May 24, 2020
Scripture Luke 24:44-53 The Ascension of Jesus
Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and they were continually in the temple blessing God.
As our world feels smaller, staying in our homes and limiting our social gatherings, my thoughts are getting bigger. Well I must confess I still have been known to get lost in a book or binge watch a favorite new show. But when I was looking at this morning’s passage ascension seemed larger. I think I have only preached on ascension one other time in my 27 years of ministry. But reading Luke got me thinking about ascension in a new way.
What are your thoughts about Jesus ascending? Do you see one of the famous paintings of Jesus being taken up in the cloud? Or have you really not given it much thought? Would it matter if Jesus did not ascend to heaven?
If you read the last chapter in Luke is starts with the resurrection, then the road to Emmaus and interpreting scripture, then Jesus’ ascension. Resurrection and ascension are very close together. But I can hear you say, but what about the 40 days of appearances, what about all the times Jesus appeared to the disciples and many others according to the gospels and the book of Acts. I’ll remind you that Luke and Acts were written by the same physician and Acts is a continuation of Luke’s story. Acts begins with the disciples intently looking up as Jesus is lifted up, and a cloud took him out of sight. But two men dressed in while challenge them asking, “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.” (1:11)
These two scriptures got me wondering where was Jesus after his resurrection and before his ascension? Where was he for those 40 days when he was not appearing to the disciples? Have you ever wondered about that? Normal Perrin postulates the implied view of resurrection as ascension (Feasting on the Word, A2, 514). This means from the moment Jesus rose from the dead he ascended into heaven; from heaven he appears to the disciples. John’s gospel both challenges and supports this. Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” (John 20:17) One says I have not yet ascended, the other says he is ascending in on ongoing way.
This understanding of resurrection as ascension is almost written into scripture. Mark writes,
“After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God” (16:19). It also helps to set Jesus apart from others who have been raised from the dead, think of Lazarus and Jairus’ daughter, who later die. Jesus’ tomb is empty on Easter morning and remains empty to this day.
Our relationship with our living Lord is grounded in Jesus’ resurrection AND ascension. Resurrection shows God’s power over death, first by raising Jesus on Easter morn, and then in God’s promise of eternal life for us! While ascension helps us to understand Jesus beyond space and time. Earthly Jesus spent 33 years walking this earth, both fully human and divine. Yes he performed miracles, he even walked on water, but he did not transverse space and time. He followed the natural laws of space and time. It is through his ascension that he is united with God and resumes movement beyond space and time. Space we see interrupted in his appearing through locked doors and asking to not be held. Time is the one that affects us the most. Jesus transcends time and is here with you and I because of the ascension and the power of the divine. If Jesus did not ascend then the trinity would not be complete, and we would not have our living and merciful relationship with Jesus.
Now I realize that all of this remains a divine mystery, but it is essential that ascension hold a place in our theology. Also, how as Jesus is saying goodbye, he is promising to send the Holy Spirit to clothe them with power from on high. Another big thought, only one part of the trinity is earthly at a time. Israel engaged with God for centuries. Jesus walked on the earth for 33 years. The Holy Spirit is sent after Jesus ascends. Of course, there are exceptions, but that applies generally. And yet because of the ascension we have a vital relationship with Jesus in the here and now. Beyond space and beyond time, beyond when he walked on earth.
Maybe that is why as soon as Jesus ascends to heaven the disciples return to Jerusalem with great joy, blessing God in the temple. For a few days they are dwelling in the temple- they are already where they will be in the space-time of God.
So, what if the ascension is not something to be watched- of Jesus being lifted up in the sky, carried away to heaven. But something that invites those who were with Jesus to become participants. Larry Bouchard writes, “Might the oneness of our minds and perceptions with Christ, and the continual anticipation of the Spirit, open our imaginations to another possibility? The framing scenes invite us to shift perspectives, from being observers to being participants. If we make this shift- if the ascension is now understood as a motion that includes the minds, bodies and locations of the disciples- then, as it occurs, there is really nothing to make of it, precisely because we are within its space and time. We are within the ascension, not looking upon it, but looking outward from within it (Feasting on the Word, A2 518).
Then rather than looking at Jesus with his feet heading up to heaven, we become the hands and feet of Christ in the work Jesus came to do. The ascension then becomes our marching orders to carry on the work Jesus started. We are empowered by the Holy Spirit; we are loved by God and we are accompanied by our risen Lord Jesus Christ who has trusted us to continue what he stared. The ascension is like Jesus taking off the training wheels and saying to the disciples and us, that I trust you with my mission. Yes, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit. Yes, Jesus abides with us now providing comfort and strength, but through the ascension Jesus is passing the baton. Are you willing to take the baton, to be a participant in the ascension, carrying on Jesus’s call to show forth God’s love and to extend Jesus’ grace and forgiveness to all the world?
Let all of God’s children say AMEN.
