Ascension Day – Mark S. Winward
The Ascension: From Observers to Apostles
Today, we celebrate the glorious Ascension of our Lord. Although we confess Jesus’ Ascension every Sunday in the Nicene Creed—”He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father”—the event is often misunderstood. In truth, the Ascension is the capstone of Jesus’ incarnation, death, and resurrection. Without Christmas, there could be no incarnation. Without Easter, the cross would be a meaningless martyrdom. And without the Ascension, Easter would be a victory without its final note of triumph. At the Ascension—following Jesus’ fierce battle with death and his victorious resurrection—Christ the King takes his rightful throne to rule his people forever.
But things will never be the same for Jesus’ disciples, no matter how much they might long for things to go back to the way they were. Have you ever noticed that after this point, the disciples are called “apostles”? They are no longer merely followers of a teacher. The word apostle comes from the Greek apostolos, literally meaning “those sent out with a mission.” With Jesus no longer physically present among them, they are commissioned as ambassadors of the risen and enthroned Christ.
Still, it must have been a frightening time. Times of change always are. Their teacher of three years was gone, leaving them with a commission to share his message throughout the entire world. This band of poor, uneducated Jewish peasants was left with mouths agape, staring at the sky. If ever a group lacked the means to meet a task, it was this one. “Okay,” I can hear them saying as they gazed upward, “so now what do we do?” Like it or not, the “good old days” were over. Yet, the truth is this: had they stayed stuck in that mode of thinking, Jesus’ message would have died that day, and we would never have known the transforming power of Christ.
For these former followers, this uncertain moment—suspended between the joy of the resurrection and the empowerment of Pentecost—was the beginning of an adventure. In effect, Jesus said to them, “Stop looking into the heavens! Stop waiting around for what you think might happen—you have work to do! You are going to receive the power of the Holy Spirit, and then you will be my witnesses to every corner of the world. You will do yourselves what you could not hope to do before.”
Then, it must finally have dawned on them: in this “in-between time,” they were on the cusp of something wonderful. I suspect that for the first time, they entertained the thought that perhaps God was about to move among them in a way more marvelous than they could ever imagine.
When they finally caught this vision, the story ends with an outburst of worship: ”And they returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God.” Rather than being depressed that Jesus had left them with an uncertain future, the apostles were ecstatic. They realized that witness and worship belong together. Like a bud that will not bloom without water, the church’s mission to the world dries up without the joyous praise of worship. When we open ourselves to celebrate God’s presence in word, deed, liturgy, and song, we taste the promised power of the Holy Spirit. This is what enables us to celebrate his presence outside these doors. At the same time, worship apart from witness is hollow; it causes a community to turn inward, losing its very reason for being.
Like those apostles between Easter and Pentecost, I believe we as a church are on the cusp of something wonderful. Are we ready to consider that God may be doing a new and exciting thing among us? If we are, our best days remain before us, and the adventure is just beginning!