An Amazing Ascension

Acts 1:6-9

Watch on YouTube – Watch on Facebook

Our Bible reading today comes from the Book of Acts chapter one, beginning with verse six.

So when the disciples met together, they asked Jesus, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “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.” After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. (Acts 1:6-9)

Just think what an amazing event it must have been to observe the ascension of Christ through the clouds up into heaven. Absolutely amazing. Something that clearly goes against all the laws of nature that rule us like gravity. And yet, Christ, of course, being the Son of God, God himself has the power above those laws. And by this wonderful event now ascends up into heaven. And we’re told that the disciples were looking up intently into the sky as he was going. Can you imagine anything else if you’re watching someone physically rise through the clouds into heaven? How amazing that must have been.

One of the reasons for Jesus ascension is to demonstrate to us that his work of coming to pay for our sins is all completed. It’s all done. In fact, on the cross, he said, it is finished. The Greek word there means that nothing more can be added. Imagine, if you will, somebody that wanted to buy a house and suddenly a very wealthy relative stepped forward and said, I’m going to pay the full amount and take care of it for you. And went to the bank and paid the entire amount of the mortgage so that nothing had to be added. And then finds out that the person they bought the house for is still trying to make mortgage payments that are now unnecessary.

Use that as kind of a picture of us. Sometimes we might think there’s still something yet that needs to be done in order for me to be able to go to heaven someday. And our Lord Jesus, by his ascension, is basically saying to you and me, It’s all taken care of. The payment has been accepted by God. My work on Earth is completed. Now, that doesn’t mean that He has left us here alone. In fact, he just chooses to come to us in maybe slightly different ways.

The Bible tells us that He comes to us through his word and also through the waters of baptism, also through our assembly together, when we hear that word of God. Where two or three are gathered together, he’s there in the midst of us. And also through the precious Lord’s Supper. These are the ways that God continues to add believers to his church. And Jesus also wants his ascension to now be a prototype for your ascension, for your future rising from this earth into that eternal home in heaven.

And it’s interesting that the disciples seem to want to invest their energy and speculating about when is Christ going to come back? But Jesus instead directs their energy into the important work of spreading the message of the Gospel. Sometimes a person’s final words can be very significant. They often encapsulate something about the person or some really important lesson in life that they want to make sure is their final statement to their loved ones. Notice Jesus final words to the members of his church, and that is to be involved in the mission of spreading this wonderful gospel, he says.

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)

So our Lord certainly wants us to have our eyes heavenward as far as knowing that’s where we’re going someday, and also to think of him being there in heaven for us. But at the same time, he wants our work and our eyes to be down on the earth, to make sure that we use our time wisely to bring others, whether it’s in our family or maybe people that we work with, and to support the work of his church and his kingdom in this world so that many others can someday join us at the Feast of Salvation. Amen.