Acts 1: 6-11

Theme: Ascension

WE THOUGHT YOU WOULD BE HERE BY NOW

I have noticed it happening to me a lot lately. I don’t have anything to say. Something of significance happens and I am speechless. Terrible things happen and I can’t find one word that sounds worthy of uttering. There are some things in life that are simply beyond human speech, no matter how creative with words we are.

I am sure that some of our youth and children had a few of these silent moments or will have in the next few days. School will be out and even though you are glad to be out of school, it also means that you will not see some of your friends for a while. What do you say in a time like that? There are friends that I had in high school that I have not seen since we walked out of graduation. What do you say to someone when it’s the last time you will see them for a very long time?

The disciples were about to experience one those moments when there were no words to say. It had been 40 days since the resurrection. What a grand time it must have been for the disciples and the extended family of believers who saw and heard and walked with Jesus in that short time. But, Jesus had already told them there was coming a time when he would be with them no more.

"What would you do if you knew that you had only one day to live?" That was the question Gunther Klempnauer asked 625 young students in 12 different German vocational schools. He reported a wide variety of responses including the expected, "Get drunk, get a fix, get a girl." Some said they would spend the time with family, others wanted to climb a mountain or sail their boat, and yet others wanted to go on a picnic with friends. One student indicated that he would spend the time reviewing his photo albums and savoring the memories. An 18-year-old young woman wrote: "I would like to spend my last evening in church alone with God and thank him for my full and happy life."

Jesus spent his last day with his family, his Church. Then, while he was talking to them, he suddenly was taken from them in a cloud and he ascended out of their sight. They were left staring into the sky, perhaps with mouths gapped wide open, and with nothing to say. What could you say, what human words could one utter that properly responded to what had just happened.

In such a situation, it was left to angels to speak the first words. "Why are ya’ll staring into the sky like that, he’s coming back?" They were southern angels. I am sure there was a certain amount of sadness, even uncertainty in those moments. Jesus and his comforting physical presence was gone. However, Luke closed out his Gospel with two observations: they returned to Jerusalem with great joy and they were continually worshiping in the temple. In other words, their reaction to the ascension was to be full of joy and to worship.

Since the fourth century, the church has celebrated Ascension Day on Thursday, the fortieth day after Easter. It seems like the ascension ought to be a tearful event. Jesus bids "farewell" to his disciples, and his physical presence is taken from them. The joy of knowing the resurrected Jesus was short-lived. Yet, they go away rejoicing and head to the Temple to worship.

Why would the disciples react like that? I think it is because they knew that all Jesus had told them would come true no matter how humanly improbably it may seem. They had been walking and talking and listening to a man who 43 days earlier had been crucified and had died on the cross and was buried. 40 days before, that same man was raised from the dead. If that promise of Jesus came true, then why was it so difficult to believe his other promises?

The age, which was to come, is now here! Jesus often talked about the coming of the kingdom of God. The kingdom was here. Jesus had invaded the enemy’s land and had conquered him. Satan had been defeated on the cross. The act of liberation had taken place and all who come to Christ would be set free from their sins. The evil that Adam had brought to the world through his sin was now remedied in Christ. It was a new day, a new kingdom, a new way of living before God. Something new was taking place and they were a part of it. They had the privilege of seeing God’s sovereign will unfold before their eyes.

Not only had their salvation come, Jesus, his work being finished, was now sitting at the right had of the Father. This idea of sitting at the right hand of the Father is a metaphor for sharing in the glory, rights and privileges of rulership. Jesus once again participates in the glory that he gave up to become our salvation. In that position, Jesus is our advocate with the Father. He stands as the one who intervenes with the Father in regard to our sins. Instead of seeing our sins, He sees the blood of the lamb, his Son. Our advocate declares us to be people who have died with him and are raised to new life.

And yet, what could they say as they stood there staring as the clouds enveloped him and all that could be seen was the royal blue sky. They were speechless. But, two messengers appeared to give them both assurance and instructions. He’s coming back! It’s not over, the final chapter has yet to be written. Jesus had promised on numerous occasions that he will go and prepare a place for us so that where he is, we may be also. These two men dressed in dazzling white simply reminded them that the one who promised to rise from the grave will keep his promise. He will be back.

As exciting as that is, something else is implied in these words. He is coming back, so get to work, be faithful. In order to understand this, we need to see the commands of Jesus just before the ascension. Jesus told them to stay in Jerusalem unto the coming of the Holy Spirit. They would be baptized with the Holy Spirit not too many days from now. This was one of the promises that Jesus made to the disciples before he was crucified. Jesus said it was necessary for him to go so that the Comforter, the Paraclete may come. It was the Holy Spirit who would come and empower us to do the work of the kingdom.

Once the Holy spirit comes, the church must go to work. The Holy Spirit enables us to be his witnesses. The Holy Spirit enables us to be the Church. We become the physical presence of the Kingdom of God until he comes again. Our work is to be the church of course. But, specifically we are to be his witnesses. We are to tell the world about the salvation that is found in Christ. We are to be his witnesses unto the ends of the earth.

So, the ascension means that Jesus goes to complete his promises to be our high priest, our advocate with the Father and to send us the help of the Holy Spirit. And since that day, we have been in the last days, waiting for his return. He kept all of his other promises, we expect him to keep that one too.

And that leads me to another event that seems to be happening to me and I wonder if it is happening to you too. I find myself looking and longing for his coming. I don’t understand the book of Revelation except for this one, clear idea; he is coming back to judge the living and the dead.

Life gets so ugly, so many terrible things happen, we become so emotionally and spiritually exhausted that we long for his return. Perhaps, we look to the sky and say, "we thought you would be here by now." I guess we are still staring up into the sky, wishing and waiting.

Maybe it would be best if we stopped and heard the words of the two messengers dressed in dazzling white, he is coming back, until then get to work, be his witnesses. I guess we do have something to say after all! He is coming back, are you ready?