Sermon Illustrations for Easter 7 (2014)
Acts 1:6-14
This story of the ascension seems to be a text that teaches us of our distance from God, as Christ dwells with him in heaven. Martin Luther gives us another perspective on this event. He suggests that when Christ's human nature ascended to heaven it has also brought us human beings into the presence of God's kindly paternal love (Luther's Works, Vol. 42, p. 13). In the ascension, Jesus takes us along with him to the Father. The first Reformer found a lot of assurance that Christ is in heaven for us. In one of his sermons he claimed: