Acts 1: 1-11 | Ascension Sunday | May 16, 2010
Most everyone knows December 25th. The celebration of our Savior’s birth. God gave us his Son. The Son came to be our brother. As our brother, he saved us. So we celebrate Christmas.
What about last Thursday? Did you celebrate that day? Did you give thanks to God for what happened 40 days after Jesus rose from his grave? Early Christians did maybe even before they celebrated Christmas. Two of the church fathers speak of celebrating the feast of Christ’s Ascension as early as 68 AD, in the lifetime of those who witnessed Jesus ascension.
What did they know that maybe we have forgotten? What is it about Jesus’ Ascension that makes it so important , that offers so much to the believing heart? You might have missed Thursday, so let’s talk about that today.
Jesus Goes Home…
I. After 40 remarkable days (1-5)
II. His Kingdom is ready to expand (6-9)
III. We can celebrate (9-11)
1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. Luke the physician and careful historian wrote the books of Acts. His first book was the gospel of Luke. No doubt he interviewed the apostles and others who saw and heard Jesus. Here Luke begins by talking about what must have been a very special time for his apostles – a remarkable 40 days.
The past three years Jesus was with them every step of the way to give that direction. Go here. Go there. Here’s what I want you to do. Here’s what I want you to share. Here’s what I want you to believe.
But now what? Where do we go from here? Back to what we were doing before? What can we expect now? Should we be quiet? Should we speak up? We still have many enemies among our own people. Now what? Jesus told them.
The first thing they needed is what every Christian needs. A rock solid assurance that after Jesus bled and died on that cross, he rose. He lives. He is my Savior. I am a forgiven child of God. How do I know? He lives. He lives to silence all my fears. Each of us needs that rock solid assurance.
But our Lord knows how quickly doubts can creep into our faith including the faith of these men . Is he really alive? I know we saw him, but maybe… After all he died so terribly. Jesus gave these men and now us every reason to believe He is risen during those forty remarkable days. 3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. He assured them, taught them and gave them direction. So His Kingdom is ready to expand.
Well not quite yet. 4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” There is a famous expression in the military. Hurry up and wait. The higher ups get you going with a great sense of urgency. But next thing you know it, you’re sitting and waiting. Hurry up and wait.
Knowing Peter, he was probably ready to get going. Of course, he wasn’t so sure what he would say or do when he arrived. That’s important. We can be moved, touched, fired up for Jesus. I would love to see that here. But enthusiasm can only carry us so far. Zeal without knowledge is trouble. So wait, Jesus told his apostles. Wait in Jerusalem until the Spirit comes.
And for good reason. 6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” Here I think of General George Washington when the revolution against King George of England was won. Some asked: General, do you want to be our King? They failed to see what the revolution was about.
Well time and again Jesus had taught them about the kingdom of God. But they still didn’t understand. He wasn’t talking about the kingdom of Israel, that Israel would be a nation once more. He wasn’t talking about some ruler compelling people to obey him. The kingdom of God is about people who willingly follow the Lord because the grace of God has touched their hearts.
And besides they were thinking too small. It’s citizens would not just be the children of Abraham. Listen. 8 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.” These men were thinking too small. Are we? For the Kingdom of God is about expansion. It’s not about sitting on our hands and keeping Jesus to ourselves. It’s about bringing more and more to know this King who loved us so much that he suffered and died for us.
But wait, Jesus said. Wait for the Holy Spirit. Then they would be ready. His kingdom, his Church, would be ready to expand. For the Spirit would baptize them with power. A power to recall, to remember what Jesus said and did. We have the result here. These inspired accounts.
Then a power to understand the gospel. You can see that still escaped them even at this late date. They were still struggling with false notions. The Spirit would give them a power of understanding. And finally he would give his Church the power to witness. The power to tell what we his people know in our hearts is true.
But did you say you’re leaving, Jesus? You can’t stay with us and help us do all this? You can’t stay with us and help us face the trouble you said is coming our way?
They had to know this day was coming. They just didn’t know when. But now it was time for Jesus to leave them, for Jesus to go home. They did not realize it but they would. We can celebrate.
9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. Remember the scene. It was during the Iraq War. President Bush landed on an aircraft carrier and stood with this banner behind him. Mission accomplished. He lived to regret that banner and his flamboyant arrival. There was still much to be done. Sadly, many more to be sacrificed.
But the fact that we can say he ascended into heaven means this. Mission accomplished. What the Son of God came to do for each of us is a done deal. The punishment that brought us peace was upon him and by his wounds we are healed. We have peace with God through faith in Him. So Jesus goes home and we can celebrate.
You also can know that you have a friend in high places. I worked for a man that became an Admiral in the Coast Guard. From talking to my friends, I learned that if I would stayed in, he would have watched out for my career. That’s what he did for others.
But that’s nothing compared to what we have. We sing, what a friend we have in Jesus. We do. He ascended into heaven. So you and I have a friend before our Father in heaven. The Bible says he intercedes for us. In other words, he goes to bat for us He makes sure your prayers do not fall on deaf ears.
And this you can know. When this life draws to a close, it will not end in darkness. No, you will fall asleep in Jesus only to awake to something else. For what does our ascended Lord say? In my Father’s house are many rooms if it were not so I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. (Jn 14:2) Jesus goes home and we can celebrate.
… a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 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.” Ever noticed how angels showed up at very important times? When the virgin Mary became pregnant with Jesus, when Jesus was born, when he was tempted, later as he anguishes in the Garden of Gethsemane. Then on Easter morning angels tell the women why Jesus body was gone. He is risen.
Well here these men stand gawking up in the sky. Jesus is gone and here we are left behind. Left behind in this world which brings tears to our eyes and pain to our hearts. But thanks to the angels, we are left with this. One day if we are not already in heaven, we are going to look up into the sky and see Jesus. Then we will celebrate.
And until we see him, remember. Remember when things do not go well. Remember when you feel that there is no God, at least not one who cares about you. Remember the picture of Jesus as he ascended. It was painted above the altar of my church in Milwaukee. Jesus ascending. But not with his back turned. And not looking somewhere else. Rather his hands were lifted up in blessing and not just to these men. But his church. His hands were lifted up in blessing for you.. Happy Ascension. Amen.