Brothers and Sisters in Christ, there is something satisfying about completion. The end of a school career is celebrated with graduation. A wedding celebrates the completion of the joining together of a man and a woman to be a family united in Christ. Retirement celebrates the completion of a working career. Life always brings new chapters and new events that eventually reach a fulfillment or completion.
Today we are at the close of the Easter season. The risen Lord Jesus has led us through these almost 50 days now, with many high points in rejoicing in the joy of the Kingdom. Today we think about the completion and the fulfillment that our Lord’s Passion on the cross, resurrection and Ascension into heaven brings to our lives.
We prayed in the Collect prayer this morning: “O King of glory, Lord of Hosts, uplifted in triumph far above all heavens, leave us not without consolation, but send us the Spirit of truth whom You promised from the Father.”
First comes the Ascension of Jesus and the glory and triumph far above the heavens, and then comes that which brings the glory down to us, the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
The gospel of Luke ends with these words: “Then he led them out as far as Bethany and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God.”
In older churches that have painting of Jesus behind the altar, a common theme of these paintings is the Ascension. These altar backdrops show Jesus holding his two hands up in blessing. Jesus gesturing in blessing to them is what the disciples last saw as He was lifted up and a cloud took him from out of their sight.
We easily remember the last words of Jesus on the cross: “It is finished” Less familiar to our memories are the last words the resurrected Jesus said to his disciples before he ascended to heaven “You are witnesses of these things , and behold I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
Jesus gave the disciples this single purpose to witness to his death and resurrection and to teach that the scripture is fulfilled through him. And as the scripture was fulfilled there was nothing more that needed to be said. They saw him holding his hands up in blessing and they worshiped him.
As we come to the altar of God in worship we still see Jesus holding his hands in blessing. Just as Jesus blessed the disciples, so also he is blessing us as we hear his words and receive his gifts. When Jesus returns we will see him again with hands out in blessing, we will see him blessing us and blessing all of creation as he makes the New Heaven and Earth and brings things to this blessed completion.
With his Ascension Jesus is lifted up and reigns in the highest of glories. And as he reigns at the throne of heaven, at the right hand of the Father he raises us up with him.
The closing verse of See, the Lord Ascends in Triumph LSB 494 summarizes what Jesus has done for us in his Ascension. “He has raised our human nature On the clouds to God’s right hand; There we sit in heavenly places, There with Him in glory stand. Jesus reigns, adored by angels; Man with God is on the throne. By our mighty Lord’s ascension We by faith behold our own.”
Jesus is fully man and fully God, which means our human nature is there at the throne of Heaven. And in sending the Holy Spirit to us, we may have this same completion as Jesus, we too will one day be glorified with the perfect righteousness of Jesus. At the new heaven and earth we too will be raised up with Jesus.
There is a reason it feels special to be in this space. And as we live our lives as Christians, already today we partake of God’s glories, already now we receive his very body and blood, already now we receive the gifts of heaven on earth. Here in this church the Lord brings the joys of heaven to us.
We stand with Jesus in glory. This is the completion of what Jesus came to us for. He assumed our human nature, he joined in our suffering, and he obeyed the Father in perfect righteousness where we failed. He resisted Satan’s temptations and reversed the curse of sin. He restored our human nature back to the image of God, he completed the course of our salvation so that we are now in a degree of glory far far greater than Adam and Eve were before the fall into sin.
Such lofty themes of the completion of God’s design puts things in perspective. How many things do we waste our time with that have little importance? Colossians chapter 3 says it well: “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”
We can attach great importance to different things that may or may not go our way. But these things that seem so important in the moment mean little in light of the big picture that Jesus has ascended into heaven and we now wait his return. We heard in our gospel reading today that Jesus prayed for the well being of the church as he knew he was returning to the Father. “I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world.”
Jesus in this speech is showing that he is very concerned about how the church will fare living in the world that he is leaving. Jesus knows that until his return the church will need watching over and protection. That is why he prays: “Holy Father, keep them in your name.” He says, Keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.”
To keep them in the Father’s name is to keep the disciples faithful to the revelation of who the Father is. Jesus told Phillip, if you have seen me you have seen the Father. Seeing Jesus rightly and worshipping Jesus rightly is the way to see and worship the Father rightly.
We see Jesus rightly through seeing the scripture rightly, this is the fulfillment that was brought to us by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, that if we have God’s Word and listen and obey, then we are close to Jesus. This is the completion and fulfillment the Father planned for us. That we would recognize Jesus as the king of all, and that we would live our lives in a way that rejoice at confessing that Jesus is king.
No matter the uncertain future we face in life, let us confess in how we live our lives that Jesus is Lord of everything, and that he will return, he will bring you to the completion the work that He began in you and continues refine until the great day of the Lord. Amen.