Much in our lives is based on the work/reward system.  We are taught from the time that we are little that there are rewards which come to people who work for them.  People put in many years of school so that they can be prepared for a job or career that rewards them with financial means to live and enjoy their lives.  Athletes put in hours of training and practice so that they can enjoy the thrill of victory.  And Christians strengthen and protect the faith God has given them so that they do not lose the great reward that God attached to their gift of faith.

As Jesus prepared to leave the earth and return to his throne in heaven, he reminded his disciples of the great work that there was for them to do.  Faith, the ticket to heaven, is given to people by means of God‘s Word and the sacrament of Baptism.  The Holy Spirit works through those two tools alone to overcome unbelief and make someone a child of God.  Since that is true, you know what it means when these tools are not used.

Jesus final meeting with his disciples emphasized the privilege and importance of the work that Jesus had trained his disciples to carry out.  It is the same work that he now is training and sending us to do for him.  As we look at this Ascension Day text from the book of Luke, we can consider these words as

Your Final Assignment

I.  Expand the Kingdom of God

II.  Trust the Promise You Have Been Given

      Jesus had spent three years personally training his disciples for the work he was about to send them out to do.  During that time, they didn‘t always fully understand or appreciate what Jesus was telling them.  It would soon all make sense to them.  Jesus said, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms.“  Luke then adds an important commentary on what took place during that meeting.  He wrote, “Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.”

The story of salvation has been described by God himself through the inspired words of Paul to the Corinthians as “…foolishness to those who are perishing…” (I Cor. 1:18) Keep in mind that “those who are perishing” refers to everyone before he or she is brought to faith.  In other words, believing that Jesus is your Savior is not a natural thought.  We would not come to that conclusion on our own.  Something, or more accurately, someone has to tell us that and convince us that it is true.

Jesus pointed his disciples to that message as it is explained in the Bible.  He said, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.“  Jesus then looked at his disciples, the men he had taught and trained, and gave them their final assignment– “You are witnesses of these things.“  A witness is expected to tell what he knows to be true.  Jesus promised the disciples that he would help them do that.  He added, “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.“

The disciples did what Jesus told them to do.  After God fulfilled his promise to them and sent them his Holy Spirit on Pentecost, they went out into the world and boldly preached the message that they had been given.  Doubting Thomas and Denying Peter and the rest of the “Run For your Life” disciples now became the band of courageous witnesses whom Jesus gathered on the hill outside of Jerusalem to send out with his word and sacraments to enlarge his kingdom in all the world.

Today, dear Christian friends, God is reminding us that this is also our assignment.  “You are witnesses of these things,” he says to us today, and we are.  Through his word we have seen the Old Testament prophecies of God‘s plan to save the world.  Through the Gospels we are told of Jesus‘s life and death to carry out that plan.  And by the power of the Holy Spirit the message of “foolishness“ has now become a sure and certain belief in our hearts that shapes who we are and guides us through every day of our lives.
“You are witnesses,” Jesus says to us today.  So what are we doing to witness what we know?  We pray for God‘s guidance and blessings on our work.  We study his word to better equip ourselves to serve him.  We treasure his sacraments and the blessings that they bring.  We support a church and school where we can gather around the Word and the Sacraments to strengthen and be strengthened.  We teach and apply the teachings of the Bible in our homes and use them as the standard for our own lives.  And we tell people by our words and actions the amazing gospel message of salvation through faith in Jesus.

You can see how important that assignment is by looking at the things that are happening in our world, in our communities, and even in our own families and homes.  The Devil is putting up a strong fight against the Lord and his armies.  And he is winning many of the battles as souls perish daily without saving faith.  When we see people as either God‘s children or Satan‘s children, we see how important the assignment is that God has given to us.  And at the same time we rejoice in the promise that Jesus gave us to bless our efforts to carry out that assignment.

II. Trust the Promise You Have Been Given

Luke wrote, “When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them.  While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.“  The report that we are given by Luke is very brief, and may be overlooked because of its brevity.  But it shouldn‘t.  It is the highlight of the Ascension Day celebration.  As Jesus left them–which is too often the focus–he blessed them.  The risen, victorious, almighty Savior gave his power and authority to the men he had assigned to do his work.

The disciples understood the significance of that moment.  Luke says, “Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.  And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.“  The disciples were not left wondering what happened to Jesus.  They did not go back to Jerusalem to try to figure out what to do next.  They saw their glorified Lord ascending to his seat of power and glory, and they believed that he was the true and powerful of God that many denied he was.

No longer did the disciples hide behind locked doors.  No longer did they worry about when he would set up his earthly kingdom for them to rule over.  “…they stayed continually at the temple, praising God,“ Luke tells us.  There were no doubts in their mind any longer about Jesus or his work.  There were no questions left unanswered about who he was or what he had come to do.  It all made sense now, and the disciples were anxious to go out and tell everyone what they now firmly believed. Our risen Savior is still governing his kingdom on earth from his kingdom in heaven.  He still equips his people through his Word and Sacraments to do his work here on earth.  And we see the blessings of our Lord on the work that we do as children are brought into his kingdom by baptism, as adults seek to find answers to life’s questions by turning to God‘s Word, as families build on the promises of God‘s Word, and as people gather together around the Word and Sacraments to make their public confessions of faith.  We praise and honor the Lord as we worship him because we believe that he is in heaven watching over us, protecting us, and guiding us to the eternal homes he has prepared for us.

The efforts that we make to keep the Lord in the center of our lives will be rewarded because of his promise “Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.“ (Lk. 11:28) The ascended Lord stands ready to bless us when we use his Word in our lives and when we rightly use his sacraments.  He promises to give and strengthen faith through these two important tools.  We see the change that his blessing had on the disciples–no longer confused and afraid, but now bold and excited.  The same blessings await us as we take our final assignment from the Lord–Use his Word and Sacraments to build and strengthen his kingdom and Trust the Promises he has made to you as you serve him faithfully.  Amen.

AThe peace of God….

–Rev. Roger Rockhoff