Luke 24:44-53 Pastor Nathan P. Kassulke
“The Savior Is Still Blessing His Church”
The Ascension of Our Lord Sunday, June 2, 2019
Things aren’t always what they seem, and that is good news for us in regard to Christ’s Ascension. Certainly there is truth to the statement that things aren’t always what they seem in other regards as well. I have had more people than I would like to admit take a look inside my messy office and tell me how theirs looks that way, too. And then they go on to say that even though their desks look messy, they know where everything is and can find exactly what they need. It might look like a chaotic mess, but it really has an organization to it. Mine, on the other hand, unfortunately, is a chaotic mess that I never quite find the time to fix. Sometimes things aren’t what they seem because people try to hide the truth. The pictures that are shown on Facebook or are paraded out at gatherings show a smiling, happy family. What sometimes hides behind that is the fact that they are struggling and not getting along with each other despite what it looks like on the outside. The neighbor seems like he has everything together, that he has all the nicest and latest and greatest. But things aren’t what they seem, because the reality is he can’t afford any of it and can barely stay afloat because of his debt. You get the picture. Things aren’t always what they seem. But what does this have to do with the Ascension of Jesus? Well, let’s look at how things seem. It looks like Jesus is going away. It looks like he is no longer with his disciples. It looks like he has left them all alone. And since he has been gone, it looks in a lot of ways like the world he left behind is completely out of his control. It looks like all the good things that he claimed to have in store for his people are never coming to them. It looks like maybe the best way to have happiness and success in this life is to avoid having anything to do with Jesus, or to have a public disdain for him. It sometimes looks like Christians should just give up. But I want to walk with you today through the account from St. Luke in his Gospel of the Ascension of our Lord. I want you to come with me to the hill near Jerusalem and to watch with the disciples as Jesus raises his hands to bless them. I want you to see how his hands remain raised in blessing as Jesus rises out of the sight of the disciples. I want you to learn from Scripture that while it may seem like the blessing of Jesus has ceased, since he has left, that things in this case are not what they seem. I want you to thank God along with me that the Savior is still blessing his Church at this very moment. And I want you to realize that his blessing is an eternal blessing in which we can rejoice. Luke’s Gospel account of the Ascension of Jesus really isn’t long. It is straightforward and matter-of-fact. It is not hard to understand. Jesus spent a bit more time teaching and instructing his disciples. On one occasion, after sharing some precious promises, Jesus led his disciples out to Bethany, to the Mount of Olives. He blessed them. I quote our translation of Luke’s Gospel: “And while he was blessing them, he parted from them and was taken up into heaven.” The Holy Spirit did inspire Luke to write more about the Ascension in the book of Acts, but there is plenty for us to consider from the context of Luke’s Gospel account. Consider first how Jesus blessed his disciples with the Word of truth, and how he still does the same for us today. Throughout his ministry, Jesus had taught his disciples to know the Scriptures. He described for them how he was the fulfillment of what was written there. Luke’s Gospel quotes Jesus: “These are my words, which I spoke to you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms” Jesus refers to what we know as the Old Testament, the writings of Moses and other prophets as well as wisdom literature and poetry like the Psalms. And as he has throughout his ministry, Jesus continues to teach his disciples exactly what the Word of God means for him and for them. What they had witnessed in the life of Jesus was exactly what the Scriptures prophesied and promised. Jesus the Christ, the anointed One, suffered for the sins of the world and died. He rose again from the dead. In his name repentance and forgiveness is preached to all, and the starting point was Jerusalem. Those very disciples would be the ones to share the Word with others, to describe how Jesus had fulfilled
the promises and prophecies, how people stand before God as forgiven and holy because of what Jesus has done and through faith in him. Jesus blessed those disciples with the Word of truth. He made sure that they understood that they were sinners in need of rescue. He told them how God had promised that rescue and how he had carried it out. He pointed to his own life and death and rising from the dead for them. And Jesus still blesses his people with that same message. His Word still stands, fulfilled. The message of his life and death and resurrection has been inspired by the Holy Spirit in the New Testament so that generations may continue to have that good news in front of them. Witnesses to that Word from generation to generation have shared the message with others. Jesus is still blessing his Church with the Word of truth. In order to equip his disciples to act as his witnesses, Jesus promised them the Holy Spirit. He says, “Look, I am sending you what my Father promised. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” We will look more closely next week at how Jesus carried out this promise on the day of Pentecost. But understand that the importance of the Holy Spirit for a Christian cannot be overstated. The Holy Spirit works in hearts through God’s Word to overcome not just our weaknesses and shortcomings, but to overcome our hostility toward God, our inborn sinfulness, our natural rejection of everything that God is and everything that God says. As we will see clearly next week, the Holy Spirit is powerful and works powerfully for us. And Jesus is still blessing his Church by sending the Holy Spirit to us. And the result is blessed indeed. Jesus’ disciples left the mount and returned to the city. They rejoiced and praised God. Their minds had been opened to better understand the Holy Scriptures. They were awaiting the special outpouring of the Holy Spirit. They had watched their Teacher, their Lord, and their Master ascend in front of them because he had completed everything that he had come to do. And altogether, that meant incredible joy. It meant the joy of salvation. It meant that no matter what they might face from that point forward in their earthly lives, and many of them would face horrible things, heaven was their eternal home. They had the joy of salvation. And Jesus is still blessing his Church with the joy of salvation. That’s what we celebrate when we celebrate the Ascension of our Lord. Jesus came, just as promised, for us. He lived for you and for me. He died the death we deserved and faced the punishment that our sins had earned. He rose from the dead in glorious triumph, leaving absolutely no doubt that the sacrifice he offered was complete and accepted. And over forty days, Jesus appeared to his disciples, ate with them, taught them, and reassured them. And when all was done that he needed to do, he blessed those disciples and was raised up to heaven. His visible departure is in itself a guarantee that our salvation is secured. It is a reason to have joy. It is a reason to celebrate that just as our Savior went to prepare a place for us, so he is also coming back to take us to be with him. We demonstrate the joy of salvation in ways similar to those early disciples. We join in worshiping our Savior. We listen attentively to his Word. We share it with others with our words, with our lives, with our prayers. Things are not always what they seem. On the outside, it looked like Jesus was leaving his disciples, and that the blessing he pronounced before he rose toward the sky was concluded. The reality is much more amazing. Even though his disciples no longer saw him, his promise remained true that he would be with them always. And though we do not see him, Jesus the Savior is still with us and is still blessing his Church with the truth of his Word, with the power of the Holy Spirit, and with the joy of salvation. Let us rejoice and praise him.
The Text: Luke 24:44-53 44He
said to them, “These are my words, which I spoke to you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms.” 45Then
he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. 46He said to them, “This is what is written and so it must be: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48You are witnesses of these things. 49Look, I am sending you what my Father promised. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” 50He
led them out as far as the vicinity of Bethany. He lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51And while he was blessing them, he parted from them and was taken up into heaven. 52So they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53They were continually in the temple courts, praising and blessing God. Amen.