Ascension,2016

Acts1:111

Haveyoueverlookedatthestarsatnightandfound
yourselfwonderingwhereheavenis?Physiciststellsus
thatinthisuniverseofrevolvinggalaxies,nebulas,
quasars,antimatter,electrons,neutrinosandalpha
particlesthere'syetfarmorethanmeetstheeye.Istill
sometimeswonderwhatandwhereheavenmightbe.Isit
simplythespacearoundmeandeverythingthatlies
beyond.Oristheresomethingmore?Wheredoesthe
LordGodAlmightyenthronedabovetheheavensdwell?
WheredidJesusascendtowhenhisdiscipleswatched
himdisappearbehindacloud?

UpInSpace

There'sastorytoldaboutthefirstRussiancosmonautto
successfullygetintospaceduringthe1960s.Whenhegot
thereandfinishedgazingatthewonderoftheblue
planet,heradioedamessagebacktoEarth.He
remarked,I'vearrivedandguesswhat?There'snoGod
uphere!

AbovetheClouds

SomethingsimilarhappenedtomewhenIwasfiveyears
old.Itrockedmypreschoolfaith.

WewereflyingtoAustralia.Mysisterwasapproaching
herfirstbirthdayanditwastimetoshowherofftothe
Australiangrandparents.Iwasn'texcitedaboutthat
somethingfarmoreimportantwasabouttohappen.I
wasgoingtoseeheaven;allthosesingingangelsand
shiningharpsandGodsittinglikeagiantgoldenSanta
Clausonhisemeraldthrone.Astheplanelevelleditself
abovethepuffycloudsmyroundlittlefacepeeredoutthe
windowwithanexpressionofdeepdisappointment.

Where'sGod?IaskedMum.Shewasthenearest
expert.
Shepausedforamomentbeforereplying.
Youcan'tseeGod...he'sinvisible.
AninvisibleGod.Iwishedsomeonehadmentionedthat
earlier...Iwouldn'thavegotmyhopesupovernothing.

DidtheRussianCosmonauthaveawiseoldOrthodox
motherwhotoldhimthesamethingwhenhegotbackto
earth?

Noangel's,nogoldmansions,noGodwithabeard.Not
evenJesus.ThoughIhadn'theardthestoryofthe
ascensionsotobehonestIwasn'tactuallylookingfor
him.ThoughIwouldhappilyofsettledforJesusifhe'd
beenthere.
What'sitAllAbout?

AninvisibleGod.AdisappearingJesus.Isthisalla
theologicalsleightofhand?Arabbitinthehattrick?A
religiousillusion,allsmokeandmirrors?
Ordoesitpointtosomethingtrueandbeautifulanddeep
abouttheworldwelivein?Evendeeperthanquasars
andblackholesande=mc2?

AndwhydowecareaboutthisstoryofJesus'ascension
anyway?Whydoweaskquestionslike,Wheredidhe
go?Howdidithappen?Didreallyhappenlikethat?
Wellbecausewewanttogotheretoo.Wewanttogo
whereheiswhenourtimehere'sup.Isn'tthatwhatthis
storyisallabout?

Ormaybeit'snot...maybeit'saboutsomethingelse...even
largerandmorelifegiving.Maybetostartgraspingthe
meaningofJesus'Ascensionit'snottoRussian
Cosmonauts,orfiveyearoldboys,orphysicistsoreven
ourmothersthatwemusttogo.
StoryTellersnotRationalists

HowwouldtheearlyChristianshaveunderstoodthe
storytoldbythedisciplesoftheirlastmomentswith
Jesusbeforehewasliftedup,andacloudtookhimout
oftheirsight?(Acts1:9)

Weneedtokeepinmindthattheyweren'tcoldhard
rationalistswantingtodissecthowthinghappen.They
wereastorytellingpeople,moreconcernedwith,what
doesthisstorymeanforus?

OnestorythefirstbelieverswouldhaveconnectedJesus'
AscensionwithwasanearlierstoryofElijahandElisha.
Soit'stoElijahandElishathatweturntounlockthe
meaningofJesus'ascension.

Thatstorytakesplaceabout800yearsbeforeJesus'
ascension,toldinthe2ndbookofKings.

DarkDays

ThesewerethedarkagesfortheHebrewpeople;atime
offailure,famineandunfaithfulkingsandqueens.The
goldenageofKingDavidandSolomonwasjusta
memory.TheJewishkingdomhadbeenrippedapartby
civilwarJudahintheSouthandIsraelintheNorth.
ThehistoryofIsraelandJudah'skingsbecamealitanyof
idolatry,violenceandmayhemastheolddarkgod's
regainedtheirpowerovertheheartsandmindsofthe
people.

ElijahandElisha

IntothemiddleofallthiscameElijahtheTishbite,a
hairyprophetandhisyoungbutbaldprotgElisha.
Elijahwasmostfamousforhisfierycompetitionwith450
priestsofBaalonMtCarmelAsortofMyGod'sbigger
thanyourgoddeathmatch.Neartheendofhiscareer
hefindshisapprentice.

OnedayElijahandElishaarewalkingalongtogether.
Elishahasn'tactuallydoneanythingmuchatthisstage
thoughheshownhiscommitmentasElijahsdiscipleby
choppingupthefamily'soxen,burningtheploughand
consolinghisparentswithafarewellfeast.

