Sermon illustrations for Ascension of the Lord (2022)
Illustration
Acts 1:1-11
In the American judicial system, a witness is a crucial component to attain justice. It wasn’t a big trial, but I was once called upon to be a witness in a Kansas City courtroom. The attorney made clear what I was supposed to do. She wanted me to relay exactly what I’d seen and to answer the questions directly. Being a witness, even in a small trial, seemed like a big responsibility.
On the day Jesus ascended into heaven, his disciples received an even greater responsibility to witness. They were gathered and talking with Jesus. They want to know if this is the time of the kingdom. Jesus tells them not to worry about that. They have something more important to do. Acts 1:8 then notes Jesus telling them, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” They were to be witnesses. They were to share the news, beginning in Jerusalem, then Judea, Samaria and finally to the world. There’s never been a more important story to bear witness of than this one.
Bill T.
* * *
Acts 1:1-11
In Luke’s account, Jesus is revealed as the risen Lord, commissions the apostles, and ascends to heaven on the same day, and in Acts — which I remind you was written by the same person, Luke the evangelist — the Lord is with them forty days. Since Luke knew what he was doing, I assume the way he tells the story reflects the way the apostles lived the experience and told him. After all, Luke assured his reader Theophilus, at the start of the gospel, that he had investigated matters thoroughly. We know that people experience the same periods of time in very different ways. In this light, I think both accounts of the time spent with Jesus in Luke’s accounts are perfectly compatible. (If you don’t believe me about the way we experience time, you haven’t eaten as much chocolate or had as many root canals as I have.)
Some people will recall the pandemic passing quickly, a time that was over before one knew it, and others as a never ending slog. Some people experience periods in the church as passing in swift progression, others will feel that the current trials and temptations will never end. All of us are having legitimate experiences. The Spirit of God is present with us in all these times.
Frank R.
* * *
Ephesians 1:15-23
Given the growth of the Nones (the religiously unaffiliated), many of whom say they are spiritual but not religious, the Ascension is a time for Christians to connect the two, our “religious” belief in Christ with a “spiritual affirmation of his presence in the whole universe (the Cosmic Christ). Martin Luther King, Jr. nicely articulated this commitment:
Whether we call it an unconscious process, an impersonal Brahman, or a personal being of matchless power and infinite love, there is a creative force in the universe that works to bring the disconnected aspects of reality into a harmonious whole. (A Testament of Hope, p. 20)
In the same vein, the famous 20th-century theologian Paul Tillich claimed that the Ascension “means that God’s creativity is not separated from the new being in Christ...” (Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, p.162). What is the significance of the Ascension for everyday life? John Calvin claims that it is all about grace, the recognition that the force of the universe to which M. L. King refers, that Tillich’s new being, is expressed by the fact that the universe itself is filled with grace. Calvin writes about the Ascension:
Paul’s object, therefore, was not only to impress the Ephesians with a deep sense of the value of divine grace, but also to give them exalted views of the glory of Christ’s Kingdom. That they might not be cast down by a view of their unworthiness, he exhorts them to consider the power of God; as if he had said that their regeneration was no ordinary work of God but was an astonishing exhibition of his power. (Calvin’s Commentaries, Vol. XXI/1, p. 214)
Mark E.
* * *
Luke 24:44-53
I came across this story in several different publications, including The Fort Campbell Courier from Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
George Muller Massena, one of Napoleon’s generals, suddenly appeared with 18,000 soldiers before an Austrian town that had no means of defending itself. The town council met, certain that capitulation was the only answer. The old minister of the church reminded the council that it was Easter and begged them to hold services as usual and to leave the trouble in God’s hands. They followed his advice. The minister went to the church and rang the bells to announce the service. The French soldiers heard the church bells ring and concluded the Austrian army had come to rescue the town. They broke camp and vanished before the bells had ceased ringing.
