St. Mark 16:19 - Ascension Day (2005)
St. Mark Lutheran Church, Conroe, TX
Rev. George F. Borgahrdt III
Listen Here.
“So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.” (St. Mark 16:19)
In the name of Jesus, our risen and ascended Lord. Amen. Forty Days after Easter, Our Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven, a cloud took Him from the sight of His apostles.
So magnificent was the sight that the disciples stood there for a bit staring into the sky marveling until two angels clothed in white reminded them, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up into heaven, will come up in the same manner as you saw Him go to heaven.”
But, what follows is just strange: they shed no tears and they aren’t sad! No, St. Luke records that they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. Jesus left them and they worshiped Him and were filled with great joy.
Why? Why were they filled with great joy? How could they possibly be happy, having seen Jesus leave them alone? Aren’t they supposed to be sad?
The better question is: Where did Jesus go? Our Gospel lesson today says that He ascended into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.
The Gospel for the Ascension of our Lord is that One who went to the Cross for our sins, who rose on Easter morning, is the same Jesus who ascended to the right hand of God. Everything that Jesus did, He did to save us. Faith says that everything that He does, He does for our good – even leave us.
On Easter morning, Mary Magdalene wanted to grasp hold of Him. But, Jesus asked her to stop clinging to Him, for He had to ascend to the Father.
He could be more for her ascended to the Right hand of God than He could ever be for her on earth– even standing before her, even if she had Him in her hands. (Dr. Nagel - Ascension Day 2005 - Issues Etc.)
Dear Saints of God, Jesus is more for you ascended into Heaven, seated at the right hand of God, than He could ever be for you if He would have remained here on earth. He is for you now more than you can ever comprehend.(Dr. Nagel - Ascension Day 2005 - Issues Etc.)
But, we like to try, don’t we? After church last Sunday, my oldest Son who gets his intelligence from his momma asked me where the right hand of God is. “If Jesus is in heaven, what’s that mean that He’s at God’s right hand? Is the right hand of God like a room in heaven or something?”
Dear children of God, to be at the right hand of God doesn’t just mean that Jesus’ seat is on the right side of His Father, it is an expression of power. It means that Jesus is God the Father’s right hand man. What God does, He does through His right hand, through Jesus.
Which for us should be unbelievable Gospel. For God’s right hand man is the One who died for us. The One who loved us that much – even though death and the grave – is the One who does all things for us.
At the right hand of God, Jesus is our advocate, our friend, the one who hears and answers our prayers, the One who prays for us, our High Priest, our King, our Lord, and our Savior.
That, dear Saints of God, is why the disciples worshiped Jesus with great joy. They were not left orphans. They were not alone. Even though He ascended beyond their sight, He was still with them.
He is still with you. Today we hear where the ascended Lord is for us: Go and preach the Gospel to all creation. He who believes and is baptized shall be saved.
The Right hand of God isn’t a place, it is where Jesus is working for your good. Right now. Right here, the right of God is at work. Jesus is filling your ears with the forgiveness of every sin you have ever done. He is delivering all that He won for you on the Cross to you in the preached Word.
Today, this morning, the Ascended Lord is with us in the waters of our baptism. He who believes, that is who receives what Jesus did for us on the Cross, and is baptized shall be saved. Faith clings to the Word of God in the water and we are saved.
Not “might be saved,” not “saved if they are good enough” but “shall be saved.” In the waters of our baptism, we shall be saved.
Next Sunday, Heaven itself will come to you in the Sacrament of the Altar. With angels and archangels and all the company of heaven, the song of Jesus’ salvation will reach a fever pitch as Jesus comes to you in the Sacrament of the Altar. His Body, given for you to eat, His Blood, given for you to drink. You are not alone, you are not an orphan, the Ascended Lord feeds you Himself for the forgiveness of sins.
Our sin, our unbelief, has us looking for God in all sorts of places where we won’t ever find Him. In ourselves, in how we feel, in what we think. But, we never find Him do we? We only find despair and sadness.
Where is the God for you? Where His Right Hand Jesus is delivering His Words to you. Where His Right Hand is reminding you of your Baptism. Where His Right Hand is feeding you His Body and Blood for the forgiveness of all your sins.
Now that He is ascended, there simply isn’t a reason to be sad ever again. There isn’t a reason to look for God, to despair of God ever again.
For with Jesus at the right hand of the Father, there is no power, no event, no authority in heaven, on earth, anywhere, that can lay back on you the sins you have committed, so that you need to despair ever again.
Your loved ones who have fallen asleep in the faith of Jesus are with Him. Where He is, there they are. He is at the right hand of God, they are there too.
You will be there at God’s right hand too, when your loved ones say good bye to you and you fall asleep. How do you know? Jesus ascended to the right hand of God.
And as He left, so He will return. He left for our good, He will come back for our good and take us to be with Him forever. Then, where He is, we will always be.
But we are already there in Heaven, aren’t we? Because He is here with us. His Word in our ears, His washing our sins away, His Body and Blood in our mouthes. Heaven already, even here this morning. Heaven for you. Heaven for me. Heaven for momma too.
So, today, we don’t spend this celebration of our Lord’s Ascension with our eyes looking up into our heaven or with our head downcast, but with great joy. He ascended for you and for me.
And so we sing: “A Hymn of glory let us sing: New songs throughout the world shall ring: Alleluia! Alleluia! Christ, by a road before untrod, Ascendeth to the throne of God.” (TLH 192, 1) In the name of Jesus, your risen and ascended Lord. Amen.
Edited on: May 31st, 2006 11:32 pm
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