Set Free By Jesus’ Reign

Text: Acts 1:1-11

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

            When I was very young, I used to not like the celebration of the Ascension of our Lord. It seemed like Jesus going away was not something that should be celebrated. Why did Jesus have to leave? Wouldn’t it be easier if He stayed, so that people could just see Him and believe? Wouldn’t it be better to be able to go to Him somewhere and ask for a miracle that He could perform? Of course, I didn’t understand it then. I also was forgetting that there were plenty of people around Jesus at the time of His earthly walk who did see Him and even witnessed His miracles, and yet didn’t believe. I simply didn’t comprehend what Jesus’ ascension was about.

            I was not alone though. Apparently the Apostles also did not understand it. When the time for His ascension had come and the Eleven gathered with Him, they asked, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” Their focus was on earthly aspects of Jesus rising from the dead. Their concerns were with passing worldly empires and political rule, with sticking it to enemies and rewarding the faithful with treasures and thrones. Even when they stood at the threshold of heaven with Jesus about to take His reign at the right hand of the Father, they did not fully understand the spiritual truth of it all. They could not yet grasp all that this meant for them for eternity.

            Jesus explained it to them, that it was not for them to know seasons or times that the Father has established for such things. Instead, they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them and they would go out to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, then out to all the surrounding region of Judea, then to the land of Samaria beyond their borders, and then to all the earth. And with that blessing and promise, He ascended and was taken from their sight when the cloud hid Him.

            And yet, even knowing that they were supposed to return to the city, that they were going to be anointed by the Holy Spirit there, and then go to all the world as His witnesses, they still stood transfixed, pinned to that spot on the mountain, stuck by their questions and concerns. God saw fit to nudge them by sending two angels who had to explain it more: “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way you saw him go into heaven.” Jesus was taking His rightful place as the One governing all things at the Father’s right hand. He was taking up all the glory and majesty and dominion that had been His from eternity. And just as He promised, He would return on the clouds of glory to judge the living and the dead. It was then that they would receive the fullness of all that He had promised: the restoration not only of the kingdom to Israel, but of all things in the new heaven and new earth. As St. Paul would later write, “[God the Father] seated [Christ] at his right hand in the heavenly places, far about all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church.”

            This actually sets the Apostles free. They’re no longer stuck to one geographic spot on the mountain. They’re no longer staring up at one point in the sky. They returned to the temple, praising God, recognizing that now their Lord Jesus has ascended to fill all the heavens and earth, to rule over all creation, that He is God and Lord. They’re freed to do the works right in front of them, speaking of all that He accomplished and is still doing for the good of His Church. They don’t have to worry about things like the kingdom of Israel and which frail mortal is sitting on that throne. They have someone eternal ruling on a much higher throne now. They have bigger things at hand. They have a whole world to get out to. They’re set free from worrying about worldly things because Jesus is now running everything for them, for their sake, for their eternal good.

            Jesus’ ascension does the same for us too. We are set free by His ascension. Jesus still rules over all creation. He’s still given as us, His Church, as the head of all things. We might be tempted by the world to think that its concerns are the most important things we need to face. We might be led by our fallen natures to think that the greatest need is the restoration of whatever kingdom we deem is important in the moment. We might be given over to worrying ourselves sick over this fleeting matter, or that passing trend, or whatever hot topic is urging us to keep pressing big red buttons and work ourselves into a fit.

            But Jesus’ ascension frees us from all that. You have bigger, more important things to worry about than the concerns of the kingdoms of this world. They’re all bound to dissolve anyway. You have eternal things to bear in mind. You have confidence and peace that passes the understanding of this fallen age. You have eternity and a life with the Savior who shares your nature, who’s united to you in body and blood, who’s promised to keep you with Him forever. In Him, you’re free.

            So you can do the tasks at hand. You can serve those who are around you. You can be generous and merciful and gracious and kind because you have an in with the God who’s made everything, who gives you everything, and who always has more to share with you. You can set aside the world’s little concerns—even if they seem big in the world’s opinion—and spend time in the Lord’s temple, worshiping and praising the God who has redeemed you and given you eternal life. You can lay down that burden of needing to rule and control and direct everything. Jesus already has that taken care of through His ascension. He’s still ruling from the right hand of the Father. He’s still the head of all things. He’s still given to you, His Church, and He will direct all of history for the good of His saints, even if we can’t see all the details.

            And He’s still returning. The same Jesus who has gone up into heaven in the cloud of glory will return on the cloud of God’s glory to judge the living and the dead. But because you’re His and He’s yours, you already know what that verdict will be: innocent, faithful, blessed forever. And knowing that sets you free too. This world is not the be all and end all. You will be saved because your Judge is also your Savior. He’s coming back to fully give you everything that He’s promised in His resurrection. Your Jesus reigns and that’s good news for you; news worth praising God for in this very temple. In the name of Jesus, who rules over all things. Amen.