The incident has often been duplicated in individual lives. I see it here in the response of the disciples. Jesus has gone away into heaven. They worshipped him. Note, though, how Luke says they returned to Jerusalem. They went with great joy. I believe they rang the bells of joy in the face of uncertainty and fear. The Holy Spirit would come upon them and equip them. That’s how they could be witnesses. However, I am still struck by the “great joy” they had as they returned to the city.
Bill T.
* * *
Luke 24:44-53
As he did on the road to Emmaus, Jesus teaches the apostles, in this final scene, about the law and the prophets. All of scripture points to Jesus. In these verses Luke adds the psalms to the list. The psalms function prophetically in a way we don’t often think about. They point to the suffering servant (as in Psalm 22), they speak about loss, shame, and ultimate vindication, they celebrate God as shepherd, and there is remembrance of things past as well as a look to the future. I like where it says, “Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures….” Because we understand the scriptures better as we continue to live, and recognize ourselves in the story, it is we who grow. And we grow because we read scripture through the lens of Jesus.
There’s a line in the original Star Wars movie where Obi-Wan Kenobi waves his fingers and tells the stormtroopers, “These aren’t the droids you’re looking for.” But they are the droids they’re looking for! They’re looking right at them and don’t see them. This comes to mind because when Jesus talks about how it is written “that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day,” Jesus is also telling us, “This is not the Messiah you were looking for.” Not if we were expecting a military Messiah who would drive the occupying legions of the Roman army into the sea. And not if we twenty-first century Christians were expecting the Messiah to confirm our worship of the false gods of nationalism, racism, and entitlement. What God had in mind, who Jesus is in reality, is better. This is the God who suffers, like us, and redeems.
The story isn’t finished. The apostles haven’t received God’s Spirit yet, but it says that when Jesus was taken from their midst and ascended into heaven “…they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy…” (24:52). Even though they themselves aren’t in heaven, they are joyful. And we ourselves, still learning, growing, making mistakes, are called to receive joy. Our problems aren’t solved, the path isn’t clear, who knows what lies ahead, but the default setting should be joy.
Frank R.
In the American judicial system, a witness is a crucial component to attain justice. It wasn’t a big trial, but I was once called upon to be a witness in a Kansas City courtroom. The attorney made clear what I was supposed to do. She wanted me to relay exactly what I’d seen and to answer the questions directly. Being a witness, even in a small trial, seemed like a big responsibility.
On the day Jesus ascended into heaven, his disciples received an even greater responsibility to witness. They were gathered and talking with Jesus. They want to know if this is the time of the kingdom. Jesus tells them not to worry about that. They have something more important to do. Acts 1:8 then notes Jesus telling them, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” They were to be witnesses. They were to share the news, beginning in Jerusalem, then Judea, Samaria and finally to the world. There’s never been a more important story to bear witness of than this one.
Bill T.
* * *
Acts 1:1-11
In Luke’s account, Jesus is revealed as the risen Lord, commissions the apostles, and ascends to heaven on the same day, and in Acts — which I remind you was written by the same person, Luke the evangelist — the Lord is with them forty days. Since Luke knew what he was doing, I assume the way he tells the story reflects the way the apostles lived the experience and told him. After all, Luke assured his reader Theophilus, at the start of the gospel, that he had investigated matters thoroughly. We know that people experience the same periods of time in very different ways. In this light, I think both accounts of the time spent with Jesus in Luke’s accounts are perfectly compatible. (If you don’t believe me about the way we experience time, you haven’t eaten as much chocolate or had as many root canals as I have.)
Some people will recall the pandemic passing quickly, a time that was over before one knew it, and others as a never ending slog. Some people experience periods in the church as passing in swift progression, others will feel that the current trials and temptations will never end. All of us are having legitimate experiences. The Spirit of God is present with us in all these times.
Frank R.
