Prayer: Lord Jesus, speak to us this day through the power of your Spirit, in your name I pray. Amen.
I always wished I could fly when I was younger…I probably still wish I could! I used to have dreams about flying. Wouldn’t it be great to be like superman and just take off from the ground with one leap!
In todays reading from Acts we have Jesus taking a lift off from the ground up into the sky as he is “taken” to heaven. You may wonder if this is a literal event that happened or just a symbolic or poetic picture for us.
Acts is Luke’s second book, after his gospel where he begins by telling us that he carefully investigated the story of Jesus, interviewing eyewitnesses and writing an orderly account that we may know the certainty of the things we have been taught. Luke is a Dr and an historian. His account in Acts is a continuation of his gospel account, he wrote a short account of the ascension at the end of his gospel, but he tells the longer version at the beginning of Acts. He writes about the ascension of Jesus as a matter of fact, with eyewitnesses observing what occurred and we are to read it as an historical event just like Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection.
Ascension Day was celebrated on Thursday, 40 days after his resurrection and it often gets missed, so I thought I would make it our reading for today as the ascension is an important event to recognize and celebrate before we come to remember Pentecost next Sunday.
Why is it important? Because if Jesus hadn’t ascended into heaven, he would not have sent us the promised Holy Spirit!
We especially read of Jesus’ promise to send the Holy Spirit in the gospel of John, and Rob touched on this in his sermon last week. In chapters 14-17 of John, Jesus repeatedly tells his disciples that he will not leave them but will send the Holy Spirit to live in them. He says it is good that he goes to the Father, because only then will he send the Holy Spirit and the Father that lives in him will also live in them, and they will do much greater things than even he did on earth.
The ascension was also important for the disciples so that they knew that this time when Jesus disappeared, he would not be reappearing as he had over the past 40 days. Rather this was the last time they would see him in this bodily form. It was time for them to receive the Holy Spirit and get on with God’s mission.
I realized how important it was to teach about the ascension recently when I was talking with a person who had grown up in another faith. We had talked about Jesus’ death and resurrection and how he appeared to his disciples. We hadn’t got to the bit about the ascension, and I might not have thought to intentionally speak on this until they asked a simple question following on from our discussion around the resurrection. The person asked if Jesus was still walking around on earth now. This was a possibility to them as we had read that Jesus had risen from the dead and was alive forever.
It is important to acknowledge and celebrate the ascension!
It is important to read Acts 1 before we get to Acts 2!
Let’s have a look at the passage we have before us this morning.
Firstly, Luke recounts from his first book that he had written how Jesus had suffered and risen from the dead, presenting himself and giving many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the Kingdom of God.
The gospels only tell of a few accounts of Jesus appearing to his disciples, but it is likely there were more occurrences. Why forty days you might ask? Forty is a significant number in the bible. Moses led the Israelites forty years in the wilderness, Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness before he began his ministry. Perhaps these forty days were for Jesus to prepare them for their ministry once they received power from on high, being filled with the Holy Spirit.
Luke says he spoke to them about the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom that Jesus had ushered in with his coming to earth, the Kingdom he wanted his disciples to continue to build once he departed. The Kingdom that would be fully established when he finally does return.
On one occasion, says Luke, while Jesus was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
Despite Jesus’ teaching, it seems the disciples still did not understand what he meant about the Kingdom of God. For they ask him this question…
“Lord, are you at this time going to restore the Kingdom to Israel?”
They are still thinking politically and expecting a territorial Kingdom, still dreaming of liberation from Roman rule. Jesus replies;
“It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But 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.”
He tells them to stop thinking about dates and their worldly expectations. His Kingdom was spiritual in nature. Jesus’ Kingdom is living under his rule and reign, following him, receiving his Spirit, and being filled with his love, joy, and peace. Loving God and loving others. This is the Kingdom Jesus was speaking of and his disciples were to go and tell the world what Jesus had done. How the Father so loved the world that he sent Jesus to die and to rise again so that we may have new and eternal life.
Jesus’ final words to his disciples were to commission them to go and tell the good news…not just to the Jews but to everyone – to the ends of the earth!
After this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
Luke has the disciples as eyewitnesses to Jesus’ ascension. He didn’t just vanish this time to reappear. It seems a more deliberate departure. His time of walking in bodily form on earth was over, but he continued to walk with them in Spirit. As he continues to walk with us.
You can just imagine the disciples watching and straining their eyes as Jesus was lifted up and away before them and out of their sight. God knew they would need confirmation of what had just happened, so he kindly sends two angels. Angels were there at the beginning at the annunciation to Mary, they were there to announce Jesus’ birth to the shepherds, they were there at his tomb to announce his resurrection and now they were sent again to confirm his ascension.
“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
In other words, stop standing around just gazing heavenward and get on with what Jesus instructed you! But they do confirm that Jesus will one day return. We won’t focus on that now…but it is interesting that it was a cloud that hid him from sight for in Revelation chapter 1 we read that Jesus will return on the clouds… Look he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him…
But we are not to stand around looking and wondering when he will return in glory, for only the Father knows the date and time. We are to get on with the business of building his Kingdom here, being his witnesses to the ends of the earth, so that when he does return, more people will be ready, having heard the message of the gospel which he commissions us to go and proclaim.
The disciples returned to Jerusalem to wait for the promised Holy Spirit. It was another 10 days before the outpouring of power from on high. We will hear more about that next week. As they waited, they prayed. A good example for us when we are feeling unsure and impatient…wait and pray.
A final word on the importance of the ascension of Jesus. Not only did he send the Holy Spirit after he ascended, but he also sat down at the right hand of God the Father to reign and there to intercede for us.
The apostle Paul writes in Romans 8 of how we are justified before God through Jesus and that nothing can separate us from his love.
Christ Jesus, who died – more than that, who was raised to life- is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine, or nakedness or danger or sword?… For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, neither angels or demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Jesus’ ascension from earth is good news for us 2000 plus years on. He continues to sit next to the Father, hearing our prayers and putting them before the Father. He continues to pour out his Holy Spirit on all believers so that he lives in us. He is closer than our very breath.
But he places his Spirit in us for a purpose, yes to fill us with his love, joy, and peace…but more than that we are to be his witnesses wherever we find ourselves in the ends of the earth. His prayer to the Father that we heard from John 17 today is for us… He prays that we will be in the Father and Jesus, just like they are in each other…for what purpose? That the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
Jesus lives in us! And we are to reveal his love and glory to the world…
Let us pray:
Father thank you for your servant, Luke, leaving an orderly account of Jesus life, death, resurrection, and ascension, that we might believe. We thank you that Jesus now lives in heaven, seated at your right-hand interceding for us. Thank you for sending us the Holy Spirit so that you now live in us. Help us not to get caught up in heaven gazing, wondering when you will return on the clouds, but empower us by your Spirit to be your witnesses, building your Kingdom here on earth. As Jesus revealed the Father’s heart while he was on earth, may we reveal Jesus in our lives and draw more people into your Kingdom ready for the day you return in glory. In the powerful name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.