Ascended and powerful

Acts 1:1-11; John 17:6-19

In John’s Gospel, at supper the night before Jesus dies, he prays for the disciples. He prays that we would be one; that we know joy; that we will be protected from evil, or from the evil one; and that we would be sanctified, set apart for ministry. He prays that we would have abundant life through having a relationship with him, and that others would come to know him and also have that same abundant life. And Jesus is praying still, for each and for all of us.

… Since the crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus has been appearing to the believers. We have snippets of what these appearances were like. A meal of fish on the beach, a walk on the roads, sudden appearances in locked rooms. Probably at first these were celebrations and wondering at God’s power to raise a person from death. Jesus’ tomb is empty, and while our bodies remain, we know there is something beyond death.

I also think Jesus did a lot of teaching, helping the disciples understand what his resurrection means. He must have helped them make connections with the scriptures – the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings, as well as the oral and written traditions of the day. “Do you see how this fits together? … Do you understand what I was trying to say when …? It’s all about loving God and loving others, all others. … Here’s what I want you to do ….”

Jesus appears like this for 40 days. You may remember that 40 is an important number in the history of the Israelite people. The people waited for 40 days while Moses was on Mt Sinai receiving the 10 Commandments and other instructions. The people wandered for 40 years in the wilderness until finally arriving at the Promised Land. Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness after his baptism. We observe a 40-day period of prayer, fasting, and alms-giving in a liturgical season called Lent.

And now, it has been 40 days since the resurrection. It’s time for Jesus to return to heaven, and unity with God. Once there, Jesus can send God’s Holy Spirit into the world in his place.

Liturgical books list a festival in the church that celebrates the Ascension, but it is often ignored. Few churches have Ascension Day services, and those who do find them sparsely attended. It’s always on a Thursday, since the Sundays in Easter count – while the Sundays in Lent don’t! (Technically, there are 46 days in Lent from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday.) It certainly lacks the appeal of Christmas or Easter, or even Pentecost, since there is no special decoration or gift-giving tradition attached to it. On Pentecost, we are at least encouraged to wear red!

… With all that as a sort of preface, let’s get to the point: Last Thursday was Ascension Day, so today I wanted us to read the story from Acts with the disciples watching Jesus ascend into heaven. You may remember that the author of Acts is the same person who wrote the Gospel of Luke, so we get the opening remarks to Theophilus, and the connection to the previous stories. This is like a dedication page in modern books.

Jesus gives a few last words, “Wait here in Jerusalem, for the Spirit promised by God as a gift to you. Then you will be filled with power and be my witnesses all over the world.”

 But in the meantime, it’s stunning for us to read the disciples’ question, “Now, will you restore dominion to Israel?!?!” In other words, the disciples still don’t fully understand that Jesus will not be a king, not in the way they are imagining. Jesus replies, basically saying, “It is not for you to know that.” Or, to put it bluntly, “It’s none of your business when that will happen.”

As the disciples watch, Jesus ascends upward. The disciples watch as he goes, and keep watching, hoping he will reappear shortly. But two men – probably angels – appear and tell them to stop gaping at the empty sky. “Jesus will return the same way you just saw him ascend.”

I don’t know just what this means. People have speculated, and defy God’s intent by frequently picking a date when Jesus will return. My own belief is that he returned through the Holy Spirit, in the wind and fire and energy and multilingual miracle of Pentecost. And through the prayers he prays for us, as he promised at his last supper, as John tells the story.

… What does the Ascension mean for us? Here is a quote from Pastor David Lose, Senior Pastor at Mt Olivet Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, and former Associate Professor of Biblical Preaching at Luther Seminary.

“Ascension Day reminds us that we cannot limit God. For while God came to us in the flesh in the person of Jesus, Jesus’ ascension reminds us that we can’t restrict God to any one place. Jesus’ ascension, then, isn’t about his leaving – his disciples, us, the world – but rather is about the simultaneous confession that 1) God has chosen to be located in our physical world so that God may be accessible to us, and 2) God refuses to be limited even to those important places. … No building, no people, no book, no religion, even, can limit God’s ability to be accessible to others.”

Jesus came through the power of the Holy Spirit and a willing young woman. He lived, taught, healed, and suffered and died. He was raised from the dead, spent some time with the believers, and then ascended into heaven. From there, he sends the same Holy Spirit to be with us, to encourage and guide and challenge us, to live and love the way he did. He has not left us, he is simply with us in a different, even more powerful way. When we are struggling, suffering, wondering, or filled with joy, Jesus prays for and with us.

I felt his reassuring presence Friday night when our great granddaughter decided to arrive 6 weeks early, and I know my family trusted in him while they waited and hoped for a safe birth and a healthy child.

This week, I hope you will consider how Jesus is with you through the Holy Spirit. How and when has he prayed for and with you or those you love? How has Holy Spirit power given you the courage and ability to do things beyond what you thought was possible? As always, I love to hear your stories – I hear more of them all the time! Amen