The text this morning is from the Acts of the Apostles, the first chapter:
In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”Thus far the text.
My dear friends in Christ,
He is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia! And He is risen in a way that we did not expect, but about which we should be quite glad. In today’s lesson, the dear doctor, Luke, wrote to Theophilus. Whether Theophilus is a real person or not, we don’t know. And I say that because the name Theophilus is real, but it also translates as The One who Loves God. And so, you can, and should, imagine that Luke is writing even to you, as you are one who loves God.
So, Luke is writing this for you, so that you may know of it and use it and cherish it. And he writes of the Ascension of Christ, not just that it happened, but that it happened for a reason, with purpose. The Ascension is more than just a nice story, or a way that Jesus gets up to heaven. It’s something that really matters. We tend to skip over it. Oh, Jesus lived, died, and was resurrected for you! But when do you hear that He has ascended for you? Not often, if at all.
Yet, Luke begins that for you who love God, he has already written in his gospel all that Jesus began to do and teach until the event he is going to start describing. Did you catch that, though? All that Jesus began to do and teach, as if it wasn’t it. Is it though? Did Jesus stop? Of course not. Because what Jesus promises today continues His teaching from 40 days after the first Easter even until today. Jesus rose from the dead, yes. He spent 40 days with His disciples, yes. He ascended into heaven, yes, but not before giving them one last promise.
He has spent so much time with everyone, showing them Himself, His scars, His marks, teaching them, doing miracles around them, ultimately giving them the best seminary education ever received in just 40 short days. But then He tells them not to leave Jerusalem, for He would soon send the Holy Spirit to baptize them. I know this is where some churches go off the rails saying that there’s a different baptism than the one with water and the Word. But, the reality is that the Holy Spirit, which will descend on the Apostles just 50 short days after the resurrection, completed the Baptism which was begun in the death of Christ. It’s different in the way it came to them, but it is the same Baptism that Jesus says comes to you in water and the Word.
So, they are to be baptized with the Holy Spirit, which is indicating something big is happening, and the disciples all thought, alright, this is the day when Jesus, the dude who defeated death, takes back Jerusalem and all Israel. He’s going to kick out the Romans, the Pharisees, all the people who killed Him, who are standing in His way, the evil and unrighteous (I guess those seminary days for them didn’t really pan out after all, did it?.
But Jesus says the end is coming on a day when no one knows. Moreover, that’s not even what He’s talking about. He’s talking about when the Holy Spirit will fill the Apostles so that they would be witnesses all the way to the ends of the earth. Well, He does say witnesses, but the word that’s used here is the same word we use today to describe those who die for the sake of Christ: martyr. Jesus is calling the apostles, not only to witness to Him, but to die for His sake, to become martyrs.
And then Jesus leaves. He ascends up into the clouds and they see Him no more. How’d you like that? You’re chatting with Jesus and He goes, well, see you next week, buddy, and then He goes away without even explaining anything. But, that’s the important part here, isn’t it?
When Jesus goes bodily away, when He ascends into heaven, He leaves, not because He’s tired of us, but so that He can send the Holy Spirit who will fill Jesus’ disciples that we may go out and be both witnesses to Him, and, in some cases, martyrs for Him. We will be filled to such an extent with faith that whatever may come, whether we are stoned like Stephen, crucified like Peter, beheaded like Paul, or you die peacefully in age like John, anything is okay. If all is well with Christ and us, what else can people take away? Your life? You get to live forever.
You see, because Christ ascended into heaven, you are now given the opportunity to witness for Him, to tell others of Him, and even to die and be given, in heaven, an honored place among all the saints. Because He is ascended, you are given faith by the gift of the Holy Spirit. For blessed are all those who do not see and yet believe. You are one of them. Because He is ascended, He uses His power to be among us all, to be with and in each one of us, to dwell in us, abide in us, and to place Himself everywhere else He has promised, in His Word, in His Baptism, in His Supper.
You see, Christ Jesus ascending to heaven is good for us as we can show others where He has promised to be, that they might also receive the benefit of faith. I know, it seems like that by sight would be better. You know, if He walked with us, and talked with us, and told us we were His own. But, how did that work out for Adam and Eve? The reality is that faith is much greater even than sight, for it is a gift of God in us, rather than depending on our ability to hear or see or touch. Faith is the greatest gift ever given by Christ, and it is given to you through the very fact that He has ascended. We are saved by grace through faith, not grace through sight, not grace through touch. Grace through faith, a gift of God through the power of the Holy Spirit from the hand of Jesus Himself and blessed by the Father.
We don’t just walk through this life like the Apostles who were left staring at the sky. What do we do now? The two men told them to quit looking up and not worry. Jesus would come back just as they had seen Him go. They won’t miss it. Neither shall you. If you end up just staring up into the sky, waiting for Jesus, you’ll miss the rest of your life. You’ll miss everything you’re called to do, everyone you can minister and witness to. But, if you expect Jesus to return at any moment, if you expect that until that time He’ll give you the power to persevere, then you can begin your work. Then you can go about your business and do the things that in front of you without ever having to worry about the rest.
You’ve all thought about or have seen the person who just seems to get lost in God, swaying to the music, closing their eyes, trying to make some experience of “glory” pass over them. That’s really not what we’re called to do. The two men tell the Apostles to get going. They tell us the same. Jesus is coming back, and until then, go. You won’t miss it. What does Jesus tell the Apostles to do? Go. In fact, it’s kind of like, while you’re out there going about, make disciples by baptizing them and teaching them to obey all I have commanded. Don’t just go out of your way, but while you’re going to the airport, the market, your house, your work, the museum, the bar. In your goings, make disciples.
So, the two men who appear to them, are saying, go and do what He said. Get going. Go on. And you know what? They did. They left the mountain that day and returned into the city of Jerusalem, where they awaited the Holy Spirit. But you no longer have to wait. You have the gift of the Holy Spirit. He was given to you in your Baptism. You may not preach like Peter, you may not pray like Paul, but you have the very same Spirit that was given to them, the Holy Spirit that give you the right to be called a child of God, to empower you to do good, to strengthen you and keep you steadfast in the one, true faith unto life everlasting. This same Spirit delivers to you, from Jesus’ hand, the gift of forgiveness, the gift of life, the gift of salvation.
You don’t have to wait any longer. It’s done. The Spirit has given it all to you. You are baptized with water and the Holy Spirit, and you are now the same as the Apostles. You are blessed, having been taught by Christ, having learned at His feet, strengthened by His body and blood, you are the same as the Apostles, witnessing to the fact that Jesus Christ came to save sinners by living, dying, rising, and ascending to heaven. You may tell others about Him without fear, even if it should take your life, goods, fame, child, or wife. Those these all be gone, the victory has been won. The kingdom ours remaineth. For He is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia! In Jesus’ name, amen.
Now may the peace of God which passes all human understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord! Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment