A Sermon for Ascension Sunday

7th Sunday of Easter, C

The Feast of the Ascension of the Lord

May 12, 2013

Acts 1:1-11; Luke 24:44-53

Introduction

Today we are celebrating the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord. The Lord Jesus, after his Passion, Death, and Resurrection, ascended into heaven, "far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come" (Ephesians 1:21). The Ascension of the Lord is a sign of his victory over sin and death!

In today's Gospel reading (Luke 24:44-53), we observe that there are only two verses (vv. 50-51) that actually describe the Ascension.  In fact, the Ascension was a private event: it happened outside the city, "out as far as Bethany" with only eleven witnesses present. Our verses of interest today are those that go before and after, which shows us the culmination of the Ascension.

I.    The Ascension is fulfillment of the Scripture.

A. The opening of the Scriptures.

Jesus said to his disciples, "And he said to them, These are the words which I spake to you, being yet with you, that all things written in the law of Moses, and the prophets, and the psalms concerning me, must be fulfilled" (v. 44).

The Lord Jesus literally exegeted (that is, ‘explained out of the Scriptures’) prophecies regarding himself. He called the Bible by the three divisions that the Jews called it: the Law of Moses (Torah), the Prophets (Nevi'im), the Psalms (which is part of the Writings, called Ketuvim). What we Christians call "the Old Testament", the Jews call "the Hebrew Scriptures" or "the Jewish Scriptures". The Jews call their Scriptures by the acronym of its three major divisions: TaNaKh: Torah, Neviim, and Ketuvim. In other words, Jesus revealed to his disciples that he is the Messiah prophesied in the Jewish Scriptures!

This is similar to what Jesus did late in the afternoon on the day of his Resurrection, when he walked with two of his disciples on the road to Emmaus: "And beginning at Moses and all the prophets [the Torah and the Neviim, another term for the Hebrew Scriptures] he explained to them the things in all the scriptures, concerning himself" (v. 27).

      B. The illumination of the Scriptures.

      In addition to "explaining" and "opening" the Scriptures to his disciples, Jesus also opened their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures (vv. 45-46). On the road to Emmaus, the eyes of the two disciples were "holden, so that they did not know him" (v. 16). But their eyes were finally opened when Jesus took the bread, and blessed it, and brake and gave [it] to them" (vv. 30-31). It was only then when they were able to say, "Did not our heart burn within us, while he was talking to us in the way, and opening the scriptures to us?" (v. 32). It is only by the power of Jesus that human minds are illuminated to be able to understand the Scriptures. Just as today's Second Lesson says:

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, through the knowledge of him. The eyes of your understanding being inlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.... (Ephesians 1:17-18)

II.  The Ascension is the promise of the Holy Spirit for mission to the world.

The Ascension marks the end of the Lord's physical presence on earth. It is a transition of to the Lord's presence on earth through the Holy Spirit. Repeatedly in his Farewell Discourse, Jesus assured his disciples that while he was going away, he will send to them the Holy Spirit:  "If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Comforter, to remain with you for ever, Even the Spirit of truth," (John 14:15-16).

      In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus  gives the Lukan version of the Great Commission:

And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. And behold I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry in the city Jerusalem, till ye be clothed with power from on high. (Luke 24:47-49)

Jesus sent his disciples on mission to the world, but he commanded them to stay in Jerusalem until they are "clothed with power from on high"--that is, until they are filled by the power of the Holy Spirit. Today's First Lesson, from the Acts of the Apostles (also written by St. Luke), reiterates this:

But ye shall receive power, the Holy Ghost being come upon you, and shall be witnesses to me, both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth. (Acts1:8)