Since He Ascended, He will Descend

Acts 1:6–14

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But 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.” 9 When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. 11 They said, “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.” John 14:1-3 Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?[ 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. 

Homily

Every Sunday we affirm our faith in the words of the Apostle’ Creed. Included in that Creed is the affirmation that we believe in the Ascension of Jesus to heaven. We say:Every Sunday we affirm our faith in the words of the Apostle’ Creed. Included in that Creed is the affirmation that we believe in the Ascension of Jesus to heaven. We say: “He ascended into heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence he shall come again to judge the quick and the dead.” Those words are solidly based on the Word of God; specifically on the words recorded in the book of Acts—which I read moments ago. The ascension was not merely a vision. It was not some creative scenario made up by one of the disciples. No. The ascension really happened. It literally happened. As Jesus disappeared into a cloud, the disciples stood there in awe —gazing into the sky. That must have been a glorious thing to see—Jesus rising into the sky—unassisted by any kind of space vehicle. We don’t know how long they looked upward when this happened. But suddenly two angels appeared to them and said: “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven.” These words from heaven make up one of the greatest promises of the Christian faith.. Jesus came literally. He died Literally on a cross. He rose literally from the grave. He ascended literally into heaven. And He will return literally to this earth.Jesus came literally. He died Literally on a cross. He rose literally from the grave. He ascended literally into heaven. And He will return literally to this earth. It is true that we walk and live the Christian life NOT by sight, but by faith. But for those early Christians, the ascension was very real. And while they were becoming men and women of faith, the ascension was a literal event that must have boosted their faith to the nth degree. What can we learn from this historic fact about Jesus? What did Jesus teach us about himself by departing from the disciples in this way? One thing we learn is that Jesus was definitely NOT from this world. Oh, He entered this world fully. He experienced hunger, fatigue, sorrow, rejection, and pain--just like we all do. But His true origin was heaven itself. In the Gospel of John, Jesus says: “I came from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father.” Jesus created this world. But he was not from this world. He came here for a purpose. Like a rescuer entering dangerous waters to save those who are drowning, Christ entered this fallen world to seek and save the lost. That would be you and me and everyone else who he has called. And once His redeeming work was accomplished, Jesus went back to home—to that glorious place from whence He came. And once His redeeming work was accomplished, Jesus went back to home—to that glorious place from whence He came. And here is a beautiful thought that we can draw from the fact that Jesus is not from this world—because we belong to Him— no longer are WE ultimately from this world. Jesus said in John 17: “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” He was speaking about His the twelve disciples . But He was also speaking about His and future disciples—you and me. Now we still live here. We work here. We struggle here. We suffer here. But this world is no longer our final home. The old gospel song says it well: “This world is not my home, I’m just a passing through. My treasure is laid up somewhere beyond the blue. The Angels beckoned me from heaven’s opened door; and I can’t feel at home in the world anymore.” That does not mean we despise the world. After all, God created this world and called it good. But it does mean we understand something very important: There is within every human soul a homesickness that nothing on earth can fully satisfy. Years ago, while serving in the Air Force in North Africa, I remember experiencing that feeling very deeply. I was far from home—far from family, familiar places, familiar voices, and the ordinary comforts of life. Everything around me was unfamiliar. And there were moments when the ache of homesickness came over me without warning—It happed most often when I received a letter from the states—a letter informing me that my grandmother had died. A letter from my girlfriend’s mother telling me that she had married someone else. A photo of my baby sister who was only 4 when I left home. I was homesick; And there were moments when the ache of homesickness came over me without warning—It happed most often when I received a letter from the states—a letter informing me that my grandmother had died. A letter from my girlfriend’s mother telling me that she had married someone else. A photo of my baby sister who was only 4 when I left home. I was homesick; And there were moments when the ache of homesickness came over me without warning—It happed most often when I received a letter from the states—a letter informing me that my grandmother had died. A letter from my girlfriend’s mother telling me that she had married someone else. A photo of my baby sister who was only 4 when I left home. I was homesick; and my heart ached for home. Have you had such moments—maybe it occurs because of distance. Or perhaps— because of some special home cooked meal that you are missing. Yesterday I called Yuk Yuk to find out what kind of soup they had. When I found out that they were serving chili, Jackie and I went immediately to that restaurant. And boy was that chili good. It was every bit as good as my mom’s. Yet something was missing. And when I awoke this morning at 5:00. I knew exactly what it was— it was mother’s love. Have we not all had such feelings? I think such feelings are faint echoes of something deep within our human souls. The Bible teaches that we were created by God and for God. And because of that, there is within us a longing that no earthly thing can completely satisfy. Many of us try to fill that longing with all kinds of things: success, possessions, pleasure, power, recognition, or—-food. But the ache persists. WHY?—because we were created for more than this world. I quoted Saint Augustine last Sunday. His words are worthy to be repeated—so I repeat them today: “Thou hast made us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee.”I quoted Saint Augustine last Sunday. His words are worthy to be repeated—so I repeat them today: “Thou hast made us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee.” That restlessness has something to do with our relationship with Jesus. We have met Him. We know Him. We communicate with Him. But He went back to His home to create a place for us —He ascended. One day He will return to take us with Him. The trumpet will sound. The dead in Christ will rise. Faith will become sight. Our homesickness will end. And what do we do while we are waiting? Acts tells us exactly what the early disciples did. They returned to Jerusalem. They gathered together. They prayed together. They waited together. That is the life of the church—even today— between Ascension and Return. That is our life while we wait for Him. We worship. We pray. We encourage one another. We proclaim the gospel. And we wait with hope. Not idle hope. Not wishful thinking. But confident expectation grounded in the promise of Christ Himself. This is the inbetween time when we refuse to be complacent—when we decide to take action while we wait. And perhaps that is why the angels asked: “Why do you stand looking up into heaven?” In other words: Do not merely stand—staring at the sky. Live faithfully until He comes back!In other words: Do not merely stand—staring at the sky. Live faithfully until He comes back! There is work to do. There are people to love. There is a gospel to proclaim. There are weary souls to encourage. There are broken hearts to heal. And everything that we do, we do because we love God and we desire to be faithful—knowing that the risen and ascended Christ will return. One day the separation between heaven and earth will end. One day the longing of every redeemed soul will finally be fulfilled. And when that day comes, we shall discover that the deepest truth about who we really are. We are created for Him. We are redeemed by Him. And ultimately—we are made to live with Him —forever and forever. Amen.