Sermon

May 9, 2002
Ascension
Ephesians 1:18-23
Pastor David Wenzel

Rejoice in the rest of the story

Ephesians 1:18-23: I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

Dear friends of our ascended Savior:

In the days of the early Christian church, Ascension was one of the 3 major festivals of the church year, along with Christmas and Easter. Just think of that…one of 3 major festivals. We might find that hard to believe. Instead, we might find some any irony in the fact that our Christmas and Easter services set attendance records each year, while synod-wide, I'd guess that Ascension services also set a record…for the most poorly attended service of the year. In fact, there are some churches that no longer celebrate Ascension. Mt Olive hasn't dropped its Ascension service, and for good reason. The festival of Ascension is worth noting and worth celebrating. Why? Perhaps it's not as obvious as the importance of Christmas and Easter. Yet in reality, Jesus' ascension is as relevant to the life of a Christian as his birth, death and resurrection.

The radio commentator Paul Harvey has made a name for himself by telling the "rest of the story." He takes some familiar person or event, and then adds details that add a new twist or lead to a deeper appreciation of the whole story. Perhaps tonight it will help us if we allow the Apostle Paul through his words in our text to tell us the "rest of the story" of Ascension.

Rejoice in the rest of the story
1. Rejoice that God sent Jesus
2. Rejoice that God took Jesus
3. Rejoice that God makes us part of Jesus

In verse 18 of our text, Paul says that he prays that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19and his incomparably great power for us who believe. Your glorious inheritance from God? That's heaven. This first part of our story is simply that God sent Jesus so that we could be in heaven.

But what we want to remember tonight is that there really was nothing very simple about this. God deciding to send Jesus isn't like us deciding what we're doing this weekend, or where we want to go on vacation in a month. If you were thinking about traveling to California for a summer vacation, and if you knew in advance that taking that trip meant that someone in your family was going to die, would you still choose to go on that trip? God decided to send Jesus to earth, and God knew all of the consequences of this decision long before they played out on Calvary 2000 years ago. Remember, God didn't just put Jesus in that manger in Bethlehem, and then look down 30 years later and shudder in shock when Jesus walked away from Pilate's palace with a cross on his bloody back. It was God who put Jesus in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. It was God who put Jesus in the upper room so that we could have his body and blood in the Lord's Super. It was God who told his Son in Gethsemane that there was no other way, it was God who put Jesus in the palace of Caiphas so that he could be slapped and spit upon. It was God who put Jesus in front of Pilate so that Pilate could scourge an innocent man. And it was God who put a sinless man on that cross so that you won't die for your sins. God did what we couldn't do: save us from our sins, and God did what we wouldn't do: sacrifice someone we love for the sake of someone who didn't love us.

This isn't the rest of the story…it's the part of the story we already know. The difficulty is truly appreciating it. Last November I was down on the field of Camp Randall stadium right after FVL won their state championship. Within minutes of each other, a player and a coach each told me, "God has blessed us so much." I would guess that most of us here this evening have had events in our lives where we said in all sincerity: "God has been so good to me." When have you said it? At the birth of a child or grandchild? After the recovery from a serious illness, or the recovery of someone we love? When your children excel in school or sports?

There's no problem with any of these examples. They are all blessings from God. But God didn't give up his only Son so that FVL could win a state championship. God didn't send Jesus so that someone could survive a stroke or recover from cancer. God didn't send Jesus so that I could witness the birth of 4 children or so that you could hold a grandchild. But God DID send Jesus so that I could witness the rebirth of my children in baptism. That's when we should say, "God has been so good to me." And God DID lead his Son to that cross so that when someone we love doesn't recover from cancer or a stroke, we can sing "I know that my Redeemer lives" at the funeral. Death is another time we can say, "God's been so good to me." THAT'S the glorious inheritance that is ours and the inheritance that with the help of the Holy Spirit we can pass on to our children and grandchildren: not the hope for better health, or a better job, or a better earthly life, but the hope and promise of a better home…a home by our Savior's side in heaven.

Rejoice in this part of the story of Ascension…the fact that God first sent Jesus just so that we could join him in heaven. Then rejoice in the 2nd part of this story…that God took Jesus. In our text Paul says, "[God's] power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms."

