Sermon for Easter 7: "Christians in the World" (John 17:11b-19)

LISTEN

Alleluia! Christ is risen and ascended! He is risen and ascended, indeed! Alleluia!

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:

 

Jesus said: “I have given them Your Word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world” (John 17:14).

 

“The world needs to change.” How many times have you uttered those words? That is not a statement that would incur much argument. You merely have to read the paper, watch the news, or scroll social media to agree that the world does need to change. But how realistic is that? How is the world going to change?

 

For many people, they believe that we have reached the point of no return. They see the sexual revolution taking over public schools starting in pre-school, as these children receive a “head start” in questioning how God created them. They see the increase in crime. They see the increase in people disobeying authority. It appears to be too late. 

 

To this, Jesus says: “I do not ask that You take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one” (John 17:15). Here, Jesus gives us a big clue about the fallen world and about change in this fallen world. The world can certainly change, but this fallen world will never change if Christians just sit back, do nothing, and watch as the world continues changing for the worse. So, the Holy Spirit leads us to bring about positive change in this fallen world.

 

This portion of today’s Gospel lesson records a prayer that Jesus prayed to God the Father right before His arrest in the garden. In this prayer, Jesus is specifically praying for His apostles then – and His disciples now, you and me.

 

The world back then needed to change, too. The Gospel message needed to infiltrate the lives of the people. So, the Holy Spirit was called to lead the apostles and disciples to carry on the work that Jesus had begun. In His prayer, Jesus knew His time was short – and that after His atoning death and bodily resurrection, He would bodily ascend into heaven. To this, Jesus prayed: “Father, help them be the kind of people that we need them to be. Help them be strong witnesses of the Gospel. Help them change the world.”

 

This vocation to change the world is not easy. They – and us – are in the world, but we are not to be of the world, that is, to be one with the world. This is a hard balance to maintain. Remember, those apostles and disciples then, were just like us. They were ambitious. They argued on who was the greatest. They fought with one another.

 

Like us, they too, were politically minded. They wanted rewards for their hard work. They wanted to be approved of and liked by the world around them. For that, they were often lured by the trappings of the fallen world. But unlike the fallen world, they had spiritual weapons. They had the Word of God, prayer, and the power of the Holy Spirit. It was never easy – and Christ said the same – but they did change the world by the Word of God and how they lived their lives in love and service for one another. Slowly, day by day, with the work of the Holy Spirit, they attracted others to Jesus’ love.

 

You too are in the world but are not of the world. For us, this is a hard balance to maintain. The fallen world hates you. This is the title we wear as Christians. As disciples of Christ, we should never be ashamed to be hated, but we ought to be prepared to face the hate of the fallen world.

 

The world will slander you miserably and afflict you on every side. And yet, they will have no accusation or charge to lay against you or any vice to charge you, but only that you possess, preach, and confess Christ’s true Word. You will hear that you are a bigot. You will hear that you are evil and judgmental. You will hear them say, “You are the greatest abomination on earth.” You see, this fallen world cannot tolerate and endure true Christianity.

 

So, the fallen world has nothing else to do with its hatred but to rage against Christians. This fallen world cannot tolerate Jesus, John, Peter, and Paul. This fallen world cannot tolerate you, and especially me.

 

And what have Christians done to the fallen world? We have not robbed or stolen from them. We have not injured them in the slightest. So, what have we done so that the fallen world hates us? We have freely served everyone with great effort and labor, offering and imparting the grace of God, eternal salvation, and every good thing. But what do we get in return? We receive nothing but fierce, bitter anger and hatred.

 

This is the thanks and reward this fallen world gives Christ and all who abide in Him and His Word. And even if we would give in to some of the fallen world’s demands, it would never be enough. What the fallen world and its fallen prince desire is that Christianity cease to exist. Satan wants us all to follow him and his lies and delusions.

