Encore Post: In ancient palaces, a ruler exercised power in a very formal way. He would enter the throne room, with a herald going before him. All would bow to him and yet watch his every move, every gesture and listen carefully to every word. His crown identified him as ruler. The session began when he sat down on his throne. In fact, the word “session” literally means “the time of sitting.” those who stood near him were very powerful people. Only those of equal power would sit in his presence — especially at his right hand. So, the right hand of the ruler became a figure of speech that stands for his authority, glory and honor.
When we say that Jesus “ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty,” we confess that he is equal to the Father and is also almighty. (Matthew 28:18) this truth is precious to us for many reasons.
When Satan, the world and our sinful nature try to rule over us, we can tell them to get lost. They do not rule us — Jesus does. When we baptize and teach others God’s Word, it is not our talents, reputation, ability to impress others with our words that matter. The authority to do so comes from Jesus and power that changes hearts come from him and the Holy Spirit. When we feel lonely, we are not alone, because he is with us always, until the end of time itself.
Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
The theme for this Ascension Day is this: I will be with you always.
When the wind blows in the night, it wakens the children. At first, sister and sister try to console one another. “It’ll be alright. It will go away soon.” But the more frightened one of the two usually won’t go back to sleep. No, the child will open the door, walk down the hallway, and knock on the door, and say, “Daddy, I’m scared.” And Dad gets up, opens the door, and holds his child. And they talk and the child gets back into bed, tucked in just right, and Dad says, “Do not be afraid, my child. I will be with you always.” Holding that promise, the frightened child goes back to sleep calmed and secure.
When a man loves a woman, he asks her on a date. And they get to know one another, spend time together, talk about their lives, and enjoy one another’s company. Inevitably, after the passage of time, the man finds that he cannot live without her. He finds that he cannot share her with any other. He loves her. And so, he heads to the jewelry store and buys a ring with all the money he has saved. And on one knee, he says to this woman, “I will be with you always.” And that is that, and they get engaged and soon to be married, and they have made promises and commitments to one another for as long as they live.
“I will be with you always.” These words cast out our fears, and these words bring us to tears. These words tell us we are never alone, and that some other person cares about us. These are not just the words of father to child or of a husband to a wife, these are the words that comfort us during our greatest sufferings and our greatest moments in life.
But even more, the God of heaven becomes man on earth, and God Himself Jesus Christ, was born of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem. And what is the promise? God with us. Far greater than a child’s comfort in the storm or a husband’s promise to his wife, God promised to be with us, to be born like us, to grow up like us, to be baptized like us, to be tempted like us, and even to suffer like us. Through every moment, every struggle, every suffering, every sin, and every moment, our Lord God is with us. There is no other god in this world than our God and Lord.
Quite often, we want to be left alone with our sins. I certainly don’t want you to know that about me. And every time, we find ourselves alone when our loved ones die. And the devil loves to tempt us to go through life alone, to deal with our problems alone, to make us feel like we are all alone.
And this is why Jesus has established His Church, so that He can tell you as He tells you today, “I am with you always.” And this is why Jesus has established His Church, that no matter what our family life is, no matter what our social life is, no matter who is missing or who we are missing, that I will be with you always and you will be with me always, and we will be here together always.
This is why we go to church, not for ourselves, but for those around us. I will never forget Stan and Vivian, Frank and Arlene, Marion, and Wanda. These were the elderly members that showed me how to be a Christian, and they showed me how to love one another. They weren’t at church to see what they could get out of it, but to train up a child in the way he should go, and now he’s a pastor in the Lord’s Church. They reminded me often, I will be with you…when you usher, when you acolyte, when you are confirmed and when you graduate. When I got married, they came to the wedding, when my parents were divorced, it was those examples of faith who I called for help.
For this is how the church works. What good is an eye if it has no ear? What good is a foot if it has no leg? What good is a heart if there is no head? Our Lord has knit us together as one body. If one part is missing, then the whole body suffers. If one part is sick, then the whole body is sick. If one part is alone, then it must be rejoined. The last words of Jesus must be the first words of His Church. “I will be with you always.”
This is important for me to say, for this is what my vows have said and this is what the Lord has commanded: I will be with you always. And this is important for you to say, to one another as often as you need, I will be with you always.
