Have you ever tried to play hide-and-seek with a newborn? Try it the next time you’re around a baby who is less than three months old and you’ll find out that it isn’t much fun. Why not? Because babies that young haven’t yet developed a sense of “object permanence.” They haven’t figured out that when you hide a stuffed animal, for example, it doesn’t mean that it has gone. So when you pop the animal back out and shout “Peek-a-boo!” you’ll only succeed in scaring the kid to tears because as far as he was concerned, the stuffy had left and so he was on to looking at other things in the room. Even if you were to hide the stuffy in the exact same spot, the baby will assume again that the stuffy has gone and will start to think about other things. It’s not until infants get a bit older that they figure out that just because they can’t see something doesn’t mean that it has gone. When they get to that point they’ve developed “object permanence.”
Christians are often like newborns when it comes to Jesus’ ascension. Because we can’t see Jesus we figure that he has gone and we become distracted by a lot of other things in the world. Well I want to challenge you to stop being a baby about Jesus’ ascension! He may be concealed, but he’s not gone. Let’s find out how this truth will make a difference in our daily lives. Let’s develop some object permanence in regard to our ascended Lord.
Jesus’ ascension into heaven took place 40 days after his resurrection. Do you remember how he spent his time during those 40 days? He hung out with his disciples and other believers proving to them that he was really alive. He also spent those remaining days teaching his disciples about the kingdom of God. As far as we know he didn’t use that time to perform miracles like healing the blind or making the lame walk as he had done before his death and resurrection. No, Jesus thought it was much more important and beneficial that his disciples get into God’s Word again during those last forty days.
That’s Jesus’ ongoing will for you too. Sure, you may have already spent years studying the Bible, but I hope you don’t think you’ve learned all there is to know. And frankly the reason we want to keep studying the Bible is not just so that we have more knowledge about God; we study the Bible because it is through that book that Jesus strengthens and comforts us. The Bible is like a cell phone through which God is constantly texting you to encourage you and assure you of his love.
But the Bible won’t tell us everything we would like to know. For example in our text the disciples asked Jesus: “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6b) In spite of all the teaching Jesus had done, the disciples still seemed to be looking for Jesus to set up an earthly kingdom. And even if they were only wondering about when Judgement Day would come, Jesus said, “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority” (Acts 1:7).
Not only has Jesus not told us when the end will come, he hasn’t given us answers to other questions we might have like what exactly is heaven like? Or why didn’t God destroy Satan the moment he rebelled? Instead of occupying ourselves with questions like those, Jesus wants us to occupy ourselves with the mission he’s given to us. He said to his disciples: “…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
To be Jesus’ witnesses. That is our God-given mission. How well are we doing as Jesus’ witnesses? I admit that I don’t do as well as I could. I miss opportunities to tell others about Jesus and I shrug it off. I’m often more concerned about getting something to eat than I am about feeding others the life-giving Word of God. It’s true, not everyone is going to come to faith in Jesus. But if they’re going to choose hell over heaven, they ought to have to jump over us who are on our knees begging them to learn about Jesus!
Perhaps the reason we’re not focused on the mission Jesus has given to us to be his witnesses is because we’re acting like babies in regard to his ascension. We think that because we can’t see Jesus this means that he is gone. And if he’s gone, well, we can do whatever we want right? We’re like the class that go bananas whenever the teacher leaves the room.
But Jesus hasn’t left us. Our Epistle lesson this morning told us that Jesus “…ascend[ed] higher than the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe” (Ephesians 4:10). Now that Jesus has been glorified, he can be everywhere at once, and not just in a spiritual sense, but also with his human body. But don’t take that to mean you better behave because Jesus is right here watching you, like a teacher standing over your desk making sure you’re doing your work…or else. Instead consider how Jesus’ ascension also means that he was victorious in his mission to secure the forgiveness of sins. When celebrities show up for their award ceremonies like the Oscars, they get to walk down the red carpet in full view of their adoring fans. I’ve never walked down a red carpet to celebrate any accomplishment, but some day I will and so will you. Because of Jesus’ victory over sin, our sin and the death we deserve, because of that victory we won’t be standing on the sidelines watching others like the Apostle Paul or Moses march into heaven. We will be marching into heaven with them on the red carpet of Jesus’ blood. That’s true no matter what you have done (adapted from Max Lucado), for Jesus’ ascension - his victory parade over sin guarantees it!
Isn’t it fun to learn what Jesus’ ascension means for us? And there’s more. Not only has Jesus been victorious over sin, not only is Jesus everywhere at once as our ascended Lord, he also has been given back all power and authority, which he uses for the benefit of believers (Ephesians 1). Sure Jesus may be concealed, but he’s still compelling. In that sense Jesus is like a mountain. Mountains are often covered in clouds so that you can’t see them. But no one would be foolish enough to say that the mountain has gone when it becomes cloud-covered. If you flew a plane through those clouds you would quickly discover that the mountain is still there! And not only is the mountain still there behind those clouds, it’s exerting its influence on the area’s weather patterns. Its tall peaks capture moisture turning it into rain and snow that farms below desperately need.
Yes, Jesus may now be concealed, but he is still compelling. He is compelling world powers to do his bidding, not their own even though Satan is trying his best to run interference. Jesus is compelling cancer cells to do his work even when they bring an interruption into the life of a believer and her family. Since Jesus is still very much here with us, how should that change the way we live? It should mean that we stop acting like babies when we don’t get our way. It means that we can stop being stressed out about life and instead give our problems to Jesus to handle. It means that we don’t have to worry about our future. For not only is Jesus with us right now, he is already with us in the future. He knows the future of this congregation without a staff minister. He knows the future of our staff minister who may for a time being be without a congregation to serve full time.
Knowing and believing this truth will cause us to be like the disciples after Jesus’ ascension. You would think that after Jesus disappeared behind those clouds that the disciples would have returned to Jerusalem sad and depressed - the way you feel when grandpa and grandma drive away after their annual visit. But Luke tells us in his Gospel that the disciples returned to Jerusalem with great joy after the ascension! Why? Because they were like ground troops who had just watched their commander fly off to a position from which he was better able to direct the war. No, they could no longer see him, but they knew he was still there with them and helping them in their lives and in their work. They also knew that their commander would reappear again and when he did, it would be to celebrate victory over death and Satan once and for all.
No, there is no reason for us to act like babies when it comes to Jesus’ ascension. Sure Jesus is concealed from us, but he isn’t gone. He is here with us making his presence known through Word and Sacrament. But more than that, he is also in heaven preparing a place for us and at the same he fills the whole universe controlling everything for the good of his people. That means that we can’t lose, brothers and sisters, not when we continue to put our trust in this Jesus. That’s the point of Ascension. Amen.
SERMON NOTES
Jesus’ ascension into heaven took place 40 days after his resurrection. What did he do during those 40 days? Why is that worth noting?
Jesus gave his disciples a mission. What is that mission? How can you carry out that mission THIS week?
Jesus’ ascension was also his victory parade. What did he do that’s worth celebrating? In what way can we look forward to red carpet treatment because of what Jesus did?
Why is it worth remembering that Jesus is like a mountain covered in clouds?
