Sermon - Ascension - Mark 16:14-20

Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! What’s the big deal about Ascension Day? Out of all of the church feasts and festivals to observe and celebrate, why this one? What makes this one so significant to merit coming to church on a Thursday evening in May?

We have Christmas, when we celebrate the incarnation, that Jesus took on human flesh and blood from the virgin Mary. We have Easter, when we celebrate Christ’s resurrection, that Jesus has defeated sin, death, and the devil. And here we also have Ascension, when we are given the opportunity to rejoice that Jesus has ascended into heaven to be seated at the right hand of the Father upon the throne where He reigns over this whole creation through baptism and the proclamation of the Gospel.

Therefore, indeed Ascension day is quite significant in the life of the church. “So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.” It’s not that Jesus is seated at a lesser place than the Father, as if He’s somehow less important; like He’s relegated to sit at the right of the throne. Rather Jesus is seated upon the same throne as the Father. But here Jesus is seated in the position of power, the right hand, by which Jesus reigns over all of His creation. Jesus isn’t seated on the throne to forget about us like some lazy sleeping king, but He’s seated upon the throne in order to govern His whole church with power and might.

Before Jesus ascended to heaven, when He walked on earth, He was subject to the state of humiliation, of which Psalm 8 speaks: “What is man that you are mindful of him, and the Son of Man that you care for Him? You have made Him a little lower than the heavenly beings.” Upon this earth, Jesus was in a state of humiliation where He gave up some of His divine powers. He became human like us, knowing pain, temptation, and sorrow. This state of humiliation is what allowed Jesus to suffer and be crucified on the cross for us by which Christ vanquishes our death and forgives our sins.

But in Jesus’ ascension to heaven, He entered into the state of exaltation; the Father “crowned Him with glory and honor. Giving Him dominion over the works of His hands; putting all things under His feet.” “The Lord says to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” Jesus’s ascension to heaven doesn’t take Him away from the church, nor does it take away His powers, it actually does quite the opposite! In the state of exaltation Jesus regains His full divine power and is given the ability to be with His church throughout all times and in all places.

St. Paul describes the power of Jesus’ ascension for us in these words from Ephesians: “He raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.”

Christ’s ascension to the Father and entrance into the state of exaltation places Jesus above all things in a position of power and authority, setting Him up as the head of the church who leads and guides us to be saved. How is it that Jesus does this? “And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.” Jesus is with His church and reigns over it by the power of His almighty word proclaimed into all creation.

“And Jesus said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” The power by which Jesus subdues this earth and reigns over His church is poured out through these ordinary, plain, old, church things. Through the proclamation of the Gospel, sermons, like this one and many others are the means by which Jesus powerfully reigns upon the earth. 

The world may mock our sermons as boring words about irrelevant church stuff, and profane our sacraments by considering them no more than empty superstitious rituals, but the world is deceived! God could most certainly perform miraculous signs today if He so chose, like those He performed at the hands of the apostles: “In my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

God could perform those miracles again today, and in a way, He does perform many even greater miracles. Every time a person is baptized, demons are cast out. The gospel is quite regularly being translated into new languages, new tongues and proclaimed to those peoples. Whenever a false doctrine is cast out of someone’s thoughts, it’s no different than if that evil serpent himself were thrown out. Even though we listen to satan’s poisonous lies, the Holy Spirit protects us so that we aren’t killed by them. And how many times are sick people healed after praying? If you want, you can call those signs and wonders that still take place to this day. But the simple fact is those signs are not needed because they’re inferior to the word and the sacraments.

Those signs are given to point to Jesus, but they do so in an unclear and uncertain manner. Christ’s Word and His sacraments reveal Jesus with clarity and precision. They carry with them the power of the incarnate and ascended Savior. By the power of laying on of hands, a sickness could be removed, big deal! But “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved” eternally! 

Jesus reigns over His church on earth today not just to do miraculous parlor tricks, but to write our names in the book of life! Jesus says, “Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” This is the spectacular power which Jesus makes use of through the preached Word and Holy Baptism. The exalted Christ Jesus rescues His church from sin and damnation by delivering His righteousness earned on calvary to you in the ordinary means of Word and Sacrament.

The Paschal candle may be extinguished, and likewise Christ’s earthly presence is no longer visible. Yet the Ascended Lord reveals Himself to you, still reigning and clothed in His human body and blood, which is given to you, dear Christian, from this altar today. Though we still sin and our bodies are frail from death and dying, Christ feeds you His ascended, exalted, body and clothes you with righteousness from on high. So rejoice my friends, be glad and sing, Christ has not left us but is with us today; in His word, in His Water, in His body and blood, these are the signs which confirm your faith. Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!