Head's Up!

There’s an old Peanuts cartoon strip where:

Peppermint Patty and Charlie Brown are gazing over the top of a wall. Both look quite depressed. Patty starts to talk to Charlie Brown. "I need to talk to someone who knows what it's like to feel like a fool," she says.

"Someone who knows what it's like to be humiliated.

Someone who's been disgraced, beaten, and degraded....someone who's been there....ya know?"

In the last frame, there are no words. Charlie Brown simply turns to Patty with his arms outstretched to comfort her.

I know that’s Charlie Brown hugging his dog snoopy…but I couldn’t find the picture for the one I just allueded too.

Besides…its rare to see Charlie Brown smiling…much less hugging...

He’s doing both here!

Why do you think he offers Patty a hug? Because he’s been there…he knows what its like to be humiliated…to feel like a fool…to have been disgraced…beaten and degraded...

He offers her a hug…because she’s a kindred spirit…He must be thinking finally someone who knows what I fee like...

Often we think we are alone in how we feel…as if no other human has felt the way we fell…but we do...

As C.S. Lewis once described friendship:

“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: “What! You too? I thought I was the only one.” -C.S. Lewis

(91 Motivational CS Lewis Quotes On Friendship, Heaven & Love)(overallmotivation.com)

Most often people become friends…due to their shared experiences.

What shared experiences do you have with other Christians in your walk of faith?

Seventh Sunday of Easter

Today we conclude our Easter sermon series with the readings of Jesus earthly departure from his friends...

Seventh Sunday of Easter is often referred to as Ascension Sunday.

AKA “The Ascension of Jesus”

That is…when Jesus literally ascended…was lifted / raised / born up to heaven…in the presence of his followers…leaving them shocked and awed!

Talk about shared experiences…not only had they known tragedy and triumph with Jesus death and resurrection…but now…now the disciples…have this shared experience of Jesus commissioning and blessing them…and then being miraculously “lifted up” or “raised up” to heaven…right before their eyes.

No doubt…the understanding that only comes through shared experiences…fortified…strengthened the disciples faith and resolve...

The last 3 verses of our reading from Luke tells us the impact of this shared experience...

English Standard Version Chapter 24

And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. 51 While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple blessing God.

The disciples worshiped Jesus and were filled with great joy!

(Some argue that Jesus was a typical prophet and preacher…and only later did the Christian community say… “Hey, let’s say he was God, so that we will be hunted down by the Roman empire and die a gruesome death, what do you say?”)

So much for that theory…according to scripture…the primary and final source and foundation for our faith…

…according to scripture…the disciples worshiped him immediately upon his ascension...

That fact matters!

Why not stick around for awhile?

I used to wonder, why didn’t Jesus just stick around for awhile…say about 2,000 years…even up until today.

There would be no doubt about his being the son of God (after all he’d be 2,000 years old).

He could continue his miracles and teachings to address ever possible social justice issue and give us God’s exact position on each issue (no more playing the theological guessing game)

But as I think about that…I’ve come to conclude that…while those other aspects would be awesome…it would leave very little room for faith.

In fact…especially in our modern era of “deep fakes” and advanced graphics and technology…people would still not believe…even if Jesus walked up to them and introduced himself.

The truth is humanity will always find a reason…not to believe...

Because…believing in Jesus Christ…is difficult…it asks something of us…it asks us to change…to live with others in mind…before ourselves…and to put God first above all things we love in this world.

As Deitrich Bonheoffer said:

“When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”

The Scripture makes it clear…Jesus makes it clear... that:

The ascension was important and Jesus had to go away because it was for OUR BENEFIT!

Look at what Jesus says in John 16...

John 16:7–8 LEB

But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go away. For if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and concerning righteousness and concerning judgment:

Why did Jesus not just stick around through the centuries?

Because it was to our benefit that he goes away…EVERYTHING Jesus did…was for the benefit for all who believe…even his leaving...

There was a sign at a place I used to play pub-trivia…the sign read:

“We’re happy to see everyone…some when the come…others when they go.”

Jesus’ “going” is

…so that the convicting power of the Holy Spirit would be poured out...

…convicting the world concerning sin, righteousness…and judgement...

and without that…convicting power of the Holy Spirit…humanity would still be lost…we wouldn’t even have the power or ability to believe in Jesus in the first place...

Jesus’ ascension made it possible for believers of every time and place to truly grasp…who Jesus was…and is…through the convicting power of the Spirit...

In one sense…his disciples…truly knew Jesus for the first time…only AFTER…he ascended into heaven...

Importance of the Ascension

The Ascension of the Lord Jesus is important for several reasons.

Jesus ascension to heaven, foreshadows our own future, that one day we too will ascend to the Father.

Paul alludes to a similar ascension as Jesus’ in...

1 Thessalonians 4:17 ESV

Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

This is speaking of Christ’s second coming and what believers…alive at that time…can expect…to meet the LORD in the air...

Jesus’ ascension foreshadows our leaving this earth and going to be with Jesus forever!

2. Jesus’ ascension is a promise kept.

Jesus promised his disciples…then and now…that he would go and prepare a place for you...

think about that…FOR YOU!

If you enjoy fishing…I bet he’s preparing a place by a pond...

If you enjoy reading…I bet he’s preparing a beautiful library for you...

The possibilities are endless…but to prepare a place…Jesus first had to leave…and he wasn’t going to Home Depot...

John 14:2–3 ESV

In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

What a promise! Can you imagine what place Jesus is preparing for you?

As Paul said to the church in Corinth:

1 Corinthians 2:9 ESV

But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—

And finally…the ascension matters…because:

3. The ascension matters because it glorifies Jesus as king of kings and Lord of lords.

Wayne Grudem writes:

“Before Jesus died, he prayed,

John 17:5 ESV

And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

In his sermon at Pentecost Peter said that Jesus was “exalted at the right hand of God”

Acts 2:33 LEB

Therefore, having been exalted to the right hand of God and having received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, he has poured out this that you see and hear.

and Paul declared that “God has highly exalted him”

Philippians 2:9 LEB

Therefore also God exalted him and graciously granted him the name above every name,

and that Jesus was “taken up in glory”

1 Timothy 3:16 LEB

And most certainly, great is the mystery of godliness: Who was revealed in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was proclaimed among the Gentiles, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.

Hebrews 1:4 LEB

having become by so much better than the angels, by as much as he has inherited a more excellent name than theirs.

Grudem concludes “Christ is now in heaven with the angelic choirs singing sing praise to him with the words

Revelation 5:12 LEB

saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”

So like the disciples in Acts 1 who were transfixed on the ascended Jesus…

We too should have our “Head’s Up!” looking toward the ascended Christ…seated on the throne...

But…also like the disciples…we need to be reminded that while Jesus has ascended…and is preparing a place for believers…and will come again in power and glory...

We too need to be reminded that…Jesus gave us work to do…to share the good news with the poor…to tell the world of God’s great love for them in Jesus Christ…and to work as God’s agents…of a heavenly realm…working for God’s will on earth as it is in heaven...

Thanks be to God…AMEN.