MORE THAN AN AFTERTHOUGHT (Acts 1:1-11)

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1 INTRODUCTION MORE THAN AN AFTERTHOUGHT (Acts 1:1-11) The story is told about an Ascension Day celebration at a particular seminary. A special Ascension Day service was held and the whole seminary in robes and regalia gathered for the big celebration. It was quite an event. The service ended and the assembly emerged from the chapel singing some great ascension hymn. Unknown to the worshippers, a somewhat creative student had found a near life-size Christ figure - the hollow, plastic painted kind you see at Christmas- and stuffed it with fireworks the sky rocket type. As the procession marched into the courtyard out of the chapel, the student lit the fuse, sending the statue soaring up out of the shrubbery through a cloud of smoke and sparks. It buzzed over the scattering members of the procession, finally taking a nosedive on to the roof of a nearby building. There the ascension rocket sputtered and died. The head of the seminary was not impressed with the student s explanation that he was simply trying to dramatize his faith in the ascension of Jesus. At least one thing can be said about that Ascension Day celebration is that it was never forgotten. But as a rule Ascension Day is hardly remembered. There is no special holiday to mark the occasion. What did you do last Thursday? When it comes to the gospel we know that the cross and resurrection are at the very heart of the message proclaimed by Jesus s followers throughout history. However, for many Christians and churches, Jesus s ascension is simply an afterthought to Easter and Good Friday. Maybe one reason for this lack of emphasis on the ascension is because the Day of Ascension never comes on a Sunday. It always comes on a Thursday. It comes 40 days after Easter. Easter is always on a Sunday and 40 days from Easter always falls on a Thursday. But the Ascension is more than an afterthought. I believe that it was an essential event, a glorious event, an event filled with meaning for us today. St. Augustine called the Ascension the most important event that the church is to celebrate. I want us to consider the importance of the Ascension for Christ and for us today. THE ASCENSION IS THE NEW WAY OF JESUS CONTINUING HIS MINISTRY ON EARTH. May 28, 2017 Corntassel CP Church Page 1

2 First, it means that Jesus is not through with His ministry on earth. Acts 1:1-2a: In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, That words began to do and to teach as Luke recorded in his Gospel implies that Jesus is not finished with His teaching and His work. And this is important for us today. We need to realize that Jesus is still teaching us and wanting to use us as his disciples. Salvadore Dali s, the surrealist painter, painted the ascension where the focus of the painting is the bottom of Jesus feet as he ascended into heaven. There is soil on the bottom of the feet. This is the last thing the disciples saw of Jesus. These soiled feet that once walked the hills of Galilee and the streets of Jerusalem with them, would now be in heaven. But as He ascended into heaven something new was about to take place. There was a transition taking place. He would again walk among them to teach and instruct them, although it would be in a new form. So the Ascension is essential for Jesus to transition from His ministry on earth and to continue it in a new form from a new place. THE ASCENSION MEANS THAT HE CAN FULFILL HIS PROMISE TO SEND THE HOLY SPIRIT That new way of ministering required the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. So without the Ascension Jesus couldn t send the Holy Spirit. Jesus had told the disciples over and over again that He was going to send the Holy Spirit. In the Upper Room discourse this was one of the major topics of his conversation with the disciples. John 14:16-18 NIV And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever-- (17) the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. (18) I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Jesus promised another advocate another comforter and through that One, the Spirit of truth, Jesus will come and be present with them. He will not leave us as orphans. Now that is important for us today. Without the Ascension, which enabled Jesus to send the Holy Spirit, we would be left as orphans in the world today. But we are not orphans or abandoned. Jesus is with us through His Holy Spirit. May 28, 2017 Corntassel CP Church Page 2

3 His Ascension made it possible for Jesus to be with us through the Person of the Holy Spirit. WITHOUT THE ASCENSION JESUS COULDN T BE ENTHRONED AS KING At His Ascension Jesus was enthroned as the King. Mark s Gospel ends this way: Mark 16:19 NIV After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. When the Bible mentions that Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God it is referring to the fact that Jesus has been crowned as King. He has been exalted as King of kings and Lord of lords. He is ruling in God s kingdom. The Ascension is the time of God s coronation of His Son as King. Psalm 2 gives a beautiful prophetic description of this coronation: Psalms 2:6-11 NIV "I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain." (7) I will proclaim the LORD's decree: He said to me, "You are my son; today I have become your father. (8) Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. (9) You will break them with a rod of iron; you will dash them to pieces like pottery." (10) Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. (11) Serve the LORD with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling. Since Jesus has been enthroned as King this has great significance for each of us today. We have a King to follow. We have a Lord to confess. We are to confess Him as Lord. He is our only Lord, not any earthly lord is our Lord. Not any idea or ideology is our Lord. Jesus is Lord. To Him be the glory. The Ascension had to take place for Jesus to be enthroned as King of kings. JESUS S ASCENSION IS HIS RETURN TO HIS FATHER. At His Ascension Jesus returned to the Father. Jesus said that He came from the Father and that He was going back to the Father. John 16:28 NIV I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father." Jesus greatly desired to be back with the Father. But we learn that He also desires that we be with Him with the Father so that we may see His glory which the Father had given him. This was his prayer to the Father in John 17:24 May 28, 2017 Corntassel CP Church Page 3

