Sermon 21st May 2023 – Ascension Sunday
Text: Acts 1:1-11 – Mission fulfilled
Have you ever started a project and felt like giving up? Maybe you’ve
been enthused to start a jigsaw puzzle and you get all the border pieces
together but then all the centre pieces look the same so you just give up or
lose interest. Or maybe you’ve started a health kick and the temptations of
that comfort food – or the wet weather gives you an excuse to not exercise. By
now most New Year’s Resolutions have been unfulfilled.
The Ascension today is about Jesus fulfilling what he came to do. Despite
the suffering and humiliation he kept going and didn’t give up when many others
would have. In fact, God’s plan began much earlier than Jesus’ birth but right
back at creation when it is believed God prophesied the coming of a Saviour
when God said to the serpent: I will put enmity between you and the woman, and
between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike
his heel.
It is believed that God is prophesying the birth of Christ coming to end
Satan’s power and authority on earth through the offspring of a woman – Jesus
born of Mary. So even though it has taken thousands of years to bring this plan
to fulfilment God persisted and didn’t give up. Even though God at various
times showed frustration: At the flood, in Noah’s time, God said he regretted
ever creating human beings. On occasions he told Moses he was going to
eradicate all the stiff-necked Israelites and start again with Moses. He cast
them out of his sight from the Promised Land and into exile but brought them
back after 70 years of heartache watching their misery.
So as Jesus is about to ascend Jesus said to his disciples, "These
are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you-- that everything
written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be
fulfilled." Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures. The
birth, death, resurrection and ascension are all part of that fulfillment of
God’s plan spoken from the beginning of creation and God never gave up despite
humanity constantly rejecting him. In fact, Paul says that it was God’s love
for us that overcame that rejection when God demonstrates his own love for us
in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
The ascension of Jesus marks the end of Jesus' earthly ministry and the
beginning of a new era for humanity which is the fulfilment of God’s masterplan
for humanity. But we can imagine the
emotions on that day as Jesus stood before his disciples, promising them that
he would return to Heaven and send the Holy Spirit to empower them to proclaim
the good news throughout the world. The disciples had walked with Jesus for
three years, but they were not yet fully equipped or confident to carry on his
mission. However, Jesus reassured them
that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they
would be his witnesses to the ends of the earth – and the Helper, the Holy
Spirit would be with them.
As Jesus ascended into Heaven, the disciples stood there in amazement,
gazing up at the sky. But as they stood
there, two angels appeared to them and asked them why they were looking up at
the sky. The angels reminded them that Jesus would return in the same way that
he had ascended into Heaven. Until then they needed to go to Jerusalem, Judea,
Samaria and the ends of the earth: Why these 4 places?
Jerusalem was their home. Likewise Jesus sends us to our homes. Our
earthly homes and our spiritual homes – the church. Live out your faith with
your households. Learn to love – to forgive – to serve – with those who are
closest. Then once you have practiced and perfected – go to your neighbours –
your Judea. Your work – your schools – your sports – your local community. Example
your faith there – love, forgive, serve, And as Peter said – always be prepared
to give the reason for the hope you have. Then we are challenged to go to our
Samaria. Stretch your comfort zone – love your enemies – turn the other cheek. Make
the first move to reconcile with someone with whom you have become estranged. Love
them – forgive them – seek forgiveness – serve them. And then to the ends of
the earth. One of the great blessings of Covid has been this last move by
churches including our own. Taking the Gospel outside our 4 walls by
livestreams – recordings – and the like. Invite your friends to watch the
videos. Share them on your social media pages. Send links to your friends – hey
check this out it really spoke to me. It’s so much easier and less confronting
that inviting them to church where they know nobody.
As much as we would love Jesus to return today and take us away from our
earthly woes, our task has not been fulfilled – to take the Gospel to the ends
of the earth. And we are not to give up like a thousand piece jigsaw of a blue
sky where it seems impossible and complete the mission Jesus has sent us to do.
The ascension began a new era for Christianity for us, as the Holy Spirit
empowers us to continue Jesus' mission of proclaiming the good news of
salvation and bringing God's Kingdom to earth. And remember what Jesus said a
couple weeks ago: In John chapter 14 Jesus said: Very truly I tell you, whoever
believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even
greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. The Ascension
empowers us to do even greater things than Jesus in his earthly ministry. Jesus’
words, not mine!
As we reflect on the ascension of Jesus, let us remember that we are
called to be his witnesses in the world. We are called to spread the message of
hope and love to all those around us and to be a light in the darkness and a
voice of compassion in a world that desperately needs it. May we be inspired by
the example of the disciples who, after experiencing the ascension of Jesus,
were filled with the Holy Spirit and empowered to fulfil Jesus’ mission. Let us
also be filled with the Holy Spirit and be faithful witnesses of Jesus Christ
in the world today to the ends of the earth.
It might sound daunting – it might sound like it’s out of your ability
but Jesus said also in John chapter 14 – I will do whatever you ask in my name,
so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in
my name, and I will do it. Let us ask Jesus to give us the strength, courage
and the words and actions to be his light to those around us to the ends of the
earth. We have the Gospel with us today because the eye witness of those 40
days Jesus walked the earth shared the Good News with others. May we, too,
ensure future generations of this Good News by continue to share the gospel to
the ends of the earth.
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