 

Wrong can so easily become normalized that it ceases to be wrong. Just look at how Satan’s lies are being promoted on television and movies today. See how much the fallen world has moved the culture into falsely believing that wrong is right. Sexual immorality and theft are encouraged these days. “You be you,” they say, which really means, you be your own god. Fellow Christians, may we never negotiate with evil, for if we do, evil always wins out. In fact, we do like to rationalize the evil we do in our lives. “At least I’m not that other guy.”

 

Jesus knows that living in this fallen world is difficult. Jesus knows our sins and our failures. This is why He suffered the shame and endured the cross, so that He could earn us forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation, which gives us the strength and encouragement to keep us going strong in the one true Christian faith.

 

In Jesus’ prayer, He prayed that we are not taken out of this fallen world, because there is work to be done and through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we are the ones to do it. Indeed, the world needs to be changed. And this fallen world can be changed one corner at a time. The world needs to see the difference the triune God can make in the world through His people in our daily vocations as parent, child, friend, student, and co-worker.

 

In this tension that we have as being in the world and not of the world, how do we not act of the world? How do we live in this fallen world, use it for good, yet not bow down to it or be swept away by it? Well, this is surely an everyday, hour-by-hour, minute-by-minute battle in our lives. So, how do your actions and decisions affect your life as a Christian? Will your actions and decisions affect how others see you as a Christian? How do you use your God-given vocations to further the Gospel in this fallen world?

 

The only sure way to not be carried away by Satan and his fallen world is to have regular attendance in the Divine Service where we are fed and nourished with God’s Word and His Sacraments. As you are fed and nourished, the Holy Spirit strengthens your faith and leads you to Bible study and devotions to further strengthen your faith. 

 

It’s all a matter of catechesis. We are all being catechized. So, how are you being catechized? By Satan and his fallen world, which only leads to eternal death and eternal separation from God? Or by the Holy Spirit, which through His Means of Grace, we are given forgiveness of sins, which begets eternal life and salvation.

 

Being a Christian is tough. It’s hard. It’s difficult. Jesus was hated by the world, rejected by the world, killed by the world, so that someday, we, who abide in Him, would be taken out of this fallen world to enter eternal bliss.

 

In the meantime, we live in this fallen world, but, in our Baptism, we are also in Christ, so that everything He won for us through His suffering and death would be ours. So, knowing what is before us, we have the privilege to gladly tell those of the fallen world what Christ has done for them, and thus through the Holy Spirit, we change the world for the better one person at a time. Alleluia! Christ is risen and ascended! He is risen and ascended, indeed! Alleluia! Amen.

 

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

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

Sermon for the Ascension of Our Lord: "Still with Us" (Acts 1:1-11)

LISTEN

Alleluia! Christ is ascended! He is ascended, indeed! Alleluia!

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:

 

“And when [Jesus] had said these things, as they were looking on, He was lifted up, and a cloud took Him out of their sight. And while there were gazing into heaven as He went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, ‘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 1:9-11).

 

Just imagine the sight. The apostles and disciples staring off into the sky – gazing up into heaven. They gaze after Jesus until they can no longer see Him.

 

Just imagine what they were thinking. We have some ideas. They just asked Jesus, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6) So, is the Ascension the way Jesus will bring back the old days of King David and King Solomon, when the Kingdom of Israel was the greatest? Is this the way Israel would become free from Roman domination and become a world power? You see, this was the hope of many in Israel.

 

To that question, prior to His Ascension, Jesus says to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority” (Acts 1:7).

 

So, it was not for them – or us – to know when God would bring His great plan to completion. However, it is enough to know that He has a plan for His kingdom and that His will is gracious and good. God has marked the calendar, and He has marked the day and made a note of the hour. Until that day, no one on this side of heaven knows the day and the hour of Christ’s second coming, the date of Judgment Day.

 

But there is something to note from this exchange. Before His Resurrection, when Jesus was in His state of humiliation, He did not exercise His divine knowledge to the fullest. He had said then that He did not know the day of God’s judgment. He said, “No one knows about the day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Mark 13:32). But here, Jesus does not say that. Here, Jesus says, “It is not for you to know” (Acts 1:7). In other words, “I know.”

