9-10-2017

Good Morning All,

         Acts 1:9; “And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.”

   “And He ascended into heaven.”  We say it every time we say the Creed; but do we think about it as we say it?  Or are we like the little girl who told her Sunday School teacher that she wanted to be like Andy.  The teacher, somewhat puzzled, asked “Andy who?”  The little girl responded the Andy that ascended to heaven.  We don’t think about the Ascension much, it falls on a Thursday so it pretty much gets lost.  Yet it has tremendous significance in our life even today.

    Just think of the poor disciples.  They are getting to the end of the most incredible 2 months in the history of the world.  First they experience the pain at the death of Jesus.  They spend a couple of days in total and abject sorrow.  They are afraid that the Jews will come for them next and they do not know where to turn.  Suddenly, early in the morning of the first day of the week, they are told that Jesus is alive and wants to talk to them.  Later that evening, Jesus appears and speaks to them and over the next forty days; he appears to them, eats with them, blesses them and teaches them the meaning of Scriptures and how they apply to Jesus.  We are now at the end of that forty-day time period.  Everything is coming to a culmination.  Jesus guides them out to a hilltop and there gives one last admonition, a blessing and then ascends into heaven.  It is here that Jesus reigns.

    In the Creed we say that Jesus “sits at the right hand of the Father.”  This is a figurative term which means that the power and the authority of the Father are exercised by Jesus.  This is where we get the phrase “right hand man.”  So we have Jesus, our Lord and Savior at the right hand of God protecting his church from the onslaughts of the devil and the world.  We will always be safe within the body of Christ regardless of what the world throws at us; the victory is ours.

    It also means that Jesus is there, in heaven, present before the heavenly throne of the Father.  He is there pleading for us, interceding for us as our beloved priest.  Jesus is before God praying for you, praying for your needs and praying for your safety in this world of troubles.  As the Easter hymn says, “what comfort this sweet sentence gives!”

    So we have Jesus, ascended into heaven praying for us and then exercising the very power needed to protect us.  We are his and he defends us with his mighty and righteous arm.  We have hope that can withstand all that we face in this life.  Jesus, our protector and defender, guards us with his Spirit as we travel through this life.  Rest in his unfailing love.

Gracious Lord Jesus, through your death and resurrection we have hope and through your ascension we have power to withstand all that the devil throws at us.  We have nothing to fear because of your tender mercy which upholds and sustains us.  Be with those who are battling the devil at this time.  Free them from his attacks and give to them the peace that only you can give.  In your precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret