The Ascension of Our Lord
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series III, Cycle A
The church year theological clue
In the church year as it was formerly constituted, there were really three sub-divisions in Eastertide: first, there was the week of the "six apparitions" of Jesus, the week from Easter Sunday to its octave; second, the time of preparation for Jesus' departure in the Ascension, from the second Sunday to Rogate, the Fifth Sunday after Easter (the last three weeks of this period were marked by readings from John 16 in preparation for the Ascension of Our Lord); and, third, the time between the Ascension and Pentecost, which is the time of waiting for the coming of the Spirit (in Acts) and the conclusion of the Great Fifty Days, as well as the beginning of the Pentecost cycle.
With the ascension, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is completed; he returns to the Father who sent him into the world and begins his reign, which will continue until he returns to bring in the fullness of the kingdom of God. The Ascension of Our Lord needs to be celebrated in every parish because it is the way that the church finishes its annual celebration of the resurrection of the Lord. At the reading of the gospel for the Day, the Paschal Candle is extinguished and then, or later, moved to a place by the baptismal font, where it is lighted for each and every baptism. Ascension Day is the conclusion of Eastertide and its declaration,"Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed!"
The Prayer for the Day (LBW) - The ascended Christ is mentioned in this prayer to "Almighty God," as one who "in power intercedes for us (with God in heaven)," and the petition asks that we, the church, might also "come into your presence and live forever in your glory." The old collect has content that suggests a different liturgical and theological direction, addressing the prayer to Christ, not to God the Father, as he "who didst this day ascend in triumph far above all the heavens," and asking the Lord not "to leave us comfortless," but to send the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, to us." The ascension is the final act in the triumph of Christ over death and the grave and is, therefore, a festival of great joy and celebration.
The Psalm of the Day (LBW) - Psalm 110 - This has been called a messianic psalm, which describes one who is both king and priest, who will rule over Israel and his enemies, too. This one, born to be King of Israel and redeemer, stands in the lineage of David, and will reign forever (virtually nothing is said in the psalm about his religious functions as priest). The first verse, rather obviously, suggests why this psalm is appointed (in the LBW) for the Ascension: "The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.' " The bulk of the psalm is interpreted to describe how God will deal with the enemies of the Messiah during the interim between his ascension and his Second Coming (from the Christian point of view).
The Psalm Prayer
Almighty God, make known in every place the perfect offering of your Son, the eternal high priest of the new Jerusalem, and so consecrate all nations to be your holy people, that the kingdom of Christ, your anointed one, may come in its fullness; and to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be all honor and praise now and forever.
The readings:
Acts 1:1-11
This continuation of the Gospel according to St. Luke is the reading that has established the festival of the ascension forty days after Easer. It offers a picture of the departure of Christ from the earth which is satisfying, but also quite disturbing. The satisfaction comes with the knowledge that Christ has completed his work in triumph and now returns to the Father; the disturbing part is the ascension itself; it is too unscientific for many persons today. Had he just disappeared, at least it would put the story into the realm of science fiction; his ascension would be seen as entrance into a new dimension of existence, which human beings do not know about or understand. Actually, that is what "returning to the Father" has to mean; Jesus, after his resurrection, lived in another dimension - his was a glorified body - but he had the power to reveal himself to people for these forty days. At the ascension, he really left this world, as Luke tells us, but with a postlude in which two angels appeared to the disciples and told them that Jesus would come back to the world in the same way that he left. The ascension affirms the start of Jesus' reign over heaven and earth, but it also points to the Parousia and his return, when he will judge the earth and rule completely over it.
Ephesians 1:16-23
This reading is a single - and rather complicated - sentence, in which Paul informs the Christians at Ephesus of his prayer of thanksgiving for them, in which he asks God to give them the "spirit of wisdom and revelation" they need to comprehend and cling to the Gospel. He devotes the last half of the sentence to a recounting of what God accomplished in Christ's death and resurrection, as well as his ascension (God "made him sit at his right hand in the heavenly places"), informing them that God has put him over everything in heaven and on earth - forever.
Luke 24:44-53
In this concluding portion of his Gospel, Luke shows Jesus teaching one last lesson, which is in the form of a review that "opened their minds to understand the scriptures" and what was said about him, including his death and resurrection. Their task, after he leaves them, is to preach repentance and forgiveness of sins "in his name" and "to all nations, beginning with Jerusalem." He also ordered them to wait for the coming of the Spirit before they began their mission. After the brief lesson, Luke tells us that he took them out to Bethany, blessed them, and then was taken up into heaven. The disciples then returned to Jerusalem "with great joy" and "were continually in the Temple blessing God."
