The 21^th Sunday after Trinity

SERMON

INI

Text: Acts 1:1-11

Acts 1:1-3: The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

But it’s not Ascension! Or is it? Our text emphasizes that Jesus began to do and teach and is continuing it now so EVERY DAY is A CELEBRATION OF ASCENSION. Twice Luke tells us about the ascension of our LORD. He refers to his gospel as the record of all that Jesus began both to do and to teach. He highlights it’s culmination in V.3. “Jesus presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs.” When Jesus begins something, nothing can prevent its culmination, not even death. Jesus is arisen. And the evidence of the resurrection it says is infallible. This was no hallucination. It was the last thing any of the disciples expected and would not believe it when they heard it. But they all saw Him - at the tomb - on the road to Emmaus - in the upper room - at the Sea of Galilee - even 500 of them seeing Him on top of the mountain. And now once again they saw Him and watched Him do what could not be faked, ascend into heaven. This was no hoax. Thomas the twin made sure of that for us. He put his finger into the holes in Jesus’ hands, stretched out from hours on the cross. He thrust his hand into Jesus’ side. No one could have imitated those wounds and lived. This was no conspiracy by some secret group for their self advantage. Over 500 people saw Him alive again. All their self-interest was in exposing any conspiracy, if it existed, for many of them lost their homes, their property, their families, their lives for witnessing that Jesus is arisen. That infallible proof changed them from cowering scarecrows to bold witnesses dying to tell others: Jesus is arisen, your sins are forgiven. Looking over Jesus’ life with righteousness established and redemption culminated, Luke closes his gospel with the resulting blessing as Jesus ascends into Heaven. Every day we need Jesus to lift up the hands pierced by our sins and bless us: “Your sins are forgiven, your soul redeemed. Righteousness is established for you and eternal life.” If Jesus had not finished this salvation, I’d have no reason to stand here, no hope to live for. But the infallible proofs of His resurrection are before us so we can live today with assurance and hope. Think about it—everything you do for Jesus from your job to giving your child a hug, from your homework to letting your parents know you love them has Jesus’ blessing. Every Day is A CELEBRATION OF ASCENSION.

The ascension also lays before our eyes here all that Jesus continues both to do and to teach. His rich wounds yet visible above are still raised in blessing on His call to “be witnesses to Me!” He’s saying, “I want to continue My work through you. You are My mouth to comfort the troubled, to encourage the weak and to warn the straying. You are My hands to touch the lonely, to help the burdened and to pray even for those who hurt you. You are My heart to grow in wisdom, to cry for those who will not come, and to rejoice with those who do.” Satan hates the Ascension of our LORD. He succeeds when we forget or ignore the daily Ascension celebration. Every day we need Jesus to lift up the hands pierced by our sins and bless us: “I am with you, My authority supports you. Your faith is established in Me and everything will work for your good.” If Jesus were not continuing this blessing, I’d have no confidence to stand here, no purpose to live for. But His hands are still raised in blessing to empower us to be witnesses so we can live today with confidence and purpose. Think about it—everything you do for Jesus from sports to including a person who was left out has Jesus’ blessing. So every day is a mission celebration for Every Day is A CELEBRATION OF ASCENSION.

Acts 1:4-9: And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.

What success are you longing for? Landing a big job? Acing a test or just passing it? Winning a trophy? Becoming more popular with the group? Enjoying some elusive pleasure? One day the disciples were assembled together with Jesus, similar to our gathering here. Jesus electrified them: “Wait in Jerusalem for the Father’s promise” (v.4). They longed for the success of the risen Messiah ruling this world with the believers having its earthly pleasures and power over the unbelievers. And that’s what they heard in Jesus’ promise. Israel will rise again. The heartaches and disappointments of the last years would be over. No more rejection and ridicule nor antagonism and anguish for following Jesus. Now the LORD would take His power and rule. V.6 “LORD, now you are going to restore the kingdom to Israel, aren’t You?”

