The Ascension of Our Lord
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series VII, Cycle B
The Ascension of Our Lord
Revised Common
Acts 1:1-11
Ephesians 1:15-23
Luke 24:44-53
Roman Catholic
Acts 1:1-11
Ephesians 1:17-23
Mark 16:15-20
Episcopal
Acts 1:1-11
Ephesians 1:15-23
Luke 24:49-53 or Mark 16:9-15, 19-20
Seasonal Theme
Alive and out of the grave, the risen Christ is witnessed in the real world.
Theme For The Day
The time of Jesus' physical presence comes to a close and a new age of witnessing discipleship begins.
First Lesson
Acts 1:1-11
The Ascension Of Jesus
Addressing it to the same non-Jew "God lover," Dr. Luke had written his Life and teachings of Jesus; now he begins to write about life in the early church among the Apostles in Jerusalem. In his Gospel, Luke had described Jesus' life from the birth in Bethlehem until the Ascension, which we celebrate today. It is that ending of his physical presence by the Ascension Luke uses to begin this new book about life in the early church.
Perhaps the greatest thing Luke says in the second volume is that the life of Jesus is continued in the church. A couple of things to notice here. The disciples were to wait for the spirit (v. 4). They were not to go off "half-cocked." Wait for the power and the equipping of God's spirit, then go.
Verse 8 has been quoted by missionaries for centuries. We receive power, we are witnesses, and the church goes out into ever-widening circles.
These two men in white robes hearken us back to those same angels who were at the Easter empty tomb. They were messengers of God announcing for God the instructions. And as at the transfiguration, the instructions were that it was now time to get busy. There was witnessing to be done. A kingdom had to be organized and workers recruited.
Second Lesson
Ephesians 1:15-23
Paul's Prayer And God's Power
Paul is giving thanks to God for the faithfulness of his readers. Verse 17 assures us that to have God is to have wisdom and revelation. Verse 18 uses an old Hebrew thought. The "eyes of your heart," the heart is the seat and center of our deepest knowledge and experience. It conveys the change in the whole person as they are opened up to God's grace.
In the Christ, God's power was at work in the resurrection and the Ascension.
The great thought of this passage is that the Christ is the head of the church. And that the church is the alive body of Christ in the world (vv. 22-23). Second to that verse is verse 19 which talks about God's "immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe." That will preach.
The Gospel
Luke 24:44-53
The Ascension Of Jesus
All that the Old Testament had promised, Jesus had now done. It was time to end this part of our salvation history and begin the mission of the church. Verse 47 lets us know that proclamation of repentance and forgiveness must now go to all nations. Disciples are witnesses and as such are clothed with God's power.
While I wouldn't present it to the congregation, it is odd that Luke dates the Ascensions forty days after Easter in his book of Acts account, but here he puts it Easter night. Perhaps it's the emphasis each book was making. Luke's Gospel seems most likely as the promise to the thief on the cross seems to indicate (Luke 23:43). The Acts account was most interested in the significance of the risen Christ founding the church. And there needed to be those post-Easter appearances to prove the resurrection before the Ascension.
Notice that the Gospel ends where it began -- in the temple. And with great joy.
Preaching Possibilities
Perhaps the best approach to preaching on the Ascension is not to picture graphically Jesus' body shooting off into space like one of our rockets. Some may want to use this story to prove somehow the divinity of Jesus the Christ. I'll not go there. The best approach may be to speak of why the writers wanted this story preserved and what it teaches us for our discipleship today. For instance, Gospel writer Luke tells it twice to Theophilus, the "God-lover" to whom he was writing, once in the Gospel and once in Acts. We read both accounts today. Combining these two readings lets us speak of the nature and mission of the church then and now. No longer with us in physical body, the Christian church now becomes his alive body in the world. There is power available to us to equip us for mission in the world. We have done enough looking into the heavens; it's time to go out as witnesses. Joy is to be found in witnessing and in the temple.
So we can easily use all three readings or any one of the three. I'll do a topical sermon based on "God's Immeasurable Greatness" in Ephesians 1:19.
Possible Outline Of Sermon Moves
Title: God's Immeasurable Greatness
Text: Ephesians 1:19
A. Introduction: Paul was writing a letter to be circulated among the Christian congregations he had begun. He told them that he prayed for them and that he was so thankful for them. Then he spoke of God's immeasurable greatness. Listen as I read his words to you (read the text).
