The Ascension of our Lord

Acts 1:1-11

I love the hymns of Ascension Day! They are full of joy, adoration, and jubilation. However, it always saddens me that so few sing with us on this great feast of the Church. 

We gather on Christmas in waves to welcome the newborn King who came to redeem us, even singing sweet lullabies into the evening hours. Yet few gather to sing His praises this night as Jesus, having fulfilled the purpose of His birth by dying on the cross and rising again, returns to the right hand of His Father.

This should cause great rejoicing; it should be a reason for parades. We should gather around the cross like dear children awaiting the day when we no longer sing on this side of heaven but yearn to sing with the heavenly angels. 

And this is where our hymns tonight lead us, to sing with the angels as they welcome their Lord and Master.

As we heard the first reading from Acts tonight, two angels appeared while the disciples watched Jesus ascend into heaven. But make no mistake, as our hymn of the day proclaims, these two angels were the first of countless layers of angels, archangels, and the whole company of heaven, welcoming their King home.

But the key to this first stanza of the hymn is in the third line, where it says, “Having vanquished all their fears, Christ looks down on His faithful.”

What is it that Jesus vanquished? Well, what do you truly fear in this life? It’s the devil; it’s death itself. But now, on account of His cross and resurrection, Jesus has vanquished it, meaning it cannot harm you if you abide in Christ. 

The great comfort of the second stanza of the hymn is that when temptation comes and you fall into sin, the Ascension of Jesus provides you with an advocate before your Father in heaven. As we read in 1 John, “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (1 John 2:1) 

The role of having an advocate is that you now have someone petitioning His Father on your behalf to grant you pardon and forgiveness for your sins—binding the wounds of this life, your sadness, your ailments, your darkness.

Yet, when these situations arise—when grief and death affect your life, when your doctor’s visits don’t go as planned, when you cannot escape the darkness of depression or the unknown—you need guidance. You require the Holy Spirit to lead you and protect you from succumbing to these fears. The third stanza serves as a prayer for the Holy Spirit to guide you.

So, how does this guide begin?

It begins at the font of Holy Baptism and guides you through the shadows and valleys of this life by hearing God’s Word and participating in the liturgy, leading you to this altar where you receive a foretaste of the feast that is to come – the feast of an endless Easter.

In other words, the Holy Spirit is always pointing and guiding you to Jesus.

Remember what Jesus says at the end of St. Matthew, “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)

But here’s the rub: when you go through trials and tribulations, you fail to see God. Like the disciples that first Easter, you are locked behind the doors of fear and sadness.

When classmates bully you, their words hurt. When children of God kill one another, as we saw at UW-Platteville recently, we’re left questioning why. When the doctor gives the diagnosis, our hearts and minds are filled with dread. When you stand at the grave's entrance, there is nothing but grief and sadness. 

But the cross changes all of this.

Because Jesus died for you, He has the last Word.

Because Jesus rose from the dead, you have life in Him.

Because Jesus appeared to the disciples and you have received their account, you have hope and faith.

Because in Christ Jesus, the grave is not the end, but the beginning of your eternal Alleluias.

As we sang the fourth and final stanza of the hymn of the day, it is a doxological stanza like no other. It’s a confession and a longing for the eternal presence of God, to breathe in the spirit’s grace. To see the Father’s face. And to feel the Son’s embrace. 

And the thing is, these actions are only done physically, in a forgiven, resurrected, and glorified body.

So, what does the Ascension of our Lord teach us?

Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus as the disciples did this night, no matter the challenges of this life.

Long for your Savior, hear Him, and be led to Him. If you ever find yourself confused about where He is, return to the font, come to this sanctuary to hear His Word, and visit the gates of heaven where Jesus stands and abides with us this night to grant us His peace in the flesh and blood of His risen body.

The Ascension of Jesus teaches us to keep our eyes and hearts on Him. So come here, where He continues to be for you, and never stop looking and longing for Him. +INJ+

Rev. Noah J. Rogness

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

Tomah, WI