"He Ascended Into Heaven", May 12, 2024 — Santa Teresa Hills Presbyterian Church

“He Ascended into Heaven”

Luke 24:44-53 and Acts 1:1-11

Pastor Deb Troester, STHPC, May 12, 2024

The Ascension is one of those weird stories in the Bible that sounds almost like science fiction: “Beam me up, Scotty” jokes abound. Of course if God is omnipotent, God can do anything. Yet, speculating how the resurrected Christ might have been lifted off the face of the earth and transported directly into heaven will not really get us anywhere – kind of like wondering how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. The meaning of Ascension is much more important than the actual mechanics of it: the Ascension affirms the divinity of Jesus and reminds us that we, the church, are now the body of Christ on earth, guided and inspired by the Holy Spirit. Just before leaving his disciples, Jesus gives them their marching orders: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Finally, the Ascension gives us hope that: “This Jesus who was taken from us to heaven will one day come again in the same way,” which leads me to ask, “Where will you be when Jesus returns? What will you be doing?”

Of course, no one knows the day or time of Jesus’ return. Jesus had already told the disciples that only God the Father knows that. But for each of us the day is coming when our time on earth will be over and we will see God face to face and give an account of our lives. The angels reminded the disciples of that fact by saying, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” In other words, “Don’t just stand there, do something!” And do something, they did. The book of Acts details how the church began and how Christianity spread from a relatively small group of people in Jerusalem to the entire Mediterranean basin and beyond, into Africa and Europe.

Many people wonder if Jesus’ resurrection is real. One of the best proofs of the resurrection is that ordinary people – most of them with little education – like the fishermen Peter, Andrew, James, and John – gave up their livelihoods and the life they knew to spread the good news of God’s love and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. Their lives were completely changed. After the Crucifixion they were cowering behind locked doors, but after encountering the Risen Christ, they were empowered to become leaders of the early church, a movement which spread throughout the Roman Empire and beyond within their lifetimes, and which, nearly 2000 years later, has spread to every nation on earth. The resurrection changed them, they became new creations in Christ. The apostles were so effective at spreading the good news of Christ, that in Acts 17:6 it is said that they turned the world upside down. I wonder if we be accused today of having a witness so compelling that it was turning the world upside down?

With the Ascension Christ, has entrusted his work in the world to us, his church. It is now up to us to continue Christ’s work.

As Saint Teresa of Avila reminds us: “Christ has no body now on earth but yours; No hands but yours; No feet but yours.”

Yesterday we remembered the life of former member, Karl Miller, who belonged to our church for some twenty-five years, until he moved to New Jersey about 15 years ago. Karl was a man who had his struggles. After a serious knee injury, for which he was prescribed opioids, he became addicted to these pain killers. One night he dreamed that Jesus came to him and set him free from his addiction. He gave his life to Christ. Miraculously, he had no withdrawal symptoms. The next Sunday he stood right here where I am standing today and told our congregation about it. After that day he was always willing to tell others about Jesus, and what Christ had done for him. He attended AA and encouraged others he met there. One of the people who spoke at his memorial service was a man he had mentored for years. With tears in his eyes he told how Karl gave him a job when he was newly released from prison. Karl trusted him when no one else did.

Others told how Karl nearly always had a smile on his face, that he never belittled other people, that he always showed up for others, and never gave up, and that his faith inspired others. Karl was a good example of how to be a part of Christ’s body in the world.

This is a huge task – being the body of Christ on earth, but Jesus did not leave us alone in this work: he promised us the Holy Spirit. As Jesus told the disciples that day, “You will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.” This same Holy Spirit comforts, strengthens, and enlightens us today.

Jesus’ words to the disciples, to start where they are – Jerusalem – then go out to their neighboring region – Samaria – and finally to the whole world, challenges us to look beyond ourselves, first to those close to us, especially those who are in need, but then to those who live beyond the boundaries of our lives. As we follow in the footsteps of those first disciples, amazingly enough, in reaching out to others, we find our own restoration, healing and spiritual growth.

New Testament professor Barbara Rossing, writes, “The ascension is not about Jesus’ absence but about his presence in the world in a new way.” Rossing describes a mosaic in the Church of the Ascension, located on the Mount of Olives, the traditional site of the ascension. It “portrays the ascending Jesus on a cloud, flanked by two angels. The angels are gazing not up at Jesus but out toward the congregation. They point both us and the disciples… earthward. Rather than turning our gaze to heaven to await Christ’s return on the Mount of Olives, these earthly minded angels turn our gaze out into the world.”

She continues, “If Jesus’ ascension is to have meaning, it must be by way of underscoring Jesus’ presence still on earth. And that is through us. The ascension unexpectedly turns our gaze earthward—to every place on earth where God’s people work as agents of hope and healing in the midst of struggle.”

Here is where we find our meaning in the Ascension today. Many, many people are struggling around us. We struggle, too, but not as those without hope. We have hope in the risen Christ. His teachings ground us. The Holy Spirit encourages us. Look around you. There are many discouraged people in the world. If there is any word of comfort or act of kindness we can do, let us do it. Jesus said that we are the salt of the earth, the light of the world, like a city set on a hill that cannot be hid. Remember the old saying, “It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.” We can give light in dark places by taking the light Christ has given us and showing love and hope to others.

Luke says that after Jesus rose into heaven, “they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy,” continually blessing God. The disciples’ response to Christ’s ascension can be ours as well. We return with great joy, “blessing God,” and then, as Christ’s body on earth, set out in ministry. So, don’t stand there dreamily gazing up into heaven, do something! Put your faith in Jesus, then get to work! As we do Christ’s work, the world will be blessed, and we ourselves will be showered with blessings beyond our imagination. Amen.