Jesus’ answer must have been as shocking to them as His death and burial. Oh, His words were gentle and kind, yet absolutely antithetical to their visions of earthly success. “You shall be witnesses”—literally martyrs. They would not be wealthy, respected ambassadors of THE EARTHLY KING but martyrs of a rejected and crucified Savior. Jesus’ stunning answer was echoed in His action. Just as their minds had begun to skip through the dreamy clouds of Jesus banishing the scribes and Pharisees and brandishing Rome with a few lightning bolts from heaven - just as they were becoming intoxicated with the sweet wine of earthly success, Jesus brought them back to sober reality with His leaving the earth. There would not be an earthly rule of Israel or the CLC. He was not going to make Jerusalem the Capitol of the world. He was not going to make them earthly monarchs with the wealth and power of the world.

How often do our longings lead us to set our goals on earthly success: to be #1, to impress our peers, to enjoy the pleasures of life? Again and again we need the Ascension experience that teaches so vividly that there is nothing on this earth worthy of our faith - of our ultimate goal in life. There will never be a heaven on this earth for it’s condemned to die with its sin and evil. Jesus left this earth. He ascended to Heaven to bring you to the Mansions of Heaven clothed forever in His own blood and righteousness. What a home that will be living in perfect purity with Jesus physically present. Ascension rings out loud and clear that the work of every Christian is to witness for “a little while” in a dying world and what a privilege that is to offer others life out of death and eternal life will come in the new Jerusalem above. EVERY DAY is A CELEBRATION OF WITNESSING. Jesus may not ask you to be a martyr, to die for Him, but He is asking you to be His witness, to live for Him today, every day.

Acts 1:10-11: And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

We are told they simply stood there staring up where Jesus had disappeared from their sight. It must have been a rather strange picture. Eleven grown men who literally kept on gazing intently into the sky. No jet airplane or even a soaring bird holding their attention - No eclipse or streaking comet captivating them - just staring at nothing in shock. The angels had to turn them from the clouds. They were / we are not to spend our lives gazing at nothing - doing nothing. Yet it’s an art we all dabble in isn’t it, some of us master? Sometimes even when we are aggressively active, always doing something, we’re really doing nothing.

Behold what a powerful message V.11 is: “Jesus will so come as you saw Him go.” Oh, I was doing something but maybe I was really doing nothing when it happened. BAMMM! A truck tire blew not far from me and I thought it was judgment day. Suddenly witnessing to that person at work or the friend who is living in sin doesn’t seem nearly as fearful as explaining to Jesus on that day why I just couldn’t witness to anyone. “After all,” will we really say to Him, “I didn’t know how?” When witnessing is simply telling what we have seen. You can’t stop a two year old from witnessing. We have seen Jesus, let’s witness His death and resurrection before He comes again.

Behold what a powerful message V.11 is: “This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven.” This same Jesus spoke and the winds and the waves obeyed Him; the sick, the lame, and the palsied were healed, even the dead came back to life. When He gave His own life on the cross to save us, the sun hid its light, the earth quaked, rocks split open, believers came forth from their graves, the veil in the temple split from top to bottom, jeering Jews smote their breasts, and Roman soldiers said: “Truly this was the Son of God!” His word: “By grace you are saved, redeemed with MY holy precious blood,” robbed Athene of her Parthenon glory, Diana of her splendor, and toppled the gods and goddesses of Greece and Rome from their heavens. Suddenly witnessing to that person caught up in a false religion or the friend who is making fun of your faith doesn’t seem so foolish. “After all,” will we really say to Jesus on that day, “I knew it wouldn’t do any good?” When this same Jesus has promised to work in His Word with the same power that made Lazarus walk out of the tomb. No obstacle, not the gates of hell themselves can prevent His Word from bearing fruit. We have Jesus’ promise, EVERY DAY is A CELEBRATION OF POWER so let’s witness the forgiveness of sins in His blood before He comes again. Amen.

—Professor John Ude
Mission Festival Guest Speaker