Or in this case, the Creeds open our eyes to what we can comprehend about the Triune God: The Father, who created the world; the Son, who redeemed the world; and the Holy Spirit, who sanctifies and renews the Church.

[Pew Study]

Now, even with the Creeds readily available today, there are those who do not want to use those spectacles to understand God better.

According to the Pew Research Center, 80 percent of Americans say they believe in God, however only 56 percent surveyed said they believe in God “as described in the Bible.” And digging deeper, most who believed in God “as described in the Bible” said that they don’t regularly read or study the Bible and often they know very little about God.

This may lead them into placing their own reason over what God’s Word says. This may lead them into believing wrongly about who God is.

So, in not knowing the one true God in Trinity, they create a false god in their mind. Maybe a god who cheers you on no matter what you do – good or bad. 

This may sound familiar.

You see, beginning with our first parents — Adam and Eve — all humanity has rebelled against God and has fallen into the darkness, which is sin, death and the power of the devil. As fallen creatures, we wanted it our way – rather than God’s way.

[The Void without God]

Recently, we have seen a rash of school shootings. 

You may wonder where is God in all this turmoil? You may ask yourself, why won’t God stop this.

At the same time, it appears to me that the news media and politicians are trying to push or pull the American people into one camp or another – pro-gun or anti-gun.

Others bring up mental health, which I believe is closer to the real issue.

For me, I believe this gun violence is related to morality – knowing good from evil, right from wrong. 

So, where is God in all of this? He is there. He is listening to our prayers. He is with us and with those facing these terrible times. God is there in every good and bad situation.

Now, I believe the increase in shootings has a correlation to belief in the Triune God.

You see, as the Triune God has been pushed aside in today’s culture, there has opened a void. And, sadly, I believe that much of that void has been filled with Satan and his minions who are pushing immoral living in television, movies, books, magazines and video games.

Now, there is a lot to the saying, “You are what you eat.” In this case, “We are what we watch and read.” Slowly, through the media, we become desensitized to the evil around us.

So, instead of praying to the Triune God for help and guidance, we find ways on fixing the problem ourselves.

But, for us who know God, we know that we are fallen creatures. We know we need to be rescued.

[Our Baptismal Promise]

So, on this Holy Trinity Sunday, we remember what God has done for us – once and for all time – out of His love.

God the Father sent His only Son into the world to become man and to redeem and save each and every one of us by His death and resurrection. 

Then God the Father and the Son sent the Holy Spirit so that we would have faith and come to Jesus, who is the world’s only source of hope, life, and salvation.

And, faith comes by hearing. Our faith in Jesus Christ officially began in us at our baptism, when we heard the pastor speak over us, “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” — the name of God — as water was poured on our head.

In our baptism, we have God’s own pledge and promise that He has forgiven our sins and delivered us from sin, death and the devil. So, if you are ever in any time of doubt or temptation, we can always remember that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

And whenever we see someone in need of God’s love, we can tell them about God’s love for you and me.

We also rightly remember our baptism when we live in repentance and faith in the Triune God, who made us His beloved children.

And, we also remember our baptism at each Divine Service with the Trinitarian Invocation. So each time you hear: “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”, you should remember that we have received victory over sin, victory over death and victory over the devil. And, we have received forgiveness of sins, salvation and life everlasting through Christ’s sacrifice for us.

For all that has been done for us, we give thanks to the one true God – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. We give Him thanks for giving us a glimpse into Him, through the spectacles of the Creeds, which show us God and His love for us.

This is our Creed. This is our faith. This is our trust. This is most certainly true. Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

T SOLI DEO GLORIA T