A sermon on the First Lesson, Acts 1:1-11, and the Gospel, Luke 24:44-53 - "A Final Fare-well." (See, also, "The Final Farewell" in The Tree, the Tomb, and the Trumpet, C.S.S., 1984)
The church has always been intrigued by the Ascension of Our Lord; in the past, it has almost
been ingenious in the way that the feast has been celebrated. In some medieval churches, a figure of the risen Christ would be lifted from the floor level of the nave and taken through a hole in the roof when Luke's words - "While he blessed them, he parted from them, and was carried into heaven" - were read. In more than a few modern congregations of various denominations, the Paschal Candle is extinguished at that point and moved from a special place in the chancel area to a spot by the baptismal font. With modern electrical technology and a little imagination, the possibilities of recreating the Ascension of Our Lord are viritually limitless. But problems remain with the ascension, which need to be cleared up, will not be answered until Christ returns, never to say "farewell" again. The ascension was Jesus' last farewell.
First, where did Jesus go? John Gordon's sermon (in Resurrection Messages, Baker, 1964) of a quarter century ago, "The Whereabouts of our Risen Lord," asks what most people consider the central question about the ascension: Where is heaven? Where did he go? That's the kind of question that non-believers, or people who are having difficulty in believing, are likely to ask. But that's not the question, according to the Gospel; it cannot be answered beyond the biblical evidence that "he was carried up into heaven" and "sits at the right hand of God."
Second, why did Jesus have to depart from the earth? That might very well be the question of faithful people who believe in the resurrection but still would like to see Jesus for themselves. For one thing, he would become some sort of ghost, or a good witch, who appears to some from time to time and not to others. And for another thing, faith that comes from hearing the Word with the help of the Holy Spirit would not exist, and the freedom of the will would be taken away from human beings. Of course, there would still be people who wouldn't believe in ghosts or ethereal figures, but the evidence of his resurrection would be overwhelming (as with Thomas) for those who actually saw the risen Lord. The resurrection had to be completed in the ascension; that was the final act in the drama.
Third, as the glorified Christ, he had to depart and return to the Father because his earthly work was finished. The plan was yet to be completed; seated on the throne at the right hand of God, his rule began, means that he, too, is waiting for the time when he will return and the plan will finally run its course in him. When that day comes, he will never say "farewell" again. In the meantime, Jesus turns the work of the kingdom on earth over to us.
Fourth, for now, he sends the Holy Spirit to us with power to soften our hearts, bring us to repentance and true faith, and enable us to live the "disciple-life" as long as we live and work for the good of his kingdom here on earth. That same Spirit gives us hope that death has finally been overcome, and that our inheritance in Christ is the everlasting life in the kingdom of God the Father.
In the church year as it was formerly constituted, there were really three sub-divisions in Eastertide: first, there was the week of the "six apparitions" of Jesus, the week from Easter Sunday to its octave; second, the time of preparation for Jesus' departure in the Ascension, from the second Sunday to Rogate, the Fifth Sunday after Easter (the last three weeks of this period were marked by readings from John 16 in preparation for the Ascension of Our Lord); and, third, the time between the Ascension and Pentecost, which is the time of waiting for the coming of the Spirit (in Acts) and the conclusion of the Great Fifty Days, as well as the beginning of the Pentecost cycle.
With the ascension, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is completed; he returns to the Father who sent him into the world and begins his reign, which will continue until he returns to bring in the fullness of the kingdom of God. The Ascension of Our Lord needs to be celebrated in every parish because it is the way that the church finishes its annual celebration of the resurrection of the Lord. At the reading of the gospel for the Day, the Paschal Candle is extinguished and then, or later, moved to a place by the baptismal font, where it is lighted for each and every baptism. Ascension Day is the conclusion of Eastertide and its declaration,"Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed!"
The Prayer for the Day (LBW) - The ascended Christ is mentioned in this prayer to "Almighty God," as one who "in power intercedes for us (with God in heaven)," and the petition asks that we, the church, might also "come into your presence and live forever in your glory." The old collect has content that suggests a different liturgical and theological direction, addressing the prayer to Christ, not to God the Father, as he "who didst this day ascend in triumph far above all the heavens," and asking the Lord not "to leave us comfortless," but to send the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, to us." The ascension is the final act in the triumph of Christ over death and the grave and is, therefore, a festival of great joy and celebration.
The Psalm of the Day (LBW) - Psalm 110 - This has been called a messianic psalm, which describes one who is both king and priest, who will rule over Israel and his enemies, too. This one, born to be King of Israel and redeemer, stands in the lineage of David, and will reign forever (virtually nothing is said in the psalm about his religious functions as priest). The first verse, rather obviously, suggests why this psalm is appointed (in the LBW) for the Ascension: "The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.' " The bulk of the psalm is interpreted to describe how God will deal with the enemies of the Messiah during the interim between his ascension and his Second Coming (from the Christian point of view).
The Psalm Prayer
Almighty God, make known in every place the perfect offering of your Son, the eternal high priest of the new Jerusalem, and so consecrate all nations to be your holy people, that the kingdom of Christ, your anointed one, may come in its fullness; and to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be all honor and praise now and forever.
