The Ascension is one of the great, overlooked festivals of the church year. Easter and Pentecost fall on Sundays and so are always observed. Christmas has such deep cultural and traditional roots that, even when falling in the middle of the week, it is still observed by most Christians. But Ascension, always falling on a Thursday in the middle of the week in spring, is usually missed. Sometimes we’ll move the observation of Ascension Day to the following Sunday, the Seventh Sunday of Easter, but this practice robs hearers of hearing Jesus’ “High Priestly Prayer” for His Church: “Holy Father… I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the evil one… As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world…” (John 17:11b, 15, 18). This prayer of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane is poignant when reviewed after His ascension into heaven.

Therefore, let’s try something new.  Well… maybe not something “new” but something that I haven’t done for a long time as a pastor and maybe something that Mount Calvary hasn’t done in a long time as a congregation: Let’s celebrate Ascension Day!

“Why?” you may wonder. “Why should we celebrate the day that Jesus went up into heaven and left us here by ourselves? Why didn’t He stay with us… to lead us, to care for us, and to govern us? Why did He abandon us?” If these are the questions that you have about Christ’s Ascension, then you really must make some time on Thursday, May 9 at 7pm to come and celebrate Christ’s Ascension because, dear Christian, you have it all wrong.

When Jesus ascended into heaven, He did not leave us; He made it possible to lead, care, and govern His people even better. As we confess in the Creeds, Jesus is now seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. This is an “anthropomorphism,” that is, a figure of speech where Scripture speaks of God having eyes, ears, feet, hands, and so forth. In this case, most people are right-hand dominant. They do most of their work through their right hand. Therefore, the Scriptures use “the right hand of God” to communicate God’s unlimited power, or His omnipotence.         

When we say that Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father, we are professing our belief that Jesus is in control of all things. He is the Father’s “right hand man,” ruling and reigning in the same power and wisdom of the Father. By ascending into heaven and joining His humanity to the Godhead, Jesus is no longer limited by our humanity. He can be in all places at once. He can be there to lead you, while comforting your friend, and still governing the universe. Come hear more about the governing part on May 9.

He truly is the Son of God who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

In Christ,

Pastor Tom Vanderbilt