But I suppose this only goes so far. What if we can’t stand each other? What if we don’t care about one another? What if we are afraid or alone and unable to be comforted? What if we want to be the Church, but we just don’t know how?
Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, promises you this: I will be with you always. And we may ask, But how is Jesus with us always, even now, even today? Jesus has told us. By baptizing and teaching. These are the ways that He is with us, by making us part of the family, part of the body, part of the Church. By teaching us like a father with his child in the darkness of the night. By telling us His promises more than once because maybe we didn’t hear it the first time. By explaining to us how much He loves us and how much He suffered for us.
When we were baptized, our Lord said unto us, “I will be with you always.” When we are taught the Scriptures and have learned what they say, then we can be sure and certain, that the Lord will be with you always. This is why we always say the salutation in every one of our services. I tell you, “The Lord be with you,” and He is. And you tell me, “And also with you.” And thus we are the Church together, walking together, believing together, never alone and never afraid of whatever the world may throw at us.
This promise of Christmas begun at the Incarnation is the final promise of our Lord when He ascended. His whole life declares to us that He is with us. And He has shown us how He is with us, in His Word and His Sacraments. This means even today, we have the Lord in our midst, not as a thought, but in His own Body and Blood. We have the Lord with us always because Jesus has promised it to be so.
What is true for us now, what is true in this world, will be true for us then, will be true in the world to come, that the Lord our God is with us, even to the end of the age, and ever and ever. Amen.
Rev. James Peterson First Lutheran Church Phillipsburg, Kansas
Now that the Resurrection of our Lord has passed, the Body of Christ, turns her attention to her Lord’s ascension and His promise that “it is for your benefit that I go away.” It is an audacious promise for the disciples to belief because what is better than having Jesus “present” with them? How is it better for Jesus to go away? It makes no sense to our human minds. What if I told you our Risen Lord Jesus is more present with us now after His ascension than He was while He walked on Earth during His Ministry?
Christ hears our prayers and all the prayers of the saints around the world with His own human ears. So also, now that He has ascended, He can be at every altar in His body where the Sacrament of the Altar is being celebrated. And this, my friends, is better for us. He, as the God Man, ascended to the right hand of God so that He could be with His Church in a way far more beneficial than merely sitting on a throne somewhere in Jerusalem. Hence, why we hear the words of Luke as the apostles leave the mountain. They were rejoicing, for they knew Christ had not left them, but rather was with them forever (Luke 24:52–53, cf. Matthew 28:20). They firmly believed that wherever they gathered together in the name of Jesus and according to His commands, there Jesus was with them physically in flesh and blood for the forgiveness of sins and salvation. The Church has repeated those commands more often than any other words of Christ a in remembrance of Him. They are “Take, eat” and “Take, drink.”
Let us give thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ, who came in the flesh, died, and rose in the flesh also ascended in the flesh. He does it all for our benefit that He may be with His whole church on Earth in His flesh and blood for our forgiveness and eternal salvation.
Rev. Jacob Hercamp St. Peter’s Lutheran Church La Grange, MO
Encore Post: The Ascension is an important event in the life of Jesus and the Church. It is the final part of the work which redeemed us: the cross, where our sins were paid for, the resurrection where the power of the grave was broken and the ascension which restored all His honor, glory, authority and power. From the days of the early church, over 1500 years ago, until recent years, the church celebrated the Ascension on the fortieth day after Easter, or the Thursday ten days before Pentecost. In the 21st century, many churches celebrate Ascension on the Sunday before Pentecost.
When He ascended, Jesus left His Church a promise, a mission and a blessing. He promised to be with us always, until the end of time. He gave us our mission. We would join His mission to seek and save the lost by going to the whole world, being witnesses to His life, death and resurrection, to proclaim the good news of salvation, baptizing and teaching all He commanded us. As He ascended, He blessed them as Aaron and the High Priest did and as pastors do to this day, giving us His peace. He promised to be with us always, until the end of time itself.
Now the church waits patiently for him to return. On a day that no one knows, Jesus will return. On that day, he will raise our bodies from the grave, judge all the living and the dead, bring an end to sin, death and the power of the devil. God will live among us again, throw the greatest marriage feast of all time. He will dry the every tear from our eyes.
