Ascension Sermon 2021
He ascended into heaven.
Different language and concepts – let’s unpack them.
Cloud Acts 1:9. A cloud took him out of their sight. Not an ordinary cloud hanging over Springbrook or Tambourine: cloud of God’s visible presence, the cloud of God’s glory.
The cloud that led across the Red Sea, cloud by day, pillar of fire by night. It’s the cloud of God’s presence that covered Mt Sinai at the giving of the commandments and the making of the covenant between Israel and God. It’s the cloud of God’s presence that swept through the Temple of Solomon when it was dedicated and knocked everyone off their feet into awe and wonder. It’s the cloud over the Mt of Transfiguration, the cloud from which the voice spoke, ‘This is my beloved Son, listen to him’.
Jesus stepped back into his Father’s presence back into glory. Not an absence of Jesus, but present in a different way, as he had promised. Not limited, as he had been earlier in his physical body which could only be in one place at one time. Now able to be with us always, as he has promised. Closer than our very breathing. Trust that he is with us, guiding us now.
Can’t say heaven is up above us, beyond the sky. At the height of the Cold War, the USSR was first to put a person in to space. The flight lasted 100 minutes, and the cosmonaut was reputed to have said, ‘I saw no God.’ He never actually said that – those words come from the atheistic leadership. Apparently he was a committed Christian, who quietly shared with others, ‘An astronaut cannot be suspended in space and not have God in his mind and his heart.’”
Trust that we have a good future, for eternity. One day, we too will step through, to be completely where he is. We are always just on the edge of heaven, in a good way. He has gone ahead of us to prepare a place for us, a place in God’s heart and God’s eternity. Pure gift. As we trust that, we begin already to live in heaven. It’s easy to experience hell now, and we’ve all gone through times of that. The absence of God, the absence of hope, the absence of love, just a desperate awareness of self, and being totally wrapped up in self. But we are never left there. Jesu descended into our hells to announce his Easter victory. By faith we know that things do work, and already now, we catch glimpses of what heaven is like. Eternity begins now. We are always on the edge, ready to be stepped through.
He sits at the right hand of God the Father: coins back then showed an emperor or king seated at the right hand of the local god. That was a power statement by the king. ‘I rule by divine right. You will obey me.’ But Jesus’ kingship is different. It was never about a power trip for him. He is the servant king, who comes to bring forgiveness for all.
Jesus rules over everything, for our blessing, and the blessing of all creation. There is this hidden strength and power of Christ that isn’t showy or flashy. It’s the willingness to do the hard yards, to be merciful and compassionate, to call out what is wrong, and to suffer with and for. It’s not the ego trip. That means at the heart of everything there is Christ, who is ruling for us and for the good of all. So we are learning to use our power in right ways. There’s a steely, quiet strength that we receive from Jesus. In harmony with him, and reliant on him we use our powers for good. In a contact sport, if the umpiring is weak, things get dangerous and out of hand. If the refereeing is too officious, then the game stops flowing, and no one enjoys themselves (except the umpire). We use our power in the places God has placed us: head of college, teacher, parent, grandparent, business. We use our power as servant leaders, little Christs. And sometimes we can’t please absolutely everyone. Sometimes we don’t please anyone, and that can still mean we are doing what is right.
Where Jesus is, we are. What was said to Jesus is said to us. You are my dearly loved son, my beloved daughter. We are always in the love of the Father. Life is about learning to trust that love and forgiveness. Learning what is life-giving, and learn to go with that.
Jesus told his disciples to wait for power from on high, his Holy Spirit. It might not happen is a rush, as it did back then, but we have the same Holy Spirit working in us. The Holy Spirit transformed the disciples. On Easter night they had locked themselves away, fearful that what had happened to Jesu would happen to them. After Pentecost, the wonder of Easter was so strong in them that they were not afraid at all to stand up to those same leaders and tell them that following Jesus and announcing new life was everything, and they did not care what the leaders did to them.
We receive the Holy Spirit, to be who we are in Christ. To serve. To share about Jesus. To be love in action. We receive strength to be faithful in whatever situation we find ourselves, without being over anxious.
Keep entrusting yourself to Jesus, secure in his love. Know that you are always on the edge of heaven, in a life-giving way. Trust the Jesus delights to work in you and with you.
