Ascension
Day Observed – May 27th and 28th – Luke
24:44-53
Christ is Risen (He is Risen Indeed, Alleluia) Amen.
Yes indeed, Christ is risen, and more than that, He has ascended, and He is seated at the Right Hand of the Father, and He shall come again to judge the living and the dead, that is He rules the world with truth and grace, and that He shall come and finally put an end to all sin and wickedness, taking us to His side for all eternity. This is our faith as Christians, this is what we look forward to, what we long to see. And on this day, when we remember and celebrate the Ascension of our Lord, it is a time to see that all that Christ has done, indeed, all of the Scriptures are driving that this end – that Christ Jesus shall come again and that because of Him, you will live with Him forever.
Christ is Risen (He is Risen Indeed, Alleluia) Amen.
Yes indeed, Christ is risen, and more than that, He has ascended, and He is seated at the Right Hand of the Father, and He shall come again to judge the living and the dead, that is He rules the world with truth and grace, and that He shall come and finally put an end to all sin and wickedness, taking us to His side for all eternity. This is our faith as Christians, this is what we look forward to, what we long to see. And on this day, when we remember and celebrate the Ascension of our Lord, it is a time to see that all that Christ has done, indeed, all of the Scriptures are driving that this end – that Christ Jesus shall come again and that because of Him, you will live with Him forever.
Listen
to our Lord. 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.” Then He opened their minds to
understand the Scriptures. Everything
must be fulfilled, all the things of the Old Testament must be
fulfilled, because God loves you and will not let anything stop Him
from showing you love. You realize that is the story of the Bible
right? It’s not just events of long ago, not just a list of rules,
or even practical advice. It is the story of Christ Jesus not
letting anything get in the way of His love for you, not sin, not
death, not the Devil.
Consider
creation. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God
and the Word was God. By Him all things were made – a garden where
man and woman would live, delight, enjoy, and walk with God in peace.
Sin messes that up – so then Christ Jesus will come and redeem
sinful men and women, and He will make for them a New Heavens and a
New Earth not tainted by sin, because that’s His love for you. Or
Cain and Abel. Cain slays Abel, and Abel’s blood cries out. So
then Christ Jesus will come, and He will be slain by His brothers,
and His blood calls out for your pardon and peace. The world at the
time of Noah is so wicked that it must be washed away – then Christ
will come and give you the gift of Holy Baptism, so that your sins
are washed away and you are left to live with Christ. Abraham had no
children – so Christ comes to be His descendant, bringing Father
Abraham the many sons that the children’s song extols. Isaac
deserved to die, to be sacrificed! The Lamb of God will come and be
sacrificed in Isaac’s stead, so that father and son can rejoice
together – whether that father and son are Abraham and Isaac or God
the Father and all of you. Jacob thought he had to fight and cheat
for his blessings, but instead Christ wrestles him down and says, “I
will be the one who comes and gives you blessings!” Joseph suffers
all sorts of wickedness, is sold into slavery, unjustly prisoned…
but this is all so that he would be exulted by Pharaoh so as to save
his brothers and give them bread. Likewise Christ is betrayed by His
friend, handed over to wicked men and killed – and though they
intended it for evil, God intended it for good; He raises and exults
Jesus, and now He gives you a better bread, the Bread of His Supper,
now His own Body so that you have life and life everlasting. All of
it, all of Genesis – driving and pointing to Christ Jesus and His
love for you.
And
there’s 38 more books of the Old Testament… we could see the same
in them all – in Moses, in the Exodus, in Joshua, in David, in the
story of Boaz and Ruth, in the Prophets, in the temple, in the rules
and regulations, in the Sabbath itself that points to Christ’s
Sabbath rest in the tomb after Good Friday… but if we did, I might
not make it out of this pulpit alive. And that’s not suggesting
that any of you would do anything to me, I’d probably just keel
over from exhaustion. But this is what Christ makes the disciples to
see – that the Old Testament, the Scriptures, are the story of God
showing love to His people, fixing the fall, preparing the way for
Christ Jesus, pointing us to the coming Messiah, so that in Christ we
would see and know the great love that God has for us.
And
having shown this to the disciples, Christ Jesus continues. [He]
said to them, “Thus it is written that the Christ should suffer and
on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and
forgiveness should be proclaimed in his name to all nations,
beginning from Jerusalem….” This is
what the Scriptures proclaim. Christ will bruise Satan’s head,
while Satan bruises His heel. Or Psalm 22 – I
am poured out like water and all my bones are out of joint, my heart
is like wax, it is melted within my breast.”
Hanging on the cross, joints destroyed, the spear pierces His side,
His heart, and blood and water melt out. The Son must die and rise.
And this truth is to be proclaimed – repentance and forgiveness.
Behold your sins, for they are great, but Christ and His death and
resurrection are greater, so there is forgiveness in Him, in His
Name. And begin in Jerusalem, but go to all nations, for Abraham
must have many sons, and the sheep not of this fold the Shepherd must
gather, and go not like Jonah grumbling on his way to Ninevah, but
rejoicing that this salvation is for the Gentiles as well! Yes, you
here in this room, those of you without even a drop of Jewish blood,
who cannot claim Abraham as your physical father in the slightest –
the promise is for you as well.
“You
are witnesses of these things. And from
our point of view, not just the Old Testament points to Christ.
Indeed, the New Testament, the writings of the Apostles do the same
thing. These witnesses preached, and they also wrote things down –
the Early Church would call the New Testament the “memoirs of the
Apostles”. And what do they do? They proclaim repentance and
forgiveness in the Name of Christ. The 4 Gospels proclaim this. The
Epistles all proclaim this. Paul is determined to know nothing among
you but Christ and Him Crucified. Luther is right – every page of
the Old Testament drips with Christ, and the New Testament is the
revealing of what was hidden in the Old, namely Christ. All things
are set, all things are prepared.
“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.”
And Pentecost will come. And the Apostles will be sent out, and the
preaching of Christ will spread through all nations, through various
languages, even making it’s way out to Illinois, even in a language
as strange as English. But more on that next week when we celebrate
Pentecost. For today, let us consider what happens next.
“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. And they worshipped Him and returned to
Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing
God.” And His work is done. He has
accomplished all things and won your salvation. He has died and He
is risen – your salvation is won. But did you note what He is
doing even as He ascends? He is blessing them. And what do you
think Christ is doing now? Right now, at this moment, Christ is
seated at the right hand of the Father. That implies two very
important things. First, that is a position of power – All
authority on heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Christ rules
the world – and how does He rule it? For your blessing, for your
good. And that may not always be obvious – the world still intends
things for evil – God still works it for good. It may not be the
blessings you expect, but Christ Jesus is in charge, and He will
still bless you and keep you, will make His face shine upon you (like
the transfiguration) and be gracious unto, and will lift up His
countenance upon you and give you peace – Peace be with you, see My
hands and My side! Christ Jesus is your Lord and your God, and He
still cares for you. He has been crowned with many crowns, and the
King reigns for you and acts out of love for you.
And
not only that – you have an advocate with the Father. You have an
advocate with the Father who has borne all your sin, who has with His
own stripes healed you, and so that now in Him the Father is well
pleased with you. You have been restored unto the Father, you have
been forgiven by Him. This is the great joy and reality – and it
is the reality and truth that we shall see in full, for one day this
same Jesus who ascended shall come again with trumpet sound, and the
dead will be raised, and we shall go to the joys of eternity with
Christ. Christ has done it all, and in Him we have life, all thanks
be to God. Amen. Christ is Risen, He is Risen Indeed, Alleluia.