The readings:
Acts 1:1-11
This continuation of the Gospel according to St. Luke is the reading that has established the festival of the ascension forty days after Easer. It offers a picture of the departure of Christ from the earth which is satisfying, but also quite disturbing. The satisfaction comes with the knowledge that Christ has completed his work in triumph and now returns to the Father; the disturbing part is the ascension itself; it is too unscientific for many persons today. Had he just disappeared, at least it would put the story into the realm of science fiction; his ascension would be seen as entrance into a new dimension of existence, which human beings do not know about or understand. Actually, that is what "returning to the Father" has to mean; Jesus, after his resurrection, lived in another dimension - his was a glorified body - but he had the power to reveal himself to people for these forty days. At the ascension, he really left this world, as Luke tells us, but with a postlude in which two angels appeared to the disciples and told them that Jesus would come back to the world in the same way that he left. The ascension affirms the start of Jesus' reign over heaven and earth, but it also points to the Parousia and his return, when he will judge the earth and rule completely over it.
Ephesians 1:16-23
This reading is a single - and rather complicated - sentence, in which Paul informs the Christians at Ephesus of his prayer of thanksgiving for them, in which he asks God to give them the "spirit of wisdom and revelation" they need to comprehend and cling to the Gospel. He devotes the last half of the sentence to a recounting of what God accomplished in Christ's death and resurrection, as well as his ascension (God "made him sit at his right hand in the heavenly places"), informing them that God has put him over everything in heaven and on earth - forever.
Luke 24:44-53
In this concluding portion of his Gospel, Luke shows Jesus teaching one last lesson, which is in the form of a review that "opened their minds to understand the scriptures" and what was said about him, including his death and resurrection. Their task, after he leaves them, is to preach repentance and forgiveness of sins "in his name" and "to all nations, beginning with Jerusalem." He also ordered them to wait for the coming of the Spirit before they began their mission. After the brief lesson, Luke tells us that he took them out to Bethany, blessed them, and then was taken up into heaven. The disciples then returned to Jerusalem "with great joy" and "were continually in the Temple blessing God."
A sermon on the First Lesson, Acts 1:1-11, and the Gospel, Luke 24:44-53 - "A Final Fare-well." (See, also, "The Final Farewell" in The Tree, the Tomb, and the Trumpet, C.S.S., 1984)
The church has always been intrigued by the Ascension of Our Lord; in the past, it has almost
been ingenious in the way that the feast has been celebrated. In some medieval churches, a figure of the risen Christ would be lifted from the floor level of the nave and taken through a hole in the roof when Luke's words - "While he blessed them, he parted from them, and was carried into heaven" - were read. In more than a few modern congregations of various denominations, the Paschal Candle is extinguished at that point and moved from a special place in the chancel area to a spot by the baptismal font. With modern electrical technology and a little imagination, the possibilities of recreating the Ascension of Our Lord are viritually limitless. But problems remain with the ascension, which need to be cleared up, will not be answered until Christ returns, never to say "farewell" again. The ascension was Jesus' last farewell.
First, where did Jesus go? John Gordon's sermon (in Resurrection Messages, Baker, 1964) of a quarter century ago, "The Whereabouts of our Risen Lord," asks what most people consider the central question about the ascension: Where is heaven? Where did he go? That's the kind of question that non-believers, or people who are having difficulty in believing, are likely to ask. But that's not the question, according to the Gospel; it cannot be answered beyond the biblical evidence that "he was carried up into heaven" and "sits at the right hand of God."
Second, why did Jesus have to depart from the earth? That might very well be the question of faithful people who believe in the resurrection but still would like to see Jesus for themselves. For one thing, he would become some sort of ghost, or a good witch, who appears to some from time to time and not to others. And for another thing, faith that comes from hearing the Word with the help of the Holy Spirit would not exist, and the freedom of the will would be taken away from human beings. Of course, there would still be people who wouldn't believe in ghosts or ethereal figures, but the evidence of his resurrection would be overwhelming (as with Thomas) for those who actually saw the risen Lord. The resurrection had to be completed in the ascension; that was the final act in the drama.
Third, as the glorified Christ, he had to depart and return to the Father because his earthly work was finished. The plan was yet to be completed; seated on the throne at the right hand of God, his rule began, means that he, too, is waiting for the time when he will return and the plan will finally run its course in him. When that day comes, he will never say "farewell" again. In the meantime, Jesus turns the work of the kingdom on earth over to us.
Fourth, for now, he sends the Holy Spirit to us with power to soften our hearts, bring us to repentance and true faith, and enable us to live the "disciple-life" as long as we live and work for the good of his kingdom here on earth. That same Spirit gives us hope that death has finally been overcome, and that our inheritance in Christ is the everlasting life in the kingdom of God the Father.