B. Ask the question: What do you think Paul had in mind when he spoke of God's greatness?
1. We have great power from him if we believe.
2. God's power to raise Jesus from the grave and to do the same for us is promised.
3. God's power, as manifest in God's worldwide church, is available to us.
4. Throughout that church and in us, God's power to witness, heal, forgive, love, comfort, and teach us disciples. Is this complete?
C. State what you believe: My life can be dramatically changed because of God's power:
1. Anger into kindness
2. Jealousy into joy
3. Slavery of sin into freedom in the Christ
4. Greed into spirit of sharing
5. Frantic worry into peace of mind
6. Fearful of witnessing to bold in our reaching out
D. Go to the other readings: Tell of the power in Acts 1:8 and in Luke 24:49b.
E. Use Paul as an illustration: Tell how God took a bitter little Jew persecuting the Christians and changed him into the world's first and greatest Christian missionary.
F. Sing a verse of the famous hymn, "How Great Thou Art."
G. Conclude by reading again the text Ephesians 1:19
Prayer For The Day
Clothe us with your great power, O God, as you promised your disciples you would do. Give us the boldness to be effective witnesses out in the world where we live and work and play. We celebrate today your ascension that we might now be your presence in the world. You are great and we would do great things on your behalf here. In the risen and ascended Jesus' name. Amen.
Possible Metaphors And Stories
I once had an intern nicknamed "Crash Adrian." She drove church vans. She once crashed one into the other in our church lot. (We do hurt our own.)
Also, a van developed a power steering leak and began to turn only right, not left. She had to figure out her route from Walgreen's back to the church while turning only right. She did it by backing up a couple of times. There are times when we ought back up and go the other way. Perhaps we should examine our "power steering" also. What powers it and how reliable is it for us?
We almost always underestimate the power of the wind. I followed a truck today with its canvas flapping in the wind. You see it whenever humans try to tie down a cover on anything and then move it -- or when the wind comes up. We almost always underestimate the Spirit's power as well. Let Pentecost blow!
In a promo for a television show, Class of '96, someone says: "Your true birthplace is the place where you find out who you are. Havenhurst -- I have come home to the place of my birth." In my relationship with the Christ I have found out who I am and how I am. In the Christian church I have come home to the place of my birth.
In Iowa the highway snowplow trucks have two mirrors on top. One is on each side of the rotating blue light so you get the effect of three emergency lights rather than the one it really is. We can be the mirror of the light of Christ in the dark world in which we live. We are not the Christ, but we are called to reflect him.
Revised Common
Acts 1:1-11
Ephesians 1:15-23
Luke 24:44-53
Roman Catholic
Acts 1:1-11
Ephesians 1:17-23
Mark 16:15-20
Episcopal
Acts 1:1-11
Ephesians 1:15-23
Luke 24:49-53 or Mark 16:9-15, 19-20
Seasonal Theme
Alive and out of the grave, the risen Christ is witnessed in the real world.
Theme For The Day
The time of Jesus' physical presence comes to a close and a new age of witnessing discipleship begins.
First Lesson
Acts 1:1-11
The Ascension Of Jesus
Addressing it to the same non-Jew "God lover," Dr. Luke had written his Life and teachings of Jesus; now he begins to write about life in the early church among the Apostles in Jerusalem. In his Gospel, Luke had described Jesus' life from the birth in Bethlehem until the Ascension, which we celebrate today. It is that ending of his physical presence by the Ascension Luke uses to begin this new book about life in the early church.
Perhaps the greatest thing Luke says in the second volume is that the life of Jesus is continued in the church. A couple of things to notice here. The disciples were to wait for the spirit (v. 4). They were not to go off "half-cocked." Wait for the power and the equipping of God's spirit, then go.
Verse 8 has been quoted by missionaries for centuries. We receive power, we are witnesses, and the church goes out into ever-widening circles.
These two men in white robes hearken us back to those same angels who were at the Easter empty tomb. They were messengers of God announcing for God the instructions. And as at the transfiguration, the instructions were that it was now time to get busy. There was witnessing to be done. A kingdom had to be organized and workers recruited.
Second Lesson
Ephesians 1:15-23
Paul's Prayer And God's Power
Paul is giving thanks to God for the faithfulness of his readers. Verse 17 assures us that to have God is to have wisdom and revelation. Verse 18 uses an old Hebrew thought. The "eyes of your heart," the heart is the seat and center of our deepest knowledge and experience. It conveys the change in the whole person as they are opened up to God's grace.
In the Christ, God's power was at work in the resurrection and the Ascension.
The great thought of this passage is that the Christ is the head of the church. And that the church is the alive body of Christ in the world (vv. 22-23). Second to that verse is verse 19 which talks about God's "immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe." That will preach.