* * *
Ephesians 1:15-23
Given the growth of the Nones (the religiously unaffiliated), many of whom say they are spiritual but not religious, the Ascension is a time for Christians to connect the two, our “religious” belief in Christ with a “spiritual affirmation of his presence in the whole universe (the Cosmic Christ). Martin Luther King, Jr. nicely articulated this commitment:
Whether we call it an unconscious process, an impersonal Brahman, or a personal being of matchless power and infinite love, there is a creative force in the universe that works to bring the disconnected aspects of reality into a harmonious whole. (A Testament of Hope, p. 20)
In the same vein, the famous 20th-century theologian Paul Tillich claimed that the Ascension “means that God’s creativity is not separated from the new being in Christ...” (Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, p.162). What is the significance of the Ascension for everyday life? John Calvin claims that it is all about grace, the recognition that the force of the universe to which M. L. King refers, that Tillich’s new being, is expressed by the fact that the universe itself is filled with grace. Calvin writes about the Ascension:
Paul’s object, therefore, was not only to impress the Ephesians with a deep sense of the value of divine grace, but also to give them exalted views of the glory of Christ’s Kingdom. That they might not be cast down by a view of their unworthiness, he exhorts them to consider the power of God; as if he had said that their regeneration was no ordinary work of God but was an astonishing exhibition of his power. (Calvin’s Commentaries, Vol. XXI/1, p. 214)
Mark E.
* * *
Luke 24:44-53
I came across this story in several different publications, including The Fort Campbell Courier from Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
George Muller Massena, one of Napoleon’s generals, suddenly appeared with 18,000 soldiers before an Austrian town that had no means of defending itself. The town council met, certain that capitulation was the only answer. The old minister of the church reminded the council that it was Easter and begged them to hold services as usual and to leave the trouble in God’s hands. They followed his advice. The minister went to the church and rang the bells to announce the service. The French soldiers heard the church bells ring and concluded the Austrian army had come to rescue the town. They broke camp and vanished before the bells had ceased ringing.
The incident has often been duplicated in individual lives. I see it here in the response of the disciples. Jesus has gone away into heaven. They worshipped him. Note, though, how Luke says they returned to Jerusalem. They went with great joy. I believe they rang the bells of joy in the face of uncertainty and fear. The Holy Spirit would come upon them and equip them. That’s how they could be witnesses. However, I am still struck by the “great joy” they had as they returned to the city.
Bill T.
* * *
Luke 24:44-53
As he did on the road to Emmaus, Jesus teaches the apostles, in this final scene, about the law and the prophets. All of scripture points to Jesus. In these verses Luke adds the psalms to the list. The psalms function prophetically in a way we don’t often think about. They point to the suffering servant (as in Psalm 22), they speak about loss, shame, and ultimate vindication, they celebrate God as shepherd, and there is remembrance of things past as well as a look to the future. I like where it says, “Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures….” Because we understand the scriptures better as we continue to live, and recognize ourselves in the story, it is we who grow. And we grow because we read scripture through the lens of Jesus.
There’s a line in the original Star Wars movie where Obi-Wan Kenobi waves his fingers and tells the stormtroopers, “These aren’t the droids you’re looking for.” But they are the droids they’re looking for! They’re looking right at them and don’t see them. This comes to mind because when Jesus talks about how it is written “that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day,” Jesus is also telling us, “This is not the Messiah you were looking for.” Not if we were expecting a military Messiah who would drive the occupying legions of the Roman army into the sea. And not if we twenty-first century Christians were expecting the Messiah to confirm our worship of the false gods of nationalism, racism, and entitlement. What God had in mind, who Jesus is in reality, is better. This is the God who suffers, like us, and redeems.
The story isn’t finished. The apostles haven’t received God’s Spirit yet, but it says that when Jesus was taken from their midst and ascended into heaven “…they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy…” (24:52). Even though they themselves aren’t in heaven, they are joyful. And we ourselves, still learning, growing, making mistakes, are called to receive joy. Our problems aren’t solved, the path isn’t clear, who knows what lies ahead, but the default setting should be joy.
Frank R.