God raised Jesus from the dead…no Christian has a problem with that. God "seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms." Now THAT causes problems for Christians. It's not that we have a problem believing Jesus' ascension. The problem is that at times, we question the wisdom of this ascension. How do we do that? We do that when we sit in church on a Sunday and listen to the Gospel lesson of Jesus' healing a man of leprosy or curing a lame man, and we think, "If only Jesus was here to cure my mom, or my spouse, or my child." We do it when we sit in the front pew at a funeral and hear the Jesus' words of comfort to Martha: "I am the resurrection and the life, and whoever believes in me will ever die," and we think, "If only Jesus would walk up this aisle and open this casket of my loved one and raise them."

Subconsciously, more than one of us here has had those thoughts. And when we have those thoughts, we're forgetting two things. First of all, remember what Jesus told his disciples right before his Ascension: "Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Jesus is here…by the side of our children when they're struggling, by our side when we're struggling with them, by our side when we stand by the grave of a parent or spouse or child.

And then secondly, remember that Jesus is also in heaven, and when a Christian dies, he wakes up in his Savior's arms. And if Jesus said, "Listen, would you like to go back down there just for a day, or just for a few hours? Would you like to hold your new grandchild, or attend your daughter's wedding? Would you like one last Christmas around the Christmas tree with your family?" What would your spouse, or your mom or dad say? They'd say, "Jesus, thanks, but no thanks. This is where I belong…there is no place I'd rather be." They wouldn't want to return…they wouldn't want to come back…not even for 10 minutes. That's how good heaven is. God took Jesus back there because Jesus belongs there, and Jesus has promised to come back and get us, because thanks to what he did 2000 years ago, we belong there to. Rejoice in this part of the Ascension story. God took Jesus back to heaven, and Jesus promises to take you as well.

Finally on this Ascension Eve, rejoice in a final part of this story. Paul says, "And God placed all things under his feet. Once God returned Jesus to heaven, God placed all things under Jesus' feet. Everyone and everything. Christian and non-Christian. Every unbeliever will someday acknowledge Jesus as Lord. Paul says in Philippians: 9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

This sounds like the height of arrogance, but the truth is this world exists because of us and for us, for us and for every other Christian. This isn't politically correct. But it's the truth. The world doesn't exist for Muslims, or Jews, or Buddhists, or atheists, or agnostics. It exists for Christians, and for the message we can bring to the Muslim, the Buddhist and the rest.

And that brings us to the last verse: [God] appointed him to be head over everything for the church. 23which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way."

The Church is the fullness of Christ. We are the fullness of Christ. God didn't NEED us to complete his Son. God allows us to complete his Son. Do we understand the privilege that we all have? We are part of the church…which God says is Christ's body, and we complete the fullness of that body. What a privilege…what an opportunity. And with privileges and opportunities come responsibilities. As a member of Mt. Olive, my behavior and my actions don't just affect myself, don't merely impact my family and friends, but as part of Christ's body, they impact every other member of this congregation and of the Christian church. It's not all about me. It's not just about my opinion, and my agenda, and what I think is best for me and my family and friends. It's about what's best for my church, what's best for the Church, what's best for my Savior. Because remember what Paul says, "God appointed him to be head over everything for the church." Mt. Olive, an1d St. Paul's, and Bethany, and every other Christian church…WELS and non-WELS…all share the same cornerstone. That cornerstone is Christ. The purpose of every Christian church's existence is Christ. And thus the goal of every Christian, and every Christian congregation will always be not what's best for "me", but what's best for Christ. Christ is why we are here in church, Christ is why we're members of this church, Christ is why we are here on earth. Ask Christ to be the guide of all we do.

What's the rest of story? Jesus ascended into heaven. But the story doesn't end there. WE are the rest of the story. God has made us part of the Church…made us part of Christ and Christ's mission here on earth. We have the privilege and responsibility and the opportunity to help complete that mission…so that at the name of Jesus' every knee may bow, but not bow in terror, but bow in faith. That's the mission of the church. As part of Christ's body, that's the mission God has given you. May God keep that mission in front of us, and may we rejoice that he has made us part of the rest of the story. Amen.

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