Sothey'rewalkingalongandElijahsaystoElisha,You
stayhere,theLord'stoldmetogotoBethel.

Elishafiguresoutsomethingfishyisgoingonandsays,
Notonyourlife,orGod'slifeforthatmatter.I'mgoing
withyou.

SotheygettoBethel,wheresomeofthelocalprophets
pullElishatoonesideandsay,Doyourealisethatthe
Lord'sabouttakeElijahawayfromyou?
Elisharesponds,YesofcourseIdo.Butjustkeepquiet
aboutit,ok!

MeanwhileElijahtriestoditchElishaagain,Youstay
here,theLord'stoldmetogotoJericho.
ElishasaysnowayandcontinuesfollowingElijahto
Jericho.
TheyarriveinJerichoandthesamethinghappens.The
localbrotherscomeoutwithwhattheythinkisfresh
gossipandagainElishatellsthemtokeepquietandnot
letElijahknowthatheknowswhat'sgoingon.

ElijahmakesonemoreattempttoslipawayonElisha,
butElishaswearsanddeclareshe'sgoingwithhimand
theyfinallyarriveattheJordanriver.Atthispoint
Elijahrollsuphiscoat,hitsthewaterwithit,itparts
liketheRedSeadidforMosesandtheybothwalkover
withoutgettingtheirsandalswet.

ElijahasksElishaifhehasanylastrequestsbeforethey
part.WhatdoesElishado?Hedoeswhatanyfirstborn
sonwouldaskofafather,foradoubleportionofthe
inheritance.Inthiscaseheasksforadoubleportionof
whateveritisthatenablesElijahtocalldownfirefrom
heaven.Elijahreplies,That'satoughone...howabout
this.Ifyouseemegettingtakenawayfromyouthat'sall
good,otherwiseatleastyou'llgetafreecoat.

Theycarryonwalking,whensuddenlytheheavensopen
andflamingchariotwithfieryhorsesswingslowand
ElishaseesoldElijahcarriedofftoheavenina
whirlwind.ElishapicksupElijah'scoat,rollsitbackup,
hitstheJordanriverwithit,andforsecondtimeinone
daycrosseswithoutwettinghisfeet.

ThePointoftheStory?

ThepointofallthisforElisha?Ithadnothingtodowith
himgoingtoheavenonedaytoo.Hedidn'twalkaway
singing,Swinglow,sweetchariot.Thepointofseeing
ElijahgettingcarriedawaywasthatElisha,baldyoung
Elisha,wasgoingtocontinuethemissionthatElijahhad
started,empoweredbythesamespirit.

TheActsoftheApostles,thesequeltoLukesGospel,
showsusthattheAscensionofJesuswasnomagictrick,
notheologicalsleightofhand.ItisherethatJesus,like
Elijah,passesonhismantletohisdisciples.He
withdrawsintoheavensothattheywillbeclothedwith
thepowerofheaven.

InJohnsGospel,Jesusassuredhisdisciples,Itellyou
thetruth:itistoyouradvantagethatIgoaway,forifI
donotgoaway,theAdvocatewillnotcometoyou;butifI
go,Iwillsendhimtoyou.(John16:7)

InLukesGospelJesussaidtothoseheledoutto
Bethany,see,IamsendinguponyouwhatmyFather
promised;sostayhereinthecityuntilyouhavebeen
clothedwithpowerfromonhigh.(Luke24:49)

JohnChrysostom,oneoftheFathersoftheearlychurch,
beganhissermonseriesontheBookofActswiththese
words,ThepredictionswhichintheGospelsChrist
utters,herewemayseetheseactuallycometopass;and
noteintheveryfactsthebrightevidenceofTruthwhich
shinesinthem,andthemightychangewhichistaking
placeinthedisciplesnowthattheSpirithascomeupon
them.

ThebrightevidenceofTruthwhichshinesinthem,and
themightychangewhichistakingplace...
Conclusion

BrimmingwithResurrectionlifeJesuspromiseshis
followers,boththenandtoday,thattheywillreceivethe
sameSpiritthatfilledhimathisJordanbaptism.They
willbetotheworldwhatJesuswastoIsrael.Theywill
brimwithlife.Theywilllivewithheartsandminds
inspiredbytheSpiritofGod.Theywill,buttheymust
firstwait,andworship,andpray.Wealsomust
rediscovertheartofwaiting,andworshiping,and
praying,andlivingwithanticipationfortheactivityand
poweroftheHolySpirit.

Forthere'sawondrouspromiseatlargeinourworld.
Hiddenamidsteverycloud.Heavenshimmersrighthere
infrontofournoses.Filledwithatoms,electrons,
neutrinos,quarks,lightwaves,alphaparticles...andthe
presenceoftheLordJesusChrist,RisenandAscended.

Grant,wepray,almightyGod,
thataswebelieveyouronlybegottenSonourLordJesus
Christtohaveascendedintotheheavens,
soweinheartandmindmayalsoascend
andwithhimcontinuallydwell;
whoisaliveandreignswithyou,
intheunityoftheHolySpirit,
oneGod,nowandforever.
Amen.

Blessing.

MayyoueachknowthepresenceofChrist,ascendedin
allplaces.
Mayyoupatientlyawaitthelifegivingpowerand
guidanceofGod'sSpirit.
AndmayChrist'spromisebreakforthinourliveshereat
theendsoftheearth.