✠ Psalmody: Acts 1:11a, c; Psalm 47:1; Psalm 47:5; Psalm 68:17b–18a; Psalm 47:5; Psalm 68:32b–33a
✠ Lection: 2 Kings 2:8–15; Acts 1:1–11; Mark 16:14–20
In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Nestled in the less-ventured, weekday shadow of the annual favorites of Easter 40 days prior, and of Pentecost and Holy Trinity in the weeks that follow is this Feast of the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. Unlike other high holy days, especially Easter and Christmas, the biggies, the Ascension has no pageantry, no vigils, no aspirations of chorale delight, no special breakfasts, nor long-awaited fasting relief. It sits quietly on its designated Thursday year in and year out as an opportunity often passed right by in much of Christendom today as most rather reserve their love and exuberance for the fanfare of Christ’s Nativity and His Resurrection. Yet, His ascension is an equally significant event to His birth and His rising from the dead, because it, too, is an integral piece of the Lord’s plan for the salvation of the world established from before the foundation of the world. It is as equally important as our grand days of celebration, neither to eclipse them nor to submit to their lofty position, but to be seen and celebrated as a part that establishes and proclaims the whole story of what God has done and is doing for us, for He has seen to it that He is most glorified in how He has rescued man from the damning clutches of sin, death, and the devil.
Before there were the heavens and the earth, God was. The blessed eternal Trinity is the One by Whom all things have come into existence; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In six days, the Almighty created the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land, the animals, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea. Then, God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them; a perfect communion in a perfect creation by the perfect God. But, in sin, we fractured this, separating ourselves in our naked shame with no possible means by which to mend it. It was the Eternal One Who stepped down, first still coming to walk in the midst of our sin in the cool of the day and to call out to us in His Garden by name. From the beginning, our great God and Savior has shown His love, mercy, and faithfulness toward us by speaking into existence the path which would lead to salvation; which would traverse and crush the serpent’s head. Thus, we rightly celebrate the Son of God being made Man and being born of the Virgin Mary. Oh, how great it is that He has united Himself with us, so that in possessing our human nature, He may redeem ours.
And redeem it He did, having grown in wisdom and stature, then travelling around one small corner of the world bestowing bright glimpses of the eternal rescue He held in His humble, yet omnipotent hand. With His original band of disciples, we, too, have grown quite fond of the idea of Jesus with us, for all the Scriptural proclamations of most of this festal half of the Church Year have in mind the scenario of the Life and Ministry of Jesus tabernacled among us. But go to any place in this creation looking for Jesus in this way would be the same as searching for Him in the tomb on that glorious third day. It is better that we do not have Him among us in that earthly way. Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. He is not here in that same way that had Him in the flesh among some of us. Which is why it was important, it was necessary that He ascended, that He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God; not necessary as if there could be any external force to make a requirement of God, but necessary in that His glory demanded it as did your benefit; His glory demanded Him to complete His eternal plan of your salvation. This is the importance of the ascension, that He indeed ascended in the flesh and sat down at the right hand of the Father. Let us give thanks to our blessed Savior and ponder upon what these two truths mean for us.
For 40 days did our dear, risen Lord remain here in the flesh, seen by over five hundred brethren at once, before assuming the cloud of His glory and ascending into heaven. In that cloud, those gathered upon the mount did not behold the Almighty as in days of old in booming voice only with thunderings, lightnings, and earthquake. What they saw in this glorious ascension cloud was human flesh forever united to God as He returned to His throne in both divine nature and human nature. The eternal Second Person of the Holy Trinity shall forevermore be both God and Man, which testifies that He did not leave us who dwell in the flesh to perish to the devil’s delight, even while he still prowls around, but redeemed us to the full exaltation of heaven. He had lived a full life in our flesh from womb to tomb and back up again. He showed Himself repeatedly after His resurrection, giving us confidence that He is indeed risen and bestowing comfort against any fear that He is just a ghost or wishful thought. Thus, in looking upon God Himself ascending back from whence He came but forever united in our flesh having won the victory necessary to heal the fracture which we have wrought, we see the Ascension’s magnificent implications for us. We, too, shall ascend to the Father to be seated with Christ, for by faith we are now found in Him. We sang in the Alleluia verse, “Thou hast ascended on high, Thou hast led captivity captive.” What once held threat over us is no more. Our victorious Captor has taken death captive and exalted those who once sat in sin’s dark prison with Him as He, God and Man in one Person, ascended for us, lifting on high all who have faith and abide in Him. All who have been baptized into Christ are alive in Him Who lives forevermore. As pilgrims in a wilderness of chaos and uncertainty, we may hold fast to the certainty of ascending with Christ as our ever-living Head has gone before us in this manner. He is the fulfillment of the living Enoch and Elijah ascending into heaven, and though our bodies may not follow suit now, all who die here in Christ shall ascend by the Lamb’s holy angels ushering up unto Abraham’s bosom, the very place where the Victorious Lamb is now seated on the throne of God.
This is the second, further implication of Christ’s ascension. He Who has taken up our flesh and won the victory sits upon heaven’s throne. God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Behold the beautiful significance of Christ our Lord ascending into heaven in the flesh, securing our eternal home and exalting us lowly creatures in Himself in the true high place of heaven! Let these words enliven your thanksgiving every time the Celebrant at the Holy Communion calls out for you to life up your hearts, for the golden Ladder unto heaven stands invincible in Jesus Christ, your risen and ascended Lord!
St. Mark and others also make clear that this same Jesus has not only ascended, that not only does He intercede before the Father for us as our own High Priest, but that He sat down at the right hand of God. To Him belong all honor, glory, power, and dominion as He has assumed the place from which there is supreme rule. It was from His heavenly throne that He departed on the most-cherished act of rescue and deliverance to which all others may only point and hope to mimic. Yet, a King’s rightful place after gaining victory on the field of battle is to return to what is rightfully His from which He rules and reigns. Jesus reigns. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, for He is the Lord Himself Who now in mercy delays His return until the proper time. We, then, await in confidence and patience in the One for Whom all His enemies shall be made His footstool, for as His Church waits, He comes in Body not just to a corner, but to every holy altar where He is rightfully proclaimed. We await the most certain remaining pieces simply to come to be as He has promised, just as did His birth; just as did His death and resurrection; just as did His glorious ascension. Our Victorious King shall not be thwarted, for He has ascended in the flesh, sat down at the right hand of God, and shall come again to bring about the Last Day in which all flesh shall be raised and those who sleep in the dust with faith in Him shall be given, in body and soul, the everlasting inheritance prepared for them from the foundation of the world.
We cling not to the Lord Jesus as He was here. We gaze not into heaven in unknowing wonder. But we carry on just as He gives the days to us, celebrating our Lord’s ascension as part of our salvation, trusting, believing, and rejoicing that the One once dead, now lives and reigns from heaven giving certainty to all who are His who still dwell here that indeed, in Him, the everlasting kingdom ours remaineth, into which we, too, shall ascend.
In ✠ Jesus’ Name. Amen.
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