Tag Archives: Apostles Creed

Ascended into Heaven

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“Ascended into Heaven”

Acts 1:1-11 (1:11) – May 29, 2022

            When I was young, I attended a Lutheran church on the northwest side of Chicago. That church had many traditions, including everyone in the church reciting the Apostles Creed after the sermon each Sunday. This church does not have this tradition, at least, it hasn’t for a long time. Many words from the Apostles Creed are familiar, of course, but it is not quite like the Lord’s Prayer. We do not recite it here as often as every single Sunday.  

            What about the section of the Apostles Creed that highlights our Lord Jesus Christ? I invite you to say it along with me: I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of the Father, and will come again to judge the living and the dead.

            Today we are celebrating “On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven,” How amazing this must have been for Jesus’ followers! I know we have been over the same ground during this Easter season, as we consider Jesus and the time line after His resurrection. This whole string of events must have been absolutely out of the disciples’ experience.

            Imagine, your Rabbi and leader gets arrested, tried, and killed in a most horrible way. You are devastated. Then, on the third day, some of your women companions come back with a wild story – absolutely amazing! And, it’s true. You see the risen Jesus, too!

            Fast forward several weeks, The risen Lord Jesus appears to you and your companions a number of times, and continues to teach and prepare you – for what? If we go back to the Apostles Creed, this creed is a quick synopsis and theological summary of Jesus, His life, death, resurrection and ascension. Except, we are going to stay on the ascension part. The resurrected Jesus was around for some weeks, long enough for the disciples to kind of accustom themselves to His presence.

What do you know? The disciples (at least most of them!) were more interested in what was going to happen politically! Look at what Dr. Luke highlights for us here in Acts 1: “Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

“The disciples were still interested in the restoration of the kingdom of Israel. [Except,] the days and seasons of coming events were not something the disciples needed to worry about. Matters of churchmanship, denominational doctrines, church growth, church/state relations…… and the like, all pale before a far greater purpose” [1] that the risen Lord Jesus tried to communicate just before He ascended into heaven.

We can see this clearly from our Lord’s response: “Jesus said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 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.”

Jesus used stories to communicate great truths all during the three years He was an itinerant Rabbi, journeying all around Palestine. Is it any wonder that one of the most effective ways of “witnessing” to our Lord Jesus is by telling our personal stories?

            The Apostles Creed states that Jesus “ascended to heaven” and “he sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty.” We can see God sitting on a heavenly throne (perhaps in the temple from Isaiah 6!), and Jesus sits right beside God on God’s right hand. This was a very important place in historic accounts about kings. “The most important person other than the king always sat on the kings’ right hand.  What we are saying about Jesus is that he is right with God and that he is more important than any angel or any person who has ever lived.” [2]

            Yes, this account from Acts 1 is one of our most treasured stories about Jesus, along with the story of the Passion, the trials, and the Crucifixion. And then, we have the greatest story ever told in the account of the Resurrection and its aftermath! Can’t these stories about Jesus be paired with our own personal stories?

            In track and field, when the runners run a relay race, they pass a baton from one to another as each begins to run their leg of the race. Another way to think about the risen Lord Jesus ascending into heaven is Jesus passing the baton to His disciples. They have been in training for these past three years, and now our Lord Jesus is about to leave. “Jesus did tell them very clearly that they were to take up his ministry on earth.  His earthly part of the race was complete, but theirs was just starting.” [3] 

            We are witnesses to Jesus and His power and transformation in our lives today. Jesus “comes to you and me, he comes to his Church, lifts us up, loves us without limit, and invites us to tell the story of love over and over again. Remember His words: ”You shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the world.” [4]  How has Jesus been active in our lives, today? How is He telling the story of love to each of us? Jesus invites us to go and tell – tell others, today! Alleluia, amen.

@chaplaineliza

(Suggestion: visit me at my other blogs: matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers. #PursuePEACE – and  A Year of Being Kind . Thanks!

[1] http://www.lectionarystudies.com/studyot/ascensionot.html

[2] http://worshipingwithchildren.blogspot.com/2016/04/year-c-ascension-of-lord-thursday-may-5.html

[3] Ibid.

[4] “‘Why do you stand looking up into heaven?’ (Acts 1:11),” William Loader, Being the Church Then and Now: Issues from the Acts of the Apostles.

He Was Taken Up

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Acts 1:9, Luke 24:51 – May 28, 2017

Acts 1-9 Ascension ENLUMINURES HILDERSHEIM

“He Was Taken Up”

Mentors often teach and assist their followers through conversations. Whether it’s a one-on-one relationship or a small group mentorship, many respected, learned teachers often are in a position where their followers are hanging on every word that comes out of their mouths. Imagine how much more closely our risen Lord Jesus’s followers listened to His words in the weeks following His resurrection!

This whole situation after Easter was totally unprecedented. The Rabbi Jesus, God’s Anointed, the Messiah, come back from the dead? Being resurrected, and brought back to life?  How can such a thing be? It was a blessed miracle of God, that’s how!

Jesus walked and talked for forty days with His disciples. We do not know for sure, but I suspect He gave them further information about why He had come down from heaven, setting aside His divinity, being born of the Virgin Mary as a human baby. From our Gospel passage this morning: “44 Jesus 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.” 45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.”

Wouldn’t that be absolutely fantastic, to have Jesus, the Word made flesh, interpreting Scripture so that we could more fully understand it? Talk about an in-depth bible study! Those would be some awesome conversations. I know I would be sitting at Jesus’s feet, like Mary of Bethany, hanging on His every word.

