Luke 24:44–53

Ascension

⁴⁴He said to them, "This is what I told 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 so they could understand the Scriptures.

⁴⁶He told them, "This is what is written: 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 at Jerusalem.

⁴⁸You are witnesses of these things.

⁴⁹I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."

⁵⁰When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them.

⁵¹While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.

⁵²Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.

⁵³And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.

Jesus was taken up into heaven. He disappeared in the clouds and he was gone. Now we have a problem: He told his disciples that he would be with them until the end of the world. But where was he?

This is a problem for us. Not just a problem of understanding, but a problem because we still sin. Yes, Jesus died on the cross and poured out his blood to atone for our sin. Yes, Jesus reconciled us to God. Yes, Jesus redeemed us, a lost and fallen humanity. But we still sin and we still live in a fallen, sinful world. We are still sinners even though we are saints. We still feel the results of sin, like pain, suffering and death. We are still weak in the face of temptation. We still need the forgiveness and continual cleansing of Jesus. We still need his help, his strength, and his love. We still need his salvation because we still deserve death and punishment. But where is Jesus now?

Martin Luther once wrote in his well-known treatise, “The Babylonian Captivity of the Church” saying:

Beware of making any distinction in baptism … by which the Lord sitting in heaven thrusts you under the water with his own hands, and promises you forgiveness of your sins, speaking to you upon earth with a human voice by the mouth of his minister.

Luther said, “Jesus baptized you. Jesus thrust you under the water with his own hands.” He said “Jesus is speaking on earth today with a human voice, the mouth of a pastor.” Wouldn’t that be something if this were true? If Jesus were this tangible, touchable and touching? If Jesus were this present?

But Jesus ascended back into heaven. Ascension is the day that a huge, heavenly procession leads Jesus to the Ancient of Days, to his Father in heaven. It is Coronation Day. The Apostle John had the privilege of seeing this day in heaven. He says: “I saw between the throne and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain…And he came and took the scroll out of the right hand of him who sat on the throne…And when he had taken the scroll the living creatures and the elders fell down before the Lamb…and they sang a new song saying, ‘Worthy art thou to take the book and to break its seals for thou wast slain and didst purchase for God with thy blood men from every tribe and language and people and nation.” Then every creature in heaven and earth sang, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen’.”

From his ascension on, every knee already starts bowing in heaven, on earth, and even under earth. Jesus is Lord. In heaven an exciting, majestic celebration of the Feast of Victory is underway forever. With the ascension, Jesus is seated upon his mighty throne in heaven.

So how can Luther say that Jesus is still on earth, baptizing you, speaking to people in a voice that human ears can hear? Because St. Paul says, “Jesus [who] descended [came down from heaven] is the one who also ascended [not simply to heaven but] far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things”. Jesus ascends to fill all things, everywhere, as he is, as a man. He ascends to fill this place, this liturgy, and these things—bread and wine. The ascension did not take Jesus away from the earth. Luther got is exactly and profoundly right.

The ascension allowed Jesus to fill the earth with his human body—not as a super giant monstrosity, but with his very body. The ascension brought Jesus closer to you. It did not take him farther away from you. But Jesus disappeared at the ascension. “A cloud took him out of their sight,” it says—and clouds will be there when we see him return. But he’s still human. He didn’t lose his being “made man,” his being like you and me. His flesh and blood are not traded in as useless or gone from him, ever. Nowhere in Scripture does He say that he returns his flesh and blood body. But he does say, “This is my body. This is my blood.” He does say, “You are not orphans.” He says, “I am with you.” But where is he? We can’t see him or hear him.

That’s why Jesus created and gave us more gifts. He gave the Office of the Ministry: apostles, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Just think, without preaching and Sacraments, Jesus would still fill all this creation and universe, but he would fill it invisibly, silently. Like the way that water is everywhere, in the air we breathe, in the clouds above, even underground, but we can’t drink this moisture that is al around us until it manifests itself in a place, in a way that we can receive it. Water is everywhere—it’s in you, but you go to the sink to drink it. You go to the sink to wash dirt off with it. His preaching and Sacraments are like a faucet—it’s where Jesus shows himself in mercy, and it gushes out. It’s where you can see him, hear him, touch him with your own hands. You can hear and touch and taste God himself, the Mighty One sitting on the throne in the heavens.

That’s the purpose of his Office of the Ministry—he gives a human mouth to speak in every place, human hands to baptize us, now, on earth, and hands that still take bread, bless it, and give it to you to forgive you. Jesus preaches. Jesus baptizes. Jesus communes you. It is his work done through a man in his office. That’s the miracle and wonder of the ascension and the purpose of his sacramental ministry for us. The Divine Service, this Divine Service, all this is Jesus and heaven on a Thursday in May 2007, and each Lord’s Day. He really is “among us as the one who serves” us—the fullness of the Godhead, dwelling bodily.

So Luther is exactly right to say that the Lord, sitting in the heavens and at the right hand of God (which is everywhere) thrust even you under the water with his own hands and promises you forgiveness of your sins, speaking to you upon earth with a human voice by the mouth of his minister. And “We receive absolution…for the pastor as from God himself; not doubting, but firmly believing that by it our sins are forgiven before God in heaven.” Luther asks: “Do you believe that my forgiveness is God’s forgiveness?” For he does not lie; it is his body; it is his blood on the altar—God himself. Ascended to be present here, in this heavenly place and this earthly you—for forgiveness of sins.

The ascension brings Jesus forgiveness and salvation closer to us because Jesus is now not just in one physical location; we don’t have to go to Jerusalem to receive forgiveness, but now he fills all and comes to us in word and sacrament anywhere and anytime. Now he is present in all places at all times. Now his presence is through word and sacrament. Now we can receive his forgiveness wherever the word is preached and the sacraments administered.

What he desires most is to be with you forever; wherever you are now, whatever is happening now. And most of all, so that you will be where he is forever. This is why the ascension, forty days after the resurrection, this Thursday, is so important and necessary and marvelous!

The Ascension Brings Jesus’ Human, Risen, Saving Body, even to us.

Amen.