Sermon - Ascension Day 2021 - Mark 16:14-20

 

"The Ascension," Rembrandt, 1636

Unsurprisingly, over the past year or so I’ve noticed a general unease and anxiety among many in our nation. People are a bit more on edge and impulsive, with shorter fuses. I know there are many factors which contribute towards this, not least among those factors is the feeling that our nation is rapidly changing before our very eyes. Particularly as faithful church going Christians we’re also a bit nervous about the future of the church here in America.

We’ve had a few generations of comfortable Christianity, but now things are looking quite uncomfortable. The Equality Act is looming, which threatens all of our Concordia Universites, since none of them could currently survive without government money. Our tax exempt status as congregations is thus threatened, and could make it even more difficult for us to pay our bills. Not to mention that all the while our membership is shrinking and aging, and the programs and activities we’re used to are becoming too hard for us to keep doing.

So right now, when things are feeling so bleak, why would we be talking about the Ascension? For that matter, why did Jesus ever even bother ascending? Wouldn’t it have been nicer if Jesus had just stuck around? Sure would be encouraging if Jesus could say something or give us some answers to help cheer us up and embolden us! Shoot! I could sure use a hug after a year when people stopped hugging; if Jesus were here He could at least give me a hug.

Well, all of those great needs are exactly why Jesus ascended. The Ascension of Christ gives us boldness and courage in adversity. To illustrate, just look at what the apostles were like before and then after the ascension. After Jesus had risen from the dead, “He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen.” 

So even after the apostles had seen the risen Lord with their own eyes, had heard the testimonies of others who had seen Him, and had even touched Him and dined with Him, they still were cowardly and filled with unbelief. They had every logical and rational reason to be unafraid. They saw with their own eyes that Jesus had risen from the dead, and that therefore death also had no power over them. But, they were filled with unbelief and hardness of heart. They locked themselves away for fear of death. Why? Because Jesus had not yet ascended and given them the Holy Spirit.

But after Jesus ascended and bestowed upon them the Holy Spirit, then what did they do? “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. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.” Because Jesus ascended into heaven, He gave them the Spirit, who then gave them boldness and courage in the face of trouble!

We must understand, Jesus didn’t ascend into order to get away from us, but so that He could reign over us! By Jesus’ death and resurrection, He conquered everything which causes us fear; He conquered sin, death, and the devil. By His ascension He proves that He rules over all things, and that all evil things are beneath Him. 

Jesus reigns in heaven as our King and we are therefore His loyal subjects, servants, and soldiers. As He taught us, His kingdom is not of this world, and therefore our kingdom is not of this world! Jesus, our King, has gone before us to the cross, the grave, and now the kingdom of heaven. From His throne, seated at the Father’s right hand, He still speaks to us.

We want to hear a word of comfort and encouragement? Then He speaks it! We want boldness and hope? His mouth is filled with it! Our Lord still speaks to us today. “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” The apostles went out and preached everywhere, and what were they preaching? Jesus’ words. They were proclaiming the Gospel, the good news, the word of hope and encouragement, to the whole creation. Jesus’ word is still preached to the nations from this pulpit and others like it.

You want Jesus to hug you? Well He does that through the people God has placed in your life. When a Christian daughter hugs her lonely father, she is Christ to that man. But more than a hug, Jesus bathes us in Baptism, He consoles us in Confession, and He feeds us His body and blood in the blessed sacrament. Jesus is not distant by any stretch of the imagination, but He’s near to you and within your hearts.

Dear Chrsitians, you have been baptized and have received the Holy Spirit, the same spirit that was bestowed upon Elisha, the Apostles, and all Christan who have gone before you. “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” We live in a fearful age of which there is much to fear because we have so much to lose. But the spirit of our age is not your spirit. You have the Spirit of power, love, and a sound mind. You have the spirit of boldness and courage even when there’s much to fear.

Just look at the example of the apostles in Acts! By chapter four, Peter and John were arrested. When they were released from jail, and told the others what had happened, and that if they keep preaching they’ll be arrested, how did they react? Did they try to find some political maneuver by which they could both be a Christian and not get in trouble? No! They prayed for boldness! “Lord, look upon their threats and grant to Your servants to continue to speak Your Word with all boldness.”

A little while later, Stephen was called into the ministry, and he preached a powerful, convicting, and beautiful sermon! But upon hearing it the people were enraged at him. They plugged their ears and rushed him, chasing him out of the city to stone him. What did he do? Did he apologize for speaking too harshly? For offending them and hurting their feelings? Not at all! “As they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” In great boldness, He died confessing the faith.

The Spirit that filled Stephen, and all the martyrs, is the Spirit which fills you too. Christ has ascended to heaven and has bestowed His Spirit upon you. Sure this world is troublesome and depressing, sure things are changing rapidly, sure the church in America looks very different than it used to, sure we may be hated for our faith; but we always knew that was the way this world was going to be. 

When Christ ascended He led His apostles to Bethany, to the house of sorrow and suffering, and so this world is our Bethany, our house of sorrow. But this isn’t our final home. Christ has gone on ahead to the Kingdom and He’s preparing a mansion for us. So brothers and sisters, while you go about the work of your vocations, keep your eyes fixed on Christ who ascended to heaven. See that He’s preparing a place for you, and that He’s preparing you for that place.