Ascension Sermon May 21, 1998

Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

Christ's ascension is an event which happened 40 days after His resurrection. The reading from Acts told us "He appeared to them over a period of forty days." By counting off 40 calendar days, including Easter, you arrive at today as the commemoration of Christ's ascension. At the ascension, Jesus was raised up, hid by a cloud, and was then seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven. This all occurred outside the city of Bethany, near Jerusalem, as the 11 disciples watched. They kept on watching, until two angels appeared to shock them out of their stare.

Andrew Weyerman shared a trick he used to play as a resident of New York City. He would tease the tourists who visited Manhattan with its huge skyscrapers. He and his friends would suddenly stop on a crowded street, tilt their heads backwards as far as possible and stare intently at the top of a high rise such as the Empire State or Pan Am building. Before long, a small crowd would gather around and one by one the curious strangers would join in the sky gazing, wondering what was to be seen, but not wanting to admit that they saw nothing. You could even carry it farther, reported Weyerman, by quietly chuckling while you looked upward. Sure enough, one or two would join in laughing. The spell was broken only when some stouthearted soul would naively or honestly ask, "What are you looking at up there?"

That is sort of how the angels broke up the disciples' trance. These two men who appeared dressed in white garments, a sure sign they were angels, said to them: "Why do you stand here looking into the sky?"

Our texts do not report what these disciples were thinking. Perhaps they were distracted with details that they didn't need to be concerned about. They may have been wondering what Christ's physical location was. They may have been waiting for Him to immediately return. We really can't tell what they were thinking.

Through the ages many have become distracted with the details of Christ's ascension. One theologian of the 1700s thought Jesus must have been ascending into the sky at the speed of a cannonball, and he determined that it would take Jesus until 1820 to reach heaven from the start of His ascension in roughly 28 AD. This type of speculation is not only based on information which is not known, but it is also a result of someone worrying about the details which we don't need to worry about.

Some thought that the heaven Jesus ascended to was just above the earth's atmosphere. The first Russian Cosmonaut to reach outer space reported that he saw no heaven or signs of God there.

Once again, these details of the location of heaven are not details that Scripture gives us. It is not something we should be worrying about. Rather we ought to focus on what the Scripture does give us.

This worrying about things which we are not given can lead us astray. 1 Timothy 4 has this warning, "guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith."

How much better that we focus on the basics of what God does tell us. How much better to remember Christ who died and rose again so that your sins are removed. How much better to focus on the promises of our Lord. Indeed, the angels told the disciples, "This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."

So what is the point? Our attention is directed to Christ's return. He is coming again. And when He comes, He will come in the same way He left, with a cloud.

Some things will be different, however. We know that Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father. He was put in a position of power and authority over all things. The Ephesians reading said He was raised far above every other power. Jesus is now the ruler of all things.

Our Psalm said He reigns over all nations. All kings are under His power. President Clinton is under Jesus' power. So are other rulers of other countries.

Some people are very worried about a "New World Order," and the rise of one earthly government. They fear that the United Nations is really a conspiracy to take over the world and put it under one rule.

We as Christians can know, however, that the world is already under one ruler. There is a New World Order already in place. This is the rule of our Lord. Though the world may not see it today, He is King of kings and Lord of lords.

When Jesus returns, as King of kings, ruler of all things, He will come to judge all people, living and dead. Those people who do not know Christ as their gracious redeemer have much to fear of this coming judgment.

We who do know the mercy of our Lord, the forgiveness He earned for us, can await this coming with joyful anticipation. We know that on that day we will be cleared of the charges. We will be freed from the punishment our sins deserve. We will begin our full enjoyment of eternal life in the new heaven. Joy describes our feelings as we live our lives awaiting Christ's return. The disciples returned to Jerusalem with joy following the ascension, says the reading from Luke. They knew Christ would return. They could live their lives in confidence, knowing their salvation was secure in their ascended Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.

May the peace of God which passes all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.