 

From His Word, we know that Jesus’ kingdom is not political, but spiritual. We know that Jesus’ kingdom is not limited to the Jewish people, but includes all who trust in Christ, which is the spiritual Israel. 

 

Again, they are looking intently up into the sky. They stare even as the last clouds fold Him in. What’s next? Has Jesus left them? Has Jesus left us? They gaze after Him, but He is gone. Jesus has vanished.

 

Do you ever have times when you wish that Jesus wasn’t so far away? Do you ever ponder the idea: “Why Jesus, why do you permit all this evil to happen?” Our human understanding of the Ascension can lead us to think that Jesus is far, far away. But is that really the case? Has Jesus really abandoned us?

 

The Ascension was visible for the sake of the apostles. The very moment the clouds hid Jesus from their sight, He was transferred timelessly into the heavenly glory. Jesus is now visible in heaven with the same body, including His scars of triumph over the cross and grave.

 

Suddenly, two angels stood by them and said, “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).

 

You see, Christ departed visibly, so He shall return visibly. He ascended into heaven, so He shall descend from heaven. He ascended bodily, so He shall descend bodily.

 

In this in-between time, what does Christ’s Ascension mean to us? St. Paul gives us the answer in tonight’s epistle: Jesus is now seated at the right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named. He has put all things under His feet and is head over the Church (Ephesians 1:20-22).

 

Now, does this mean that Jesus is away from us as He rules in heaven? No! This means that He rules in heaven and on earth. Through His Ascension, Jesus is reigning His death and resurrection over us, which means that He has the power to be everywhere and anywhere. He is no longer bound to a bodily, visible, tangible, and worldly way of life, to time, place, space, or the like. Through His Ascension, Jesus is now present and rules through His power everywhere, in all places and at all times, when and where we need Him. Jesus says, “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

You see, Christ’s Ascension is all about bringing us His Means of Grace. He ascended so that He can distribute His sacrificial gifts to His people everywhere and anywhere. Again, Jesus Ascended so that He would no longer be bound spatially. He Ascended, so that He can truly be with us always to the end of the age in, with, and under His Word and Sacraments.

 

Because Jesus is Ascended into heaven and has all power and all authority, His Means of Grace are no mere symbols or simple remembrances of what He has accomplished on our behalf. No! They are the Means by which Christ gives Himself through His Word and Sacraments. His Means of Grace have both authority and power, right and might to accomplish that for which God has purposed them.

 

What is this purpose? Forgiveness of sins, which begets life and salvation! The Means of Grace created your faith in the Sacrament of Holy Baptism and strengthens your faith through Absolution, the Word, and the Sacrament of the Altar.

 

Through the Means of Grace, we are joined to the very same crucifixion and resurrection in the waters of Holy Baptism. It is a Baptism in which the Holy Spirit gives us faith as we live as God’s holy people.

 

Through the Means of Grace, the cross is placed upon us in Holy Absolution, wherein repentant hearts receive forgiveness of sins.

 

Through the Means of Grace, Christ feeds us His very Body and Blood under the bread and wine, given to us Christians to eat and to drink for the forgiveness of our sins in the Sacrament of the Altar.

 

Being forgiven through the Means of Grace, we mutually forgive one other.

 

So, the Ascension of Our Lord is not a time of mourning. Jesus has not left us. He did not retire when He ascended. He has not deserted us. He continues to be involved and be in charge. His Ascension is all about our comfort, peace, joy, and confidence.

 

While Jesus ascended from His apostles’ and disciples’ sight, being carried up into heaven, He raised His hands in blessing (Luke 24:50). His hands remain lifted to bless us, to bless our witness and our worship.

 

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 all authority in heaven and on earth, where He rules with grace and mercy, where repentance for the forgiveness of sins is preached.

 

Jesus is not absent. He is still with us in His Means of Grace – His Word and Sacraments – where He promises to be until He bodily returns on the Last Day. Alleluia! Christ is ascended! He is ascended, indeed! Alleluia! Amen.