I also suspect our Lord Jesus significantly affected and touched His followers while He realized His time was becoming shorter and shorter. Don’t you think Jesus must have told them He would be going away—soon? We know how upset the disciples became when Jesus told them such things before His crucifixion. In John 16, at that Last Supper the night Jesus was betrayed, He spoke plainly about His departure. But, that was the last thing His followers wanted to hear about, or think about, either!

If we reflect more deeply on that thought—the thought of Jesus going away—it’s similar to the idea of our loved ones dying and going away. Many people become deeply distressed at even the thought of it, much less the actuality. Even if we know our loved ones have died and gone to heaven, and we will eventually be reunited with them, it still can be distressing, even traumatizing for us to contemplate their departure.

This common feeling may well be similar to the feeling of the disciples as the time of Jesus’ departure got closer and closer. One of the commentators on the passage, Bob Deffinbaugh, wrote, “While we know that God’s will has been done and that those who have died in Christ are with the Lord…We do not find great comfort or joy in reminiscing over the departure of our loved ones. So, too, I believe the gospel writers did not have any predisposition to write of our Lord’s departure to return to His Father.” [1] That may be part of the reason why there was not much mention of the Ascension in the biblical record.

Taking a look at our companion reading from Acts 1, we can see that the disciples still do not quite understand. Even though Jesus opened their minds to the Scriptures that they might have fuller comprehension of the purpose and coming of the Messiah, as foretold by the biblical writers, they still had some misconceptions.

Reading from Acts 1: “6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

We can tell that the followers of Jesus are still thinking “of the day when the nation of Israel will be reestablished as it was in the days of Solomon. They dream of themselves as the chief executives in the new kingdom.” [2] They are having a glorified view of a powerful earthly kingdom.  I cannot imagine our Lord Jesus being unclear about this, so I think the problem is on the disciples’ end. They have faulty presuppositions that just do not match up with the clear things Jesus is telling them. The followers of Jesus need to have their vision clarified. The kingdom Jesus is preparing is not of this world, but instead of the spiritual world.  

How often are we like the disciples? So often, we focus on unimportant issues. Things like denominational differences, whether to baptize by sprinkling or by immersion, how often to offer the Lord’s Supper, social justice, church growth, choice of church music: all of these pale in comparison with the foundational purpose of Jesus and His coming to earth.

As we can see, the followers of Jesus were narrowly focused on the restoration of the kingdom to Israel. They were completely missing the larger picture of our Lord Jesus reconciling the entire world to God, His heavenly Father.

For Jesus, His followers have one overarching assignment—a far greater purpose than these unimportant things. “For Jesus, that purpose is witnessing. His disciples are witnesses of His life, death, resurrection, and now, His ascension.” [3]

We all are familiar with the words of the Apostles Creed. I quote a portion: Jesus Christ, “born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty.” These words are the very words I am preaching about here, today. They are not just the dusty old words found in some theological tome or some stilted book of creeds of the church. No! These words of the Creed are faithful, true, and powerful.

While the disciples were being distracted by their pie-in-the-sky view of the restoration of the kingdom of Israel to home rule, Jesus had the cosmic view in mind. In other words, it is like Jesus is telling His followers, “Forget that other stuff. Look, I am going now. I will send you all a Helper, an Advocate, to help you in the important work of being My witnesses. So, BE my witnesses!”

Acts 1:8 tells us where the followers are to be witnesses: “you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Then, in verse 9, Jesus rises and is taken up into heaven.

Do we understand yet? The ascension of Jesus was glorious! He rose up into a cloud, most probably the Shekinah glory that surrounded Him at the Transfiguration, earlier in the Gospels. He ascended into heaven, just as we confess in the Apostles Creed. And, in Acts 1:11, we are reminded that the return of our Lord Jesus will be like His ascension.

“The ascension was a display of the splendor and glory of the coming Kingdom. As such it was a reassurance to the disciples that this Kingdom was the same as they had previously been instructed.” [4] A glorious, heavenly reassurance!

Remember, the followers of Jesus were not left to undertake this purpose, this task in their own power. Jesus tells us, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.” And then, “you will be my witnesses.”

The followers of Jesus did not know what to expect. But, we know.  This ascension may be the end of Jesus’s time on earth. He may be going away for a time, but no fear!

We are going to celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit next week, on Pentecost Sunday. Talk about coming attractions! Praise God, today we have the power and help of the Holy Spirit assisting us as we share the Good News of Jesus, reconciling us to God. Jesus assured us of the help of the Holy Spirit, whenever we witness to Him. What a promise! Alleluia, amen.

[1] https://bible.org/seriespage/41-ascension-luke-2431-acts-11-11  “The Ascension,” by Robert Deffinbaugh at the Biblical Studies Foundation.

[2] http://www.lectionarystudies.com/studyot/ascensionot.html  “The Ascension,” Rev. Bryan Findlayson, Lectionary Bible Studies and Sermons, Pumpkin Cottage Ministry Resources.

[3] Ibid.

[4] https://bible.org/seriespage/41-ascension-luke-2431-acts-11-11  “The Ascension,” by Robert Deffinbaugh at the Biblical Studies Foundation.

@chaplaineliza

(Suggestion: visit me at my regular blog for 2017: matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers. #PursuePEACE – and my other blog,  A Year of Being Kind . Thanks!)