The Gospel
Luke 24:44-53
The Ascension Of Jesus
All that the Old Testament had promised, Jesus had now done. It was time to end this part of our salvation history and begin the mission of the church. Verse 47 lets us know that proclamation of repentance and forgiveness must now go to all nations. Disciples are witnesses and as such are clothed with God's power.
While I wouldn't present it to the congregation, it is odd that Luke dates the Ascensions forty days after Easter in his book of Acts account, but here he puts it Easter night. Perhaps it's the emphasis each book was making. Luke's Gospel seems most likely as the promise to the thief on the cross seems to indicate (Luke 23:43). The Acts account was most interested in the significance of the risen Christ founding the church. And there needed to be those post-Easter appearances to prove the resurrection before the Ascension.
Notice that the Gospel ends where it began -- in the temple. And with great joy.
Preaching Possibilities
Perhaps the best approach to preaching on the Ascension is not to picture graphically Jesus' body shooting off into space like one of our rockets. Some may want to use this story to prove somehow the divinity of Jesus the Christ. I'll not go there. The best approach may be to speak of why the writers wanted this story preserved and what it teaches us for our discipleship today. For instance, Gospel writer Luke tells it twice to Theophilus, the "God-lover" to whom he was writing, once in the Gospel and once in Acts. We read both accounts today. Combining these two readings lets us speak of the nature and mission of the church then and now. No longer with us in physical body, the Christian church now becomes his alive body in the world. There is power available to us to equip us for mission in the world. We have done enough looking into the heavens; it's time to go out as witnesses. Joy is to be found in witnessing and in the temple.
So we can easily use all three readings or any one of the three. I'll do a topical sermon based on "God's Immeasurable Greatness" in Ephesians 1:19.
Possible Outline Of Sermon Moves
Title: God's Immeasurable Greatness
Text: Ephesians 1:19
A. Introduction: Paul was writing a letter to be circulated among the Christian congregations he had begun. He told them that he prayed for them and that he was so thankful for them. Then he spoke of God's immeasurable greatness. Listen as I read his words to you (read the text).
B. Ask the question: What do you think Paul had in mind when he spoke of God's greatness?
1. We have great power from him if we believe.
2. God's power to raise Jesus from the grave and to do the same for us is promised.
3. God's power, as manifest in God's worldwide church, is available to us.
4. Throughout that church and in us, God's power to witness, heal, forgive, love, comfort, and teach us disciples. Is this complete?
C. State what you believe: My life can be dramatically changed because of God's power:
1. Anger into kindness
2. Jealousy into joy
3. Slavery of sin into freedom in the Christ
4. Greed into spirit of sharing
5. Frantic worry into peace of mind
6. Fearful of witnessing to bold in our reaching out
D. Go to the other readings: Tell of the power in Acts 1:8 and in Luke 24:49b.
E. Use Paul as an illustration: Tell how God took a bitter little Jew persecuting the Christians and changed him into the world's first and greatest Christian missionary.
F. Sing a verse of the famous hymn, "How Great Thou Art."
G. Conclude by reading again the text Ephesians 1:19
Prayer For The Day
Clothe us with your great power, O God, as you promised your disciples you would do. Give us the boldness to be effective witnesses out in the world where we live and work and play. We celebrate today your ascension that we might now be your presence in the world. You are great and we would do great things on your behalf here. In the risen and ascended Jesus' name. Amen.
Possible Metaphors And Stories
I once had an intern nicknamed "Crash Adrian." She drove church vans. She once crashed one into the other in our church lot. (We do hurt our own.)
Also, a van developed a power steering leak and began to turn only right, not left. She had to figure out her route from Walgreen's back to the church while turning only right. She did it by backing up a couple of times. There are times when we ought back up and go the other way. Perhaps we should examine our "power steering" also. What powers it and how reliable is it for us?
We almost always underestimate the power of the wind. I followed a truck today with its canvas flapping in the wind. You see it whenever humans try to tie down a cover on anything and then move it -- or when the wind comes up. We almost always underestimate the Spirit's power as well. Let Pentecost blow!
In a promo for a television show, Class of '96, someone says: "Your true birthplace is the place where you find out who you are. Havenhurst -- I have come home to the place of my birth." In my relationship with the Christ I have found out who I am and how I am. In the Christian church I have come home to the place of my birth.
In Iowa the highway snowplow trucks have two mirrors on top. One is on each side of the rotating blue light so you get the effect of three emergency lights rather than the one it really is. We can be the mirror of the light of Christ in the dark world in which we live. We are not the Christ, but we are called to reflect him.