 

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

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Sermon for Easter 7: "Unified, Restored, and Sent" (Acts 1:12-26)

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

“You will be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). With those words, Jesus encouraged His apostles as He was bodily ascending triumphantly into heaven as Emmanuel – God with us.

 

Today on this Seventh Sunday of Easter, these witnesses are no longer hiding behind locked doors for the fear of the Jewish authorities. No, this joyous assurance of the Ascension of our Lord knowing that He will return again filled their hearts and drove out all fear. From the moment they left the Mount of Olives, they worshiped the Father and His Son, Jesus, in full public view.

 

But as how unified the Eleven were as they were with one accord devoting themselves to prayer, they were not complete. Jesus called Twelve men, not eleven. The outward appearance of unity and completeness might be maintained, but what was broken cannot make itself whole again. Sin cannot be undone, except if God Himself should do it. So, how shall the apostles be made one again?

 

During the days that followed the ascension of Jesus, the Eleven and the other disciples, about 120 in number, awaited the coming of the promised Holy Spirit by devoting themselves to prayer. Their prayer arose out of their study together of the prophets – who had pointed to the incarnation of Christ, His ministry, sufferings, death, and resurrection – and of the Psalms, the prayer book of the twelve tribes of Israel, of the whole people of God, of Christ Jesus, and of the Church in all ages.

 

In the course of their prayers from God’s Word, Psalm 69 and Psalm 109 came to Peter’s attention. Here, was the Word from the Lord to direct their action. As the de facto leader, Peter took the initiative in doing something. Since Jesus had chosen Twelve men, Peter and the others believed that a replacement for Judas should be selected. As Israel had been broken and scattered because of sin, so, too, the apostolic circle had been broken by the sin of Judas Iscariot. The Twelve were now only the Eleven. The full number of the Twelve must be restored.

 

After citing Scripture, Peter concludes that someone must be chosen to take Judas’ place. But who? Well, it would be a man who has the same qualifications as the other apostles. That is, he must have been with Jesus from the beginning of the Savior’s ministry – His righteous fulfilling Baptism by John – to the day of His ascension. Like the others, the man who is chosen must be one who had seen and heard and touched and eaten and been instructed by the risen Christ.

 

So, the group of believers nominated two men who met these qualifications: Joseph called Barsabbas who was also called Justus – and Matthias. But why one witness more? Why not both? Well, if this were simply a matter of adding witnesses, certainly 13 would be better than 12. And in the coming years, the number of those who proclaim the resurrection would swell, as Barnabas, Paul, and Apollos joined in.

 

But remember, at the beginning of Christ’s earthly ministry, He chose 12 men – the living picture of Israel made one in Him and in their call to follow Him faithfully. Their unity, too, was broken by unfaithfulness by Judas Iscariot. This time there is no possibility of maintaining the illusion of fullness. The fellowship has been broken. This is what sin does. It drives us away from God and away from one another.

 

The restoration of the Twelve is the very picture of the Lord’s saving work. His death breaks the power of sin and His resurrection proclaims healing for the broken and reconciliation of those driven apart by sin. You see, filling the place that Judas deserted and restoring the full number of the Twelve not only brought an additional witness to the resurrection, but it was also a witness to the power of Christ’s resurrection to reconcile the estranged and make His people, His new Israel, whole.

 

The man who would complete the number of the Twelve would be like the Eleven with respect to His faithful following of the Lord, a witness to all He said and did in the days of His earthly ministry. As with the Eleven, this man would have followed the Lord, not by chance, or by his own decision, or by his own act of commitment, but by the calling of His Lord.

 

Again, two men met these qualifications: Joseph called Barsabbas who was also called Justus – and Matthias. So, the group of about 120 prayed to Jesus saying: “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place” (Acts 1:24-25).

 

Through prayer, they were confident that Jesus had made His choice and that He would indicate His choice. They trusted that Jesus would name the new apostle through them. So, as it was custom when there was a tie, they cast lots, where they would write names on pebbles or pieces of broken pottery, shake the container with the lots, and the name that flew out first would be the choice. The lot fell on Matthias.

