Grace Lutheran Church

By Faith We Celebrate Christ – Ascension Day May 1, 2008 Sermon

 + In Nomine Jesu +
The Rev. Evan Gaertner
Ascension of our Lord
Luke 24:44-53
May 1, 2008

Pastor Andrae in Pittsburgh works with international students. On Easter Sunday he invited students to join his family for Easter dinner. Keiko, a wonderful young lady from Japan, enthusiastically responded. She also joined the people of First Trinity Lutheran to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord in the Divine Service earlier that morning. After dinner she asked some questions including why Jesus did not stay on earth for more than 40 days after being raised from the dead.

A very good question.

We confess in our creed, “He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.” Scripture clearly states this truth as well. The Gospels of Luke and Mark and also the book of Acts attest to the truth that Jesus was lifted up and a cloud took him out of the sight of the disciples. Peter’s first epistle records that Jesus now sits at the right hand of God with all angels, authorities and power made subject to him.

By Word and Creed we believe that Jesus has ascended to heaven and sits at the right hand of God. But we do not include in this belief that Jesus is absent from us now. If Jesus was absent from us now we would be a poor lot indeed. Do not include in your heart that he has gone, and now is, far away from us.

While he was here on earth, he was in Jerusalem, which indeed is far away from us, in time and in place. Now he is very near. Our minds cannot sort this out. We are used to people being either here in front of us or gone and far away from us. So the presence of Jesus now is a matter of faith. It is by faith that we hold onto Jesus words to his disciples in the gospel of St. Matthew, “Behold, I will be with you always to the very end of the age.”

Jesus is present with us and in us and rules over us. This is a truth that we cannot reason our way towards. Lay hold of the scriptures which reveal this truth to us. In this age of knowledge and reason and self-awareness allow your awareness and knowledge of the truth to be shaped not by your own mind and conclusions but by the witness of the apostles and the scriptures. Our faith is not informed by our mind and reason by the external trustworthy spirit inspired holy scriptures.

Psalm 8:6 says about the glory given to the son of man, “You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet.” God has exalted the son of man. Jesus Christ now sits in a position in which he can look into the whole world. He can see all things and now rule with his grace over all things. Psalm 8 finishes, “O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth.” In all the earth Jesus Christ is able to rule with majesty and glory. Jesus is your Lord in all your moments. He is now Lord over all creatures. Psalm 2 we read that God says to Jesus, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.” We are all encouraged to find in Jesus the ruler of all things. Even your enemies now have been made his foot stool. Nothing in this world can act against the ultimate will of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Is Jesus your friend? Many friendships are formed based on what each person can do for the other. Our friendship with Jesus is based not on what we can do for him, but that he died for us and gave us all things and for our sake sits in heaven and watches over me. Jesus is Lord of all things and what kind of Lord is he for you? He ascended to heaven to be present now everywhere. Jesus now has power over all things.

This good news is only comfort and pleasure for those who believe that Jesus has done all this for us and our redemption. We will not find release from the bondage that sin, death and the devil have over us by any other power but for Jesus Christ.

Anyone that wants to know the comfort and pleasure of this freedom from sin and be delivered from Satan and death must go to where Christ is. Absent of Christ we will know no comfort and peace. Go to where Christ is and you will find the one who has power over all things, the one who sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.

The truth of Christ is a remarkable reality that cannot be found by reason or by feeling. The truth of Christ can only be followed by faith. Martin Luther said, “Such is the nature of faith that it feels nothing at all, but merely follows the words which it hears, and clings to them. If you believe, you have; if you believe not, you have not.”

We follow Christ to where he has promised to be present here, now and everywhere. We find him in his holy and precious Word. We find him the holy actions of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We find him ruling over all things. All of creation obeys his word, the water, the bread, the wine, the very words on the page are made holy and life-giving by the promise of Jesus Christ.

 Soli Deo Gloria