The Ascension of Our Lord
Thursday, May 1, 2008
The Rev. Charles Henrickson
Ascension Day, the Forgotten Festival (Luke
24:44-53; Acts 1:1-11)
Welcome to the Forgotten Festival! Today is Ascension
Day--or to put it more fully, the Festival of the
Ascension of Our Lord. But there is reason to call
it, as I say, the Forgotten Festival. Even though
Ascension Day is classed in the church year as a major
festival, and thus a day for to church to gather for
the Divine Service of Word and Sacrament, the sad fact
is that in recent decades many congregations and many
Christians have forgotten all about celebrating this
important festival. It used to be that you could go
to any Lutheran church--or any liturgical church, for
that matter, Catholic, Episcopalian, Lutheran--and
they would have a service on this day. But with the
decline of Christian culture and with the
wussification of the church, its pretty hard to
find churches that are having service today, and where
you do, usually its only the hardy few who turn out.
You see, Ascension always comes forty days after
Easter, which means it always falls on a Thursday, and
its hard enough these days getting people to come to
church on a Sunday, let alone on a Thursday.
By the way, there is another major festival in the
church that likewise has fallen on hard times, and
that is the Epiphany of Our Lord. Epiphany is twelve
days after Christmas, thus it always falls on January
6, which means it almost always falls on a day other
than Sunday. Besides which, early January is cold and
dark, and that cuts down even further on attendance.
So I guess we could say Epiphany and Ascension are the
two Forgotten Festivals.
But happily, we do not forget these festivals here!
And today, being Ascension Day, I want you to know why
we do not forget this day. For the Ascension of Our
Lord really is a wonderful festival, deserving of a
day all its own. My goodness, the fact that Christ
ascended into heaven even rates a line in our
Creeds! Tonight, then, I want to tell you why we
remember and rejoice in the Ascension of Our Lord.
And the reason--or one of the reasons, at least, Ive
got to have something left to preach next year--one
reason we remember and rejoice in this festival is
this: The Ascension tells us that Christ is working
in and through his church by the ministry of the
gospel. The accounts of the Ascension that St. Luke
gives us, both at the end of his gospel and at the
beginning of Acts, show Christ preparing his disciples
for the ministry that the church will undertake once
he ascends.
The risen Lord Jesus appeared to his disciples a
number of times during those forty days from Easter to
Ascension, and it says he was speaking about the
kingdom of God. Jesus had given the disciples their
M.Div. training over the previous three years, but now
he takes them to graduate school. They had a lot to
learn. They hadnt really got it up to this point.
Oh, they had heard and seen a lot from their master
during those years, but it hadnt really clicked--
especially the suffering and death part. But now the
light bulb comes on. Then he opened their minds to
understand the Scriptures, it says. Now they will
understand how it all fits together.
Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and
on the third day rise from the dead. All the Bible,
all of Gods plan for humanity, is focused on the
suffering Christ. Not a glory Christ, but a suffering
Christ. Thats what it would take to accomplish Gods
plan of salvation. It takes the suffering and death
of Gods only Son to achieve our salvation. Nothing
less would do. You could not pay for your sins. You
could die on a cross a thousand times over, and you
would not even pay for your own sins, let alone the
sins of the world. But Christ could, and did. His
holy blood shed on the cross, his perfect
righteousness, makes the perfect sacrifice to atone
for all our sins in Gods court of justice. And with
sins paid for, peace with God once more is made, death
is overcome and conquered. And so, on the third day,
that is, on Easter, Christ did indeed rise from the
dead. The suffering, death, and resurrection of
Christ are at the very heart of the gospel these
disciples will be preaching, and so before he ascends,
Jesus impresses the centrality of this upon them.
Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and
on the third day rise from the dead, and that
repentance and forgiveness of sins should be
proclaimed in his name. Its not just the events
themselves, its what they mean for us, how they are
applied to us. The death and resurrection of Jesus
are preached to us for the purpose of repentance and
forgiveness. The proclamation of Gods word first
puts us to death. The Law condemns and kills us
sinners. God is calling us to repentance, to mourn
our sinful state and turn from empty
self-justification. But the proclamation is not
complete. The Gospel then comes and raises us to
life. We hear the life-giving word of what God has
done for us in Christ, the Holy Spirit works faith in
our heart, and we receive the forgiveness of sins in
Jesus name. That is the gospel, dear friends, that
is the good news, and it is for you!
Repentance and forgiveness of sins should be
proclaimed in his name, Jesus says, to all nations.
To all nations. Not just to Israel, but to the
Gentile nations too. That is something the disciples,
all Jews, would need to get used to. So Jesus is
preparing them for that here before he ascends.
Jesus is teaching his disciples, his learners, so
they can be his apostles, his sent ones. He will be
sending them out on a worldwide mission with the
gospel when he ascends, and he wants them to be ready.
The teaching goes on right up until the moment he
ascends. Theres still some not getting it in their
heads. Lord, will you at this time restore the
kingdom to Israel? Well, no, boys, its not like
that. Dont worry about the exact time. It will
happen when it happens. And the kingdom is not just
for Israel. Its bigger than that, a lot bigger.
You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all
Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. Yes,
you who have been with me all this time, you who have
seen and heard so many things, now I will be sending
you out to more than just the house of Israel. This
gospel I have entrusted you with is for the whole
earth, every nation. God will be saving people from
every nation through your apostolic ministry. Thats
been his plan all along. That is how his kingdom will
come.
Now this might seem a daunting task. It is. The
disciples might want to shrink back in fear,
especially with their master going away. What will
they do without him? But they wont be without him.
He will be with them, all the days, to the close of
the age, even though they will see him no longer.
Before he ascends, Jesus assures them that he will
give them the help they need: 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. You will receive power when the Holy Spirit
has come upon you.
Ascension Day is forty days after Easter, but it is
also ten days before Pentecost. And here Jesus is
promising his disciples that he will pour out upon
them the gift of the Holy Spirit, which he would do
ten days later on Pentecost. Ascension points us to
Pentecost and the Spirits empowering of the churchs
ministry.
The Spirit will work through the apostolic preaching
to deliver Gods forgiveness to people, to bring
people to faith in Christ, and to keep them in that
faith. Its still happening today. You are being
given forgiveness, you are being strengthened in your
faith, even here tonight, as this gospel preaching
comes into your ears and Christs body and blood come
into your mouth.
My friends, your ascended Lord has left nothing out.
He has arranged everything in his church to deliver to
you the forgiveness of sins and to keep you strong in
the saving faith. He not only won your forgiveness
and salvation by his death and resurrection, his
ascension shows that he has not left us on our own in
these days before he returns. Jesus has not gone away
and forgotten his disciples. Rather, he has ascended
into heaven for the very purpose of being with all his
people all around the world, in all times and at all
places. And he does this in and through the churchs
ministry.
Ascension Day tells us that our Lord Jesus Christ is
working in and through his church by the ministry of
the gospel. For this reason, the Ascension of Our
Lord really is a wonderful festival--and for more
reasons besides. But that will have to wait till next
year.
Ascension Day, the Forgotten Festival? Well, much
of the church may have forgotten this festival. But
fortunately for us, our ascended Lord has not
forgotten his church! Remember and rejoice in that!
Charles Henrickson
4749 Melissa Jo Ln
St. Louis, MO 63128
(314) 845-8811 (home)
(314) 779-8108 (cell)
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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