 

The Eleven and the nearly 120 disciples were confident that the Lord made His choice, since this was in accord with Proverbs 16:33: “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.”

 

Sometimes it still happens when two men are equally qualified for a position in leadership in the church. When an election results in a tie, it is proper to draw lots in some way to determine the Lord’s choice.

 

But you can’t help but feel bad for Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus. Every one of us is at times the “unchosen one.” Unchosen ones exist everywhere. The ones who didn’t make the team, get the promotion, get the job. Even though the lot did not fall upon him, he would still be a witness.

 

It is likely that this man continued his discipleship to His Lord Jesus, likewise to the nearly 120 that day.

 

Jesus said: “You will be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Jesus, here, is not commanding them to be His witnesses, but He promises that, as a result of receiving the Holy Spirit, they would just naturally be His witnesses. They would feel no outward compulsion to bring their testimony of the redemption won by their Lord through His death on the cross and sealed and ratified by His resurrection and His ascension. They would do it with great joy and zeal that would never tire. The Holy Spirit would make them witnesses who say: “We cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20).

 

With the Apostles now unified as Twelve, plus the other disciples, the events of the Ascension and the upcoming events at Pentecost give them the encouragement to spread the good news of Christ to all nations. This they did through the exalted Lord who gave the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit continues to operate with power through His Word. The Word of the Lord proved its creative power: how it was preached, brought forth faith and sustained it in the hearts of many, was embattled, and went on from victory to victory.

 

Due to the Ascension, the Twelve were content to be witnesses. Gone were their dreams of power connected with personal prestige. No one would argue who would be the greatest (Luke 22:24) or sit at Christ’s right or left hand (Mark 10:37). No one again would speak about an earthly kingdom.

 

But how would they be able to proclaim the divine truth of salvation in Jesus Christ without making a mistake? Well, the Holy Spirit would empower them to bring testimony that would be in perfect accord. The promise Jesus had made would come true: “The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26).

 

And so, it would be. At Pentecost, the Apostles would be filled with the Holy Spirit so they would remember all that Jesus had taught them. Peter would preach nothing but the purest divine truth with no human additions, such as hopes and dreams that Jesus would bring in a glorious earthly kingdom, or promote social justice, or approval of sins. Paul and the other apostles would do the same. The apostles were plainly inspired by the Holy Spirit. So, to accomplish Jesus’ prophecy of “to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8), Jesus gave His Holy Spirit to endow the apostles with the gift of divine inspiration. Through the inspired Gospels and the Epistles, the eternally true, infallible testimony their Lord entrusted them was spread to the very ends of the earth. Through the Scriptures, the apostles to this day bring the glorious gospel witness to the end of time.

 

But what was the response the apostles received when they witnessed to a hostile world? They were mocked and ridiculed. They suffered. They died a martyr’s death. But they were never intimidated by any opposition, by danger as the price for telling the truth. You see, the Holy Spirit filled the apostles with a great boldness and courage, so that under persecution they not only remained steadfast and unflinching, but considered the sufferings they often received from their witnessing to Christ to be badges of honor. They could not help but tell of the good news of Christ.

 

This Good News of salvation would be proclaimed for all nations and peoples as the Twelve and all disciples would go into all the world, inviting all to the Baptism that incorporates us into Christ and makes us members of His Body the Church, announcing forgiveness to the penitent and unbelieving, and calling us to oneness in Him and with all believers, through our eating His Body and drinking His Blood in His Supper. 

 

Since, we too, have seen, heard, tasted, and touched Jesus in His Means of Grace – His Word and Sacrament – we are also His witnesses. By grace through faith in Christ alone, we are all unified and restored and sent to proclaim the good news of salvation in Christ alone! Amen.

 

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

 

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Sermon for the Ascension of Our Lord: "Jesus is Still with Us" (Luke 24:44-53)

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:

For four days in October 1529, the reformers Martin Luther and Ulrich Zwingli met at Marburg Castle in order to bring theological unity to the fledgling churches of the Reformation. After agreeing on every other theological position, Luther and Zwingli came to a stalemate on a major theological issue. This stalemate is what divides the Lutherans and the Reformed to this day: the “real presence” of Christ’s body and blood in the Sacrament of the Altar.

