“5, 4, 3, 2, 1…lift off!” I’ve always thought it would be cool to watch a rocket being launched into space. As the rocket would struggle to escape earth’s grip, the sound must be deafening and the ground must shake under your feet. As exciting as it would be to watch a rocket blast off from its pad, it’s not a thrill that would last very long. After a couple of minutes you would lose sight of the ship, leaving you no reason to hang around the launch pad - unless, of course, you were one of the scientists who had an experiment on board that rocket. For you and other scientists, the launch of the rocket is only the beginning of your excitement. The real fun comes when the rocket reaches its orbit and the astronauts begin conducting the experiments you’ve designed.
Although there was no smoke or the deafening sound of explosive rocket engines, Jesus’ ascension into heaven was as impressive. The disciples celebrated the event and continued to do so even after they returned from the launch pad outside Jerusalem. Like scientists who rejoice when the rocket reaches orbit because it can now do what it has been sent to do, the disciples rejoiced at Jesus’ ascension because they knew that his ascent to the right hand of God would impact their lives in a positive way. Jesus’ ascension continues to impact us in a positive way today. Let’s find out how so that we keep on celebrating the Lord’s ascension like the early disciples did.
There must be many late nights of worry for scientists preparing an experiment for a space mission. Scientists want everything to go just right because millions of dollars are being spent to make the experiment possible. If the experiment is a flop, there will be great disappointment and the years of planning will have seemed wasted. The hours that followed Jesus’ crucifixion were filled with disappointment for the disciples. They had dedicated three years of their lives to following one they thought could make a difference in Israel. But now he was dead and those who had killed Jesus would probably come after them too so the disciples huddled together behind locked doors. Had they been part of a failed “experiment”? Jesus had died, yes, but he would come back to life and the disciples should have known that. When the resurrected Jesus appeared to them he said: “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms…This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day” (Luke 24:44, 46b).
Oh, how Christians suffer needlessly when they don’t take to heart God’s Word! Those hours after Jesus’ crucifixion should have been ones of anticipation, not disappointment and fear. The disciples should have camped out at Jesus’ tomb to catch the resurrection spectacle, the way concertgoers camp out at the ticket window so they can snap up the good tickets. The disciples must have kicked themselves later for not being there to witness the angel wrenching open the empty tomb.
What part of God’s Word do we ignore and suffer as a result? For example God invites us to cast all of our anxieties on him but do we instead bottle up our concerns until we’ve managed to concoct a mean brew of apprehension that’s just as sinful and hazardous to our health as a night of excessive drinking?
What’s the remedy? How can we learn to trust God’s Word better? Jesus. After chastising the disciples for not having believed God’s Word regarding his resurrection, Luke tell us what Jesus did. “45 Then [Jesus] opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures” (Luke 24:45). This was the first fulfillment of a promise Jesus had given to his disciples. Jesus had promised that after he went to heaven he would send the Holy Spirit who would open their minds to understand Scripture (John 16:13, 14). We need the Holy Spirit because as Paul explained in his first letter to the Corinthians: “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14). Even if you are the smartest person in the world, without the Spirit of God you still would not be able to understand or accept God’s Word – like trying to read a newspaper in a language you don’t understand.
So this is one thing that makes Jesus’ ascension worth celebrating. At his ascension, Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit so that we can understand and believe God’s Word. Believing God’s promises leads to a worry-free life.
But the Holy Spirit does more than give us knowledge; he gives us power. Listen to what Jesus told his disciples. “49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). Jesus wasn’t going to leave his disciples with a picture of himself, a lock of his hair, or a relic from his cross; he gave them something better – divine power through the gift of the Holy Spirit. Notice how Jesus said that we would be clothed with Holy Spirit, not just get plugged into him from time to time like a light bulb on the fritz – although that’s how we sometimes act because of our faulty connection to the Word.
So what were the disciples to do with this power? Jesus told them: “repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached…to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things” (Luke 24:47, 48). While the disciples had at first thought of themselves as members of a witness protection program hiding in locked rooms, Jesus’ ascension and the promise of the Holy Spirit made them aware that they were to be a part of the witness proclamation program. And proclaim they did! When the disciples returned to Jerusalem after Jesus’ lift off, they didn’t go back into hiding; they went daily to the temple courts where they praised God for all to see. What made the difference? Jesus’ ascension made the difference. It gave the disciples a power-filled life through the Holy Spirit.
So what kind of witnesses for Jesus are we? If we’re keeping low profiles as Christians as if we were part of some witness protection program, it may be because we don’t understand Jesus’ ascension. Jesus’ ascension wasn’t his retirement; it was his re-coronation as King of the universe. How would you feel if a close friend of yours became Prime Minister? You’d feel important and would expect to receive a few perks wouldn’t you? Well we have it even better than that with Jesus. He doesn’t just give us a few perks but everything we need, as Paul explained in our Epistle Lesson: “God placed all things under [Jesus’] feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church ” (Ephesians 1:22). With Jesus ruling all things, there is no need for us to be timid. Instead we’ll be bold witnesses for Christ.
But now what exactly is it that we are to witness to others? We are to share God’s Word: the law and the gospel. Jesus said that first of all repentance should be preached. Do we do that? With a tear in our eye because we’re really concerned about our unbelieving neighbors, do we tell them that they are going to hell? “Oh, I could never do that!” Why not? If we don’t point out the seriousness of their sin now, God will on Judgment Day and it will be too late for that person to turn to Jesus for forgiveness. If you noticed that your child filled out his homework incorrectly, I don’t think you would think twice of helping him see his mistakes. If you won’t, his teacher will and his grade will reflect that.
Of course preaching repentance is only the half of it. The other half is to point people to Jesus for forgiveness. We know that we have forgiveness through Jesus because the ascension guarantees it. Had Jesus not conquered sin and death, he would not have been welcomed back into heaven as a conquering king. Since Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father, we can be certain that his mission to wash us clean of all sin was accomplished. But Jesus didn’t just forgive us here. He forgives the baby-killer. He forgives the alcoholic, the drug addict, the housewife addicted to materialism, the dad who thinks work is the most important thing in his life, he forgives children who disobey their parents and disrespect their classmates. Jesus forgives us all!
Do you see the excitement here? Because we have forgiveness, we have eternal life! We’re certain of all this because of Jesus’ ascension. Therefore just as a scientist’s excitement grows after a rocket ship has lifted off, so our excitement grows with Jesus’ lift off from the Mt. of Olives because our Lord ascends for our benefit. And even though he has ascended to heaven has hasn’t left us because we’re told that he know fills the universe with his presence. And as if that’s not enough, he clothes us with the Holy Spirit who gives us understanding of his Word which leads to a worry-free and power-filled life. Therefore we will keep on celebrating our Lord’s ascension. Amen.
