Note: Audio is not available for this sermon.
Forty days after Easter, Jesus led his disciples to a mountain near Bethany. There He raised His hands and blessed them. Then he was lifted up from the earth, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. Our Lord Jesus now sits at the right hand of the Father.
But is the Ascension of our Lord a time of sadness or a time of joy? Some might think it is a sad event, imagining that Jesus left us and is now separated from us. Some compare the Ascension to saying good-bye to a loved one, fearing that they will never see Jesus again.
But Scripture teaches the exact opposite. The Gospel of Luke tells us that after Jesus ascended, the disciples “returned to Jerusalem with great joy” (Lk 24:52). Notice that the disciples were not sorrowful after Jesus ascended. They did not return in despair or fear. They returned with great joy.
Why? Because the Ascension of our Lord is not the absence of Christ, but the exaltation of Christ. Jesus has not abandoned His Church. Rather, He now fills all things. He reigns over all things for the salvation of His people. He continues to serve His Church through His Word and Sacraments.
Tonight, we will consider four reasons why the Ascension is a message of joy.
First, the Ascension is a time of joy because it teaches us that our salvation is complete and secure in Christ. Hebrews 1:3 reads, “After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” Christ first made purification for sins. Then He rose. Then He ascended and sat down at the Father’s right hand.
We cannot remove our sins. We cannot erase our guilt before God. We cannot climb our way into heaven through good works. We are sinful by nature. We have broken God’s commandments in thought, word, and deed. We deserve His temporal and eternal punishment.
But Christ came to do what we could never do. He fulfilled the Law perfectly in our place. He carried our sins in His body upon the cross. 1 John 1:7 says that the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sins. And the Father proved that Christ’s sacrifice was accepted by raising Him from the dead and exalting Him to His right hand.
This means you do not need to live in fear. The devil constantly attacks us with doubt. He whispers, “Have you done enough? Are you truly forgiven? Can God really love a sinner like you?” But the Ascension answers these accusations.
Christ sits at the right hand of the Father because the work of redemption is finished. Your salvation does not depend upon your worthiness. It depends upon Christ crucified, risen, and ascended for you. Therefore, your salvation is complete and secure in Christ.
Second, the Ascension is a time of joy because Jesus now reigns as King over all things for the sake of His Church.
St Paul writes in Ephesians 1:20 that God the Father seated Christ “at his right hand far above all rule and authority and power and dominion.” He also says that God “put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” This is good news. This means that Jesus is Lord of lords and King of kings. He has all authority in heaven and on earth for the good of His Church.
This is especially comforting when the world appears chaotic and unstable. We see violence, hatred, immorality, and unbelief increasing around us. We see wars and unrest. We experience sickness, financial hardship, and uncertainty. Sometimes we begin to wonder whether Christ is truly reigning.
But appearances deceive us. Christ is still King. Psalm 110 declares, “The LORD says to my Lord: ‘Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool.’” Jesus reigns even when His rule is hidden beneath suffering and weakness. He reigns even when the Church appears small and despised in the eyes of the world. And He rules all things for the salvation of His people.
Romans 8:28 says that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, for those who are called according to His purpose. Even trials and afflictions are not outside His control.
This does not mean the Christian life will be easy. The Church on earth remains the Church militant. We fight against the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh. We bear crosses. We suffer persecution. We endure grief and hardship.
But Christ has already won the victory. Luther once preached concerning the Ascension, “Sin, death, devil, and hell had taken us captive; but Christ has in turn taken them captive” (House Postils 2:119-120). Christ has conquered our enemies through His death and resurrection.
Therefore, we do not live in fear. Jesus now reigns as King over all things for the sake of His Church. His victory is our victory.
Third, the Ascension is a time of joy because Jesus is praying for us before the Father.
Romans 8:34 says, “[Christ] is at the right hand of God who is interceding for us.” And 1 John 2:1 says that “we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” So, Jesus is interceding for us and He is our advocate on our behalf. This gives great comfort to us poor sinners.
In the Old Testament, the priest offered sacrifices for the sins of the people, and he prayed on their behalf. He served as a mediator between God and man.
Jesus is our merciful High Priest. On the cross, He offered himself as the perfect sacrifice for sin. He shed His blood once and for all. He was both priest and sacrifice. Even from the cross, he prayed for the people saying, “Father, forgive them.”
Jesus is the mediator between us and God the Father. He bridged the gap between us and God the Father. And now, as our ascended Lord, He continually intercedes for us before the Father.
So, when you fall into sin, Christ pleads for you. When your conscience accuses you, Christ speaks for you. When Satan condemns you, Christ defends you.
You have an advocate before the throne of God. Jesus stands for you. And because Christ intercedes for you, the Father receives you as His beloved child. This brings you great joy and comfort.
Finally, the Ascension is a message of joy because Jesus is still present among us.
Many people imagine that the Ascension means Jesus went far away into heaven and is now absent from us. But Scripture teaches the opposite.
Before He ascended, Jesus said, “Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Jesus is still Immanuel—“God with us” (Matt 1:23). He also said, “Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there I am in the midst of them” (Matt 18:20).
How is He with us?
He is present among us by means of His Gospel and Sacrament. Though we cannot see Jesus with our physical eyes, we hear His Word, and we receive His body and blood in the Lord’s Supper.
Right before Jesus ascended, He commanded His apostles to baptize all nations and to teach them His Word. In our Holy Gospel for today, Jesus says that repentance and the forgiveness of sins should be preached in His name to all nations (Lk 24:47). Jesus once said to Peter, “Feed my sheep.” In other words, feed them with the Word of God.
We are thankful that our ascended Lord has given to faithful pastors to His Church who rightly teach and preach His Word and who rightly administer the Sacraments. Through these means, He forgives your sins. He strengthens your faith. He feeds you with His own body and blood. And He continues to bless and preserve you until the day He comes again in glory.
Therefore, the Ascension is not a message of sadness, but of joy. Your salvation is complete in Christ. Your ascended Lord reigns as King over all things for the good of His Church. Your Savior intercedes for you before the Father. And your risen Lord remains with you always through His Word and Sacrament.
Therefore, Jesus is not distant or absent. He is alive and active among us. We are not abandoned. We are not left as orphans. Christ is with us.
So rejoice in your crucified, risen, and ascended Savior. Rejoice that your sins are forgiven. Rejoice that Christ reigns for your salvation. Rejoice that nothing can separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
And rejoice that the same Lord Jesus who ascended into heaven will one day return in glory to take us to Himself, that where He is, there we may be also forever. Amen.