 

Zwingli, employing human reason, insisted that the Lord’s Supper was only a symbolic remembrance. Luther, holding fast to God’s Word, maintained that Christ gives His body and blood for us Christians to eat and to drink and thereby receive forgiveness. You may think, how could these two men who were ordained in the Roman Church be so different? Well, when the Reformation got going, many of the Reformers desired to throw the baby out with the bathwater, so to speak, by starting over apart from God’s Word.

 

Zwingli was no different from many today who believe that they are smarter than all those who preceded them, including the apostles and Church Fathers. Zwingli believed that he was enlightened. So, he was “woke” before the term “woke” existed.  Zwingli believed he knew better than the Scriptures. 

 

From the very beginning of the New Testament Church, outsiders accused Christians of being cannibals, because they heard that Christians ate flesh and drank blood. These outsiders didn’t understand that the body and blood eaten and drank were outwardly bread and wine. This Zwingli ignored. Despite the Bible and centuries of church practice, Zwingli believed that he was right and everyone before him was wrong.

 

At the heart of this dispute between Luther and Zwingli is a dispute that remains today. It is understanding who Jesus is and what His ascension into heaven means for us.

 

For 40 days after His bodily resurrection, the risen Lord Jesus met with His apostles – that is, the 11 and those who were gathered with them in order to bring unity of witness to a fledgling New Testament Church. Jesus passes through locked doors. He speaks peace upon them. He displays His pierced wrists and feet, allowing them to touch Him and see that He is really present and not a spirit, or a product of their own imagination. He eats a piece of broiled fish before them. He teaches them, showing how everything in the Scriptures was written about Him and is fulfilled in Him.

 

Jesus taught them nothing new. Indeed, Jesus says, “These are My words that I spoke to you while I was still with you” (Luke 24:44). Wait. Isn’t Jesus with them during these moments as He calms their fears, eats with them, and teaches them? Yes, but in a new way. Before, Jesus walked among them in humility as His divine nature was hidden. Now He is exalted, having been raised by God the Father. No longer does He refer to Himself as the Son of Man. Now, Jesus openly calls Himself the Christ – the Messiah. No more what ifs. He is, indeed, God in human flesh.

 

As the exalted Christ, His visible presence becomes an exceptional presence. Just as He kindly spoke to Mary Magdalene on Easter morning, Jesus must ascend to the Father (John 20:17). And so that’s what He now does: “Then He led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up His hands He blessed them. While He blessed them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven” (Luke 24:50-51).

 

But doesn’t this mean that Jesus is now far away? In our reading from Acts 1, Luke records that the apostles and other disciples stood gazing up into heaven as they saw Jesus ascend. We can picture them straining their eyes to see Him. They gaze after Him until they cannot see Him.

 

Aren’t they being left alone, at least until Jesus returns from those clouds to judge the world? Aren’t we being left alone now that Jesus has become this distant God, way far away up there in heaven?

 

Don’t you have times when you wish that Jesus wasn’t so far away? Oh, Jesus, why won’t you return now to make all this worldly corruption disappear? Why do you just sit in heaven and allow all this evil to happen? Well, that’s what our human reason – our human understanding – tells us. If we can’t see Jesus, He must be far away, a God who isn’t here for us when we need Him.

 

This is what Zwingli thought. He believed that Jesus was far away. Zwingli saw Christ’s ascension as His great escape from earth to be seated at God the Father’s right hand at some faraway place at the edge of the universe. For Zwingli, Jesus went far away, and He’ll only come back to us on the Last Day.

 

Luther thought much differently. He trusted in Christ’s words, “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Luther understood that Jesus has established a new way in which He visits His people and redeem them.

 

During the course of this debate at Marburg, Luther came to realize that Zwingli was of a different spirit than the Holy Spirit. The Scriptures can only be spiritually understood, and this is something that only God can do for us. Zwingli rejected this working of God’s Spirit and leaned upon his own understanding. He thought that if he can’t understand it, it must not be true. If he hasn’t seen it happen, it could not happen. Luther however, through the working of the Holy Spirit received the proper understanding to have his “mind and heart opened to understand the Scriptures and to listen to the Word” (FC SD II 26).

