THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012 | EASTER
THE ASCENSION OF OUR LORD
YEARS ABC
First
Reading Acts 1:1–11
Psalm Psalm 47
Epistle Ephesians 1:15–23
Gospel Luke 24:44–53
FIRST READING
Acts 1:1–11
1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with2 the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
Out of this World
Grace, Mercy and Peace be unto you from God our Father and Savior Jesus Christ, His Son our Lord. AMEN
Our Text for this Ascension evening is the taken from the Account of the Acts of the Apostles.
We place a lot of importance on where we are when the big important thing happens in our lives. We ask the questions, “Where were you when… when pearl harbor was attacked… when the planes hit the towers… when…?” And we visit the important historical sights, to see where things like the constitution being signed happened, where Martin Luther posted the 95 thesis, where the world changing events occurred. The sight the smells of a particular place can evoke memories of days gone by. It helps us to tie our memories into the present reality. We become a part of the history that took place there. That why moving can be so hard, because we are losing some of our ties to the memories of the past. One of the most thought provoking places are the resting places of our loved ones. The Burial plot is a somber reminder that our loved one is gone, that all that remains of him or her, is a small stone and our memories. Many people find it important to remember historical figures by visiting their graves; to see the final resting place of those who changed the world. And yet, as Christians, we do not have a tomb to go to for the founder of our faith. We do not have a place on this earth to go to see the body of Jesus, for he is not dead, but is living, and is out of this world. For Christ did not come to just die in the world, but to live and reign in heaven at the right hand of the father. We are reminded that this place is temporary, that earth is temporary. He reigns so that we may have an everlasting hope in him.
People have always attempted to “get closer to God.” This desire stems from the idea that if we are closer to God, God will hear us and listen to us. The Israelites were constantly being reprimanded by the Prophets of the Lord, for building the High Places as an attempt to be nearer unto the pagan Gods. They wanted to be “closer to God” yet even though they were in the highest of places they were spiritually farther away from God than they could ever imagine possible. Physically they were right there in the very presence of God, for this is what the Lord says: ‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth my footstool. (Isaiah 66:1-2)” “‘Am I only a God nearby,’ declares the Lord, ‘and not a God far away? Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him’ declares the Lord. ‘Do not I fill heaven and earth?’ declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 23:23–24). It is impossible to be physically nearer or farther away from God, because is all present, he is everywhere. To attempt to get closer to God is to limit what God is capable of. For he is not limited by the realm of this physical world, as he created the heavens and the earth, and rules over them accordingly.
We remember today, 40 days after the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ his ascension up into heaven. Christ the incarnate Lord did come down to this earth, to be housed in a body of flesh and blood, one that would succumb to death, death on the Cross. For a time he was limited to one small point, one small location. His disciples were in fact in the very presence of God, they learned from him, and he gave them a mission to go out and make disciples of all nations witness the word that he spoke, and baptize in the name of the Father son and holy spirit. But Christ did not stay with them physically, Christ who was born of this world, died in this world, and rose again over all the world, has no final resting place. We cannot go and seek the place where he lays to because he is not just merely human, but God in the fullest. Christ has risen, he has risen indeed, is a great and wonderful saying, that conveys the true hope and joy of Easter. Our Hopes and joys rest in the knowledge that the man who knew no sin took our sin and died our death and rose again. But that is not the end of the story. No it continues, Christ who was and is both God and Man ascended into heaven to sitteth and the right hand of the Father to judge both the living and the dead.
That Christ sits in heaven does not mean that we do not come into the presence of God. Because there is not a tomb to visit, or a grave to honor, Christians sometimes make the mistake in believing that there is not a place for us to be close to God. But we still desire a personal closeness. While we can never leave his presence we do come into his presence when we gather as brothers and sisters in Christ. We share in the his body and blood, when we are washed in baptism, when we hear the word through his spirit which he sent to his people. We are witnesses of these things, the promises and actions of our Lord Jesus who lives and reigns with the father and the holy spirit forever and ever. AMEN.
Grace, Mercy and Peace be unto you from God our Father and Savior Jesus Christ, His Son our Lord. AMEN
Our Text for this Ascension evening is the taken from the Account of the Acts of the Apostles.
We place a lot of importance on where we are when the big important thing happens in our lives. We ask the questions, “Where were you when… when pearl harbor was attacked… when the planes hit the towers… when…?” And we visit the important historical sights, to see where things like the constitution being signed happened, where Martin Luther posted the 95 thesis, where the world changing events occurred. The sight the smells of a particular place can evoke memories of days gone by. It helps us to tie our memories into the present reality. We become a part of the history that took place there. That why moving can be so hard, because we are losing some of our ties to the memories of the past. One of the most thought provoking places are the resting places of our loved ones. The Burial plot is a somber reminder that our loved one is gone, that all that remains of him or her, is a small stone and our memories. Many people find it important to remember historical figures by visiting their graves; to see the final resting place of those who changed the world. And yet, as Christians, we do not have a tomb to go to for the founder of our faith. We do not have a place on this earth to go to see the body of Jesus, for he is not dead, but is living, and is out of this world. For Christ did not come to just die in the world, but to live and reign in heaven at the right hand of the father. We are reminded that this place is temporary, that earth is temporary. He reigns so that we may have an everlasting hope in him.
People have always attempted to “get closer to God.” This desire stems from the idea that if we are closer to God, God will hear us and listen to us. The Israelites were constantly being reprimanded by the Prophets of the Lord, for building the High Places as an attempt to be nearer unto the pagan Gods. They wanted to be “closer to God” yet even though they were in the highest of places they were spiritually farther away from God than they could ever imagine possible. Physically they were right there in the very presence of God, for this is what the Lord says: ‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth my footstool. (Isaiah 66:1-2)” “‘Am I only a God nearby,’ declares the Lord, ‘and not a God far away? Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him’ declares the Lord. ‘Do not I fill heaven and earth?’ declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 23:23–24). It is impossible to be physically nearer or farther away from God, because is all present, he is everywhere. To attempt to get closer to God is to limit what God is capable of. For he is not limited by the realm of this physical world, as he created the heavens and the earth, and rules over them accordingly.
We remember today, 40 days after the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ his ascension up into heaven. Christ the incarnate Lord did come down to this earth, to be housed in a body of flesh and blood, one that would succumb to death, death on the Cross. For a time he was limited to one small point, one small location. His disciples were in fact in the very presence of God, they learned from him, and he gave them a mission to go out and make disciples of all nations witness the word that he spoke, and baptize in the name of the Father son and holy spirit. But Christ did not stay with them physically, Christ who was born of this world, died in this world, and rose again over all the world, has no final resting place. We cannot go and seek the place where he lays to because he is not just merely human, but God in the fullest. Christ has risen, he has risen indeed, is a great and wonderful saying, that conveys the true hope and joy of Easter. Our Hopes and joys rest in the knowledge that the man who knew no sin took our sin and died our death and rose again. But that is not the end of the story. No it continues, Christ who was and is both God and Man ascended into heaven to sitteth and the right hand of the Father to judge both the living and the dead.
That Christ sits in heaven does not mean that we do not come into the presence of God. Because there is not a tomb to visit, or a grave to honor, Christians sometimes make the mistake in believing that there is not a place for us to be close to God. But we still desire a personal closeness. While we can never leave his presence we do come into his presence when we gather as brothers and sisters in Christ. We share in the his body and blood, when we are washed in baptism, when we hear the word through his spirit which he sent to his people. We are witnesses of these things, the promises and actions of our Lord Jesus who lives and reigns with the father and the holy spirit forever and ever. AMEN.
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