June 5, 2011
Dear friends in Christ.
If you grew up watching Dragnet, then I’m sure you will remember Sergeant Joe Friday and his no nonsense demeanor. I’m sure you will remember his methodical attention to details. But most of all, I’m sure you will remember the phrase for which he will always be famous; that phrase which he would speak whenever an eye witness was either embellishing too much or becoming too emotionally involved in what he or she was recounting. For whenever that would happen, Sergeant Friday would utter those three simple words, “just the facts.” “Just the facts!”—that was all Sergeant Friday wanted so that he could clearly peace together the solution for the case he was trying to solve. Well, this morning, we will also be looking at the facts of the case that Luke has laid out before us. Today we will be reminded of the events that led up to it. Today we will be assured of the promise it contains. Today, we will rejoice in the fact of Jesus’ ascension!
As we do this, as we rejoice in the fact of Jesus’ ascension, I invite you to turn with me to our first lesson from Acts 1 and take a closer look at the facts that Luke is providing for our rejoicing. Now, when Luke wrote began writing the book of Acts, he began with the Ascension, essentially continuing where he left off with in his Gospel. In his Gospel letter to Theophilus his main purpose had been to tell about the life, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus and how through all of this Jesus had brought about the forgiveness of sins for all people. Thus as we heard in the gospel the account of the ascension was so brief. But now, by beginning with the Ascension in Acts, Luke’s purpose is to tell the Theophilus that this Jesus who died and rose again is truly the Son of God who has returned to his Father’s side. He is the Son of God who has freed all form their sins and brought life and salvation to light through the Gospel. He is the Savior in whose ascension we rejoice and whose work we now proclaim to the world. Take a look at what Luke writes in Acts 1, beginning with verse 1:
“In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with a water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:1-11)
What greater reason could there be for us to rejoice Today than the reason Luke gives with these facts of Jesus’ Ascension! For as Luke writes in the first verse of our text, he so expertly reminds us of the amazing and miraculous events of Jesus’ life. In such a simple way, Luke causes our minds to recall the events of Gabriel appearing to Mary, Mary and Joseph traveling to Bethlehem so that the Savior could be born there in fulfillment of all the prophecies, and Jesus’ first trip to Jerusalem where he stayed behind, teaching the teachers, in fulfillment of another prophecy. In such a simple way Luke causes us to remember how Jesus went throughout the land of Israel preaching and teaching the good news of the kingdom of heaven, how he healed the sick and raised the dead, and how the Pharisees and teachers of the law constantly looked for ways to be rid of him. In such a simple way Luke causes us to remember how Jesus willingly gave his life for us on the cross, how he did in fact die, was in fact buried in the earth, and how he did in fact rise from the dead to assure us that our sins have truly been forgiven. In such a simple way Luke lays out for us the facts of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection so that we might rejoice all the more over the fact of Jesus’ ascension, which Luke records for us beginning in verse 9: “After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:9-11)
I don’t know about you, but if I had been there on that day, I probably would have stood there staring up into the sky with the disciples. If I had seen Jesus suddenly floating up off the ground in the way the people simply don’t, I would have been so shocked and amazed that long after the cloud hid him from view I would have simply stood there, gazing up into the sky, hoping for another glimpse of my Savior. If I had been there that day, I’m sure that I would not have moved until the angels appeared, giving me Jesus’ amazing promise that one day I would see him returning to the earth in the same way that I had just seen him go. If I had been there that day, I can tell you that I would have joined in with the disciples’ rejoicing in Jesus’ ascension as they worshiped their Savior on their way back to Jerusalem.
What greater reason could there be for us to rejoice this morning! What greater fact could there be for us to celebrate than the fact of our Savior’s ascension! For Today, we have been assured of the forgiveness of our sins! Today, we have been assured that just as we have seen Jesus return to his heavenly home, we will one day see him returning in glory and great majesty. Not only that, but Today we have built the hope of our own ascension upon the fact of Jesus’ ascension. Today, we have been assured Jesus has been exalted to the highest place that heaven affords. Today we have been assured that Jesus is indeed sitting at the right hand of our heavenly Father and interceding for us. Today we have been assured that Jesus is still watching over us and protecting us, guarding us and keeping us in his tender care. Today as we have seen the facts of Jesus life, death, and resurrection laid out for us, we have great assurance in the fact of his resurrection, which assures us of the fact of eternal life, and the fact of his imminent return on the last day!
So let us rejoice in the fact of our Savior’s Ascension! For Today, we have traveled with Sergeant Joe Friday, so to speak, as we have gathered the facts of the case before us. Though we may not have done so with a no nonsense demeanor or with methodical attention to details, we have found great joy in the facts before us! We have found great joy in the fact that our Savior has indeed ascended to his throne in heaven, from which he will one day return to take us to be with him forever.
Amen.
Pastor David M. Shilling
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church -Le Sueur, MN