 

Listen to the Word and have your minds and hearts opened to understand the Scriptures today. Jesus doesn’t abandon us in His ascension. Rather, He continues to be truly present with His people by new means. He is still with us, for Christ is truly present in His gifts, or what the Church calls the Means of Grace.

 

By His ascension, Jesus is put “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named” and “all things are put under His feet … as head over all things to the Church” (Ephesians 1:21-22). In His ascension, the Crucified and Risen Lord has risen even higher! Christ sits on His holy throne as the Great King over all the earth (Psalm 47), reigning His death and resurrection over us, distributing His sacrificial gifts to His people. 

 

These gifts are no mere symbols or simple remembrances of what He’s accomplished on our behalf. Rather, they are the means by which Christ gives Himself, His Word, and His work to us. These means rest upon Christ’s own name; that is, on the basis of everything that the name of Christ represents: His revelation, chiefly in the cross and resurrection! Resting upon Christ’s name, these gifts have both authority and power, right and might to accomplish that for which God has purposed them.

 

Repentance and forgiveness of sins is accomplished first through the Gospel’s preaching: “that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead” (Luke 24:46). The Gospel creates faith where there is none and strengthens the believer. 

 

We are joined to this very same crucifixion and resurrection in the waters of Holy Baptism. It is a Baptism in which we live as God’s holy people.

 

The cross is placed upon us in Holy Absolution, wherein repentant hearts receive forgiveness.

 

Christ feeds us His very body and blood, given to us Christians to eat and to drink for the forgiveness of our sins, in the Sacrament of the Altar.

 

Being thus forgiven, we mutually forgive one another, as we pray, “And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” And our brother or sister receives Christ through that word.

 

Each of us wish to see Jesus. He isn’t in some far away place. Because of His ascension, He sits now at God’s right hand with all power and dominion over all things. He is no longer restricted to time and space. He has full control over time and space. With this power and authority, Jesus is present at each church service around the world.

 

While Christ parted from His apostles’ and disciples’ sight, being carried up into heaven, He raised His hands in blessing. His hands remain lifted to bless us, to bless our witness and our worship. Just as He blessed Luther, granting Him a bold confession at Marburg, Christ opens our minds to understand and our hearts to believe He is truly present with us today in His Word and Sacraments. And so we are made bold to witness Christ’s suffering, atoning death, bodily resurrection and ascension as we worship Him who is still with us! Amen.

 

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

 

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

Sermon for the Ascension of Our Lord: "The Ascended King" (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:

[Intro]

The Feast of Ascension is one of the most important feasts of the Church Year. We might not realize this because it is often a forgotten feast. After all, this holiday lands toward the end of the Easter season and right before the festival of Pentecost. The fact is, though, Ascension Day is right up there with Christmas and Easter in its importance.

About 30 or so years earlier, Jesus took upon Himself our human flesh. Before the Incarnation, Christ was only fully God, but at the Incarnation He chose to take on our flesh as He became fully Man to be our Savior from sin, death, and Satan. On Ascension Day, our Lord takes our flesh – our human flesh – with Him into heaven, where He sits at the right hand of God the Father with all authority.

But what does this mean for me? What does our Lord’s Ascension do for me? Well, if you understand that in your Baptism, you are the Body and Jesus is the Head. So, wherever the Head goes, so does the Body. (Ephesians 1:22-23)

So, now that Jesus has risen from the dead, so will everyone who believes in Him! Now that Jesus has ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father, by grace through faith in Jesus, you will enter heaven.

The Ascension of our Lord is a feast to celebrate Christ returning to His throne!