4 John 17:24 NIV "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. The Father will answer this prayer and one day we will be with Jesus in the presence of the Father, beholding the glory of Christ. What a great and glorious day that will be. Without the Ascension Jesus would not have returned to the Father and we would not be looking forward to seeing Christ is his glory. THE ASCENDED LORD JESUS IS OUR HEAVENLY INTERCESSOR AND HIGH PRIEST. But wait, there is more! Now that Jesus has ascended back to the Father He now is our heavenly Intercessor and Great High Priest. The writer of Hebrews focuses on this aspect of Christ s heavenly ministry. Hebrews 8:1 NIV Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, We have a High Priest in heaven. He is the One who comes before the Father in our behalf. He is the One who prays for us. This is what Jesus is doing according to 7:25: Hebrews 7:25 NIV Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. We cannot under estimate the importance of Jesus being our High Priest and our Intercessor. Because Jesus is our high priest He is offering the perfect sacrifice for our sins and he is interceding for us in heaven. Without the Ascension this would not be possible. THE ASCENDED LORD JESUS WILL RETURN And finally if Jesus hadn t ascended into heaven He couldn t return to earth. This is the message of the two angels. Acts 1:11 NIV "Men of Galilee," they said, "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." Jesus is coming again! This is the hope for this world. This is the blessed hope that Paul speaks of in Titus. This is the hope we are to wait for. But as we wait, we are not just to stand around looking into the sky. The angels also asked them why were they just standing here looking into the sky. May 28, 2017 Corntassel CP Church Page 4

5 As the disciples continued to look up at Jesus ascending they may have wondered, Where is he going? Will he just keep on ascending past the moon, past Jupiter, etc? No, as N.T. Wright explains it he was going into God s reality, to sit at the right hand of God, not some place in this created universe. One day Jesus will return from that dimension into this dimension and both dimensions shall become one. Jesus is coming back as the angels said, but snap out of your daze and begin thinking about what Jesus told you to do. He had just told them: 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." Sometimes we need to get snapped out of our daze. We need to get busy and keep busy doing what Christ has commanded us to do. We don t need to sit around gazing at questions beyond our knowledge like, Did Jesus go to some planet or somewhere? or questions like the disciples had just asked, When will the Father restore the kingdom to Israel? These are not the questions to ask. The questions to ask are How can we complete the work Jesus gave us to do? and What is my part in fulfilling the Great Commission and the Great Commandment? How can I strengthen my brothers and sisters? The message of the ascension of Jesus Christ isn't about waiting for him to return. It's about getting on with the work that he has given us to do. CONCLUSION The Ascension is more than an afterthought in our understanding of the great work of Jesus, because it is far more than an afterthought in God s plan of salvation. It is the transition point of the work of Christ on earth to the work of Christ in heaven. It validates his birth, life, death, resurrection and it opens the way for his continued work from heaven. The Ascension is the end of something and it is also the beginning of something. Interestingly Luke s gospel, which is an account of Jesus ministry on earth, ends with the ascension. Then Luke book of Acts begins with the Ascension. Acts is the record of Jesus work continued through the Holy Spirit. We need to treat the Ascension of Jesus as the new beginning of our life and work with Him. One final effect the Ascension should have on us. Paul tells us that we are to keep our eyes on Him who is above that we may live with him. Colossians 3:1-4 NIV Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. (2) Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. (3) May 28, 2017 Corntassel CP Church Page 5

6 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. (4) When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Charles Wesley wrote a hymn about the Ascension, Hail the day the sees him rise 1 Hail the day that sees him rise, Alleluia! to his throne beyond the skies. Alleluia! Christ, the Lamb for sinners given, Alleluia! enters now the highest heaven. Alleluia! 2 There for him high triumph waits; Alleluia! lift your heads, eternal gates. Alleluia! He has conquered death and sin; Alleluia! take the King of glory in. Alleluia! 3 Highest heaven its Lord receives; Alleluia! yet he loves the earth he leaves. Alleluia! Though returning to his throne, Alleluia! still he calls us all his own. Alleluia! 4 Still for us he intercedes; Alleluia! his atoning death he pleads, Alleluia! near himself prepares our place, Alleluia! he the firstfruits of our race. Alleluia! 5 There we shall with you remain, Alleluia! partners of your endless reign, Alleluia! see you with unclouded view, Alleluia! find our heaven of heavens in you. Alleluia! Amen? Amen! May 28, 2017 Corntassel CP Church Page 6