Bible Passage: Based on Luke 24:50-53
Pastor: Joel Jenswold
Sermon Date: May 13, 2021

Bulletin Ascension Worship

“I remember the last time I saw…”  Have you ever said that?  We often remember the last time we see someone, usually someone we love.  We remember the last time we saw mom or dad, grandma or grandpa.  Sometimes we remember exactly what they were wearing and exactly what they said to us.  The image seems somehow “burned” or laser-etched into our memory.

Our text for this Ascension night is the last time the disciples saw Jesus.  What lasting image was pressed upon their minds and hearts?  Did you catch it?  It is Jesus with hands uplifted, speaking a blessing, and rising up into the sky as he speaks.  And it seems so very interesting and important that we are told that Jesus goes up while he was blessing them.  He does not ascend AFTER blessing them.  He ascends WHILE blessing them.  He is talking as he ascends.  We are never told Jesus says, “Amen.”  It’s sort of like the disciples never got to see or hear the end of the blessing!

My dear friends, isn’t that really the point?  Yes, Jesus returns to heaven after completing the work of redemption.  But the blessing of that work, the blessings Jesus came to win and secure, the “benediction” that the ascended Lord Jesus continues even now to speak over the heads of his disciples…The Blessing Never Ends!

The scene of Jesus’ ascension is set for us by Luke in our text.  He led them out to the vicinity of Bethany. (v. 50)   Bethany was that little village about two miles to the southeast of Jerusalem.  It was home to the siblings Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.  Dr. Luke tells us they went to the vicinity of Bethany.  Specifically, they went to the place called the Mount of Olives.

On this day Jesus did not just “appear” to his disciples, he led the way to the Mount of Olives.  Here he stretched out his hands over them, I suppose not unlike what you see at the end of a worship service when a pastor lifts up hands in blessing.  This gesture would allow the disciples to stare directly at the nail marks in those hands.  And then Jesus begins to speak a word of blessing.  It will have to remain a mystery what words of blessing Jesus spoke.  Is it possible the great High Priest spoke the words of the “Priestly Blessing” that God had dictated in Numbers 6?  The LORD bless you and keep you.  The LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you.  The LORD look on you with favor, and give you peace. (Numbers 6:24-26)  Perhaps.

And it was while he was speaking that he was taken up until a cloud hid him from their sight.  There was something very different about the departure of Jesus this day.  We know from some of the accounts of Jesus’ resurrection appearances that he would “appear” to them and then “disappear.”  This was different.  There was a message in the way this happened.  Jesus had spoken to them about returning to the Father.  This was it!  The Son had come down to give his life as a ransom for all humanity.  He had done this perfectly.  Successfully.  Now, the Christ of God was returning to God.  Mission accomplished!

Maybe you saw back on May 2 that a crew of four astronauts returned to earth after 168 days in space.  Their capsule safely splashed down in the ocean.  They had gone up into space on their mission.  When their mission was completed, they came back down.  Flip that around for Jesus.  He came down to earth on a mission.  It was a mission made necessary because of sin.  He came down to live as a “stand in” for each of us.  As our “stand in” he lived a life of perfect submission to the Father’s will instead of a life of rebellion.  He came down to be our “stand in” and take the punishment for our rebellious lives.  And after living and dying, he rose again, the demonstration that the mission was acceptable and accepted by the Father.  And so it could be said, “Mission accomplished!”  It was time to return.  He did not “splash down,” he “went up.”  He ascended.

If we could ask the disciples, “Do you remember the last time you saw Jesus,” they could say, “Of course!  The last time we saw Jesus, his hands were stretched out and he was blessing us.”   That last image was no fluke!  It was no accident!  That is exactly the last image of himself Jesus wanted to leave with us until he comes again!

Etch that image in your mind and heart!  Got it?  There is your Jesus!  Hands outstretched in blessing.  Just look at those hands!  Aren’t they beautiful?  They bear the nail marks that he got for you! There those hands are each and every day, over your head in a perpetual, never-ending benediction. The benediction from those wounds never ends!  They constantly convey forgiveness, renewed life, peace, joy, hope, heaven.

Think about what this picture of Jesus means each and every day.  We know that the risen and ascended Jesus is now seated on the throne in heaven.  He is the one ruling over all.  He is the one who makes every decision in the universe.  He holds in his hands all power and control over politics and economics and climate and epidemiology.   Your brother is the one on the throne!  Do you remember the last time you saw him?  His hands were outstretched in blessing.  And the blessing doesn’t end.

Is it any wonder we see the disciples do what they next do in our text?  So they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.  They were continually in the temple courts, praising and blessing God. (v. 52-53)  They’re happy and they worship Jesus when, and because, he ascends!  This is a good day!  And did you notice?  It says they were continually in the temple courts…blessing God.  Jesus ascended while blessing them.  They, in turn, bless God.  That doesn’t mean they stretched out their hands and conveyed  a blessing upon God. That could never be since God is the one from whom all blessings flow.  But the word “bless” means “to speak well.”  They spoke well of God.  They did that as they spoke to God in prayer and praise.  They “blessed” God as they spoke to others about their Savior God.  Let us do the same.  Let us never tire of talking him up to others!

One day, perhaps very soon, we will have a new image of Jesus.  This image of Jesus returning to heaven will be replaced by the image of Jesus returning to earth to put an end to this madness, and to finally take us home!  Oh, what a welcome sight that will be for weary eyes!  We will see Jesus in his full glorious majesty with our own eyes, and we will be glorified with him, and the eternal benediction will begin.  We will be home…and the blessing never ends!

Amen.

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