Even if we don’t quite understand what this means, don’t worry. You are in fact in good company, since the apostles didn’t understand everything either. Time and time again, the apostles were looking for Jesus to establish an earthly kingdom, rather than a heavenly kingdom. In fact, they asked Jesus that very thing just before His ascension: “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6b)

Time and time again, as Jesus spoke of His suffering, death, and resurrection, they did not understand why He had to die. In fact, right after Peter confessed Jesus to be the Christ, Jesus again revealed to them that He must suffer, die, and be raised. Peter immediately said to Jesus: “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you!” (Matthew 16:22)

But oddly enough, the apostles did understand what was happening on this day, nearly 2,000 years ago.

[The Ascension of Our Lord]

As the apostles were on the Mount of Olives, a short distance east of Jerusalem, they witnessed Jesus being taken up into heaven. They saw with their own eyes Jesus ascending into the clouds.

The apostles knew that their risen Lord was disappearing from their sight in a different way than He had on various occasions during the past 40 days. This time, Jesus did not simply vanish as He had before. Before their very eyes, He was being taken up higher and higher in the air until a cloud folded itself around Him and hid Him from their sight. These men became actual witnesses as He ascended into heaven, for they had kept their eyes fixed on Him all the while He was making His ascent.

They stood staring up into the sky in amazement. And who wouldn’t?

So, here they are staring into the sky and with good reason. They are straining their eyes attempting to see Jesus after the cloud hid Him from their sight.

Then, suddenly, two men in white robes speak to them saying: “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).

On this day, the apostles understood the meaning of what they were witnessing. They remembered the often-repeated promise of their Lord: “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God” (John 20:17).

At this moment, the apostles were fully aware that they were seeing Him rise up to heaven, where He was before. It was equally clear to them that from then on, He would be what He was before. In other words, He would resume the use of which He had renounced in order to redeem them and all sinners.

Now, they knew, He would rule with supreme power over heaven and earth. No longer would He be visibly present among them as the lowly Son of Man, but He would be invisibly present everywhere with the same human body, now marvelously glorified.

[The Right Hand of God the Father]

When Jesus ascended, He took His seat at the right hand of God the Father. But is Jesus stuck in heaven? No! Jesus sitting at the right hand of God the Father gives us the picture that Jesus is the absolute sovereign who rules the whole universe both with the power of His authority and with the power of His grace.

You see, Jesus is not limited by space. Think of His promise: “Surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). So, if Jesus were restricted to being in one place at a time, He could not fulfill this promise. He could not be everywhere with all of His believers at the same time. So, just because our senses cannot perceive Him, this does not mean that He is no longer present. We know He is here with us through His revealed Word in the Scriptures and as He provides His Body and Blood under the bread and wine to forgive our sins and strengthen our faith!

However, we, like the apostles, may question how this can be. But Jesus assures us saying, “This is my Body, which is given for you.” And “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My Blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.”

Jesus is present here as He has promised when we gather in His name. He did not leave us – His flock – to fend for ourselves. No, He is here where His Word is preached and His Sacraments are given.

[The King’s Return]

During His visible time on earth, Jesus exercised His divine powers in only a limited way. But once He had completed His redeeming mission on which His Father had sent Him, His renunciation of divine powers for a time, His self-chosen humiliation, came to an end.

Now, this same Jesus who bodily ascended into heaven will return with His crucified and risen body. At His departure, the apostles saw Him as the divine and human Jesus. At His return, everyone will see and recognize Him as His apostles did, and He will return without a doubt!

“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).

This event is full of promise for us! We indeed know He will return as the Judge who will strike paralyzing terror into His foes. 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; take your inheritance, the kingdom is prepared for you since the creation of the world” (Matthew 25:34).

This day, the Ascension of Our Lord, is the great coronation of Jesus Christ, the Son of Man, in heaven. As He bodily returned to heaven, the angels and the heavenly host marveled as a fully human being received the crown and is given all authority in heaven and on earth. As fully God and fully Man, His rule is now of grace and mercy, where repentance for forgiveness of sins is preached. He is the Lamb who was slain. Behold your Ascended King! 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

Preached at GlenFields (May 11, 2021), Grand Meadows (May 13, 2021), 
and Orchard Estates (May 14, 2021)