“So that they would be filled with my joy May 12, 2024
“So that they would be filled with my joy”
Acts 1:1-11 / Acts 1:15- 17, 21-26
Ephesians 1:11-23
Luke 24:44-53/ John 17:6-19
Good morning and welcome to the 7th Sunday of the Easter tide season. Today we are going to kick back, examine, and celebrate the joyful moment when Jesus , as we say in the Apostles Creed, “ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God the father almighty. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.” So yes, today is Ascension Sunday and if you find yourself wondering why this is such a big deal, then perhaps it’s best to keep in mind the impact this event brought to bear on the growth and continuation of the ministry of Christ.
I mean, here at long last was the Messiah, the long-awaited Messiah come To validate the prophecies that told of his coming. For three years or so he travelled the country preaching the good news . In addition to the 12 Men who had committed to discipleship, this Jesus of Nazareth picked up quite a following and support staff. His name and the stories of healing and compassion were known by every noble man and peasant alike. It was an exciting time . Jews, gentiles, slaves, Romans, and foreigners were all joyfully expressing repentance of their sins and professing a full and honest belief that salvation can be found in Jesus Christ. In modern day terminology, We might say that the gospel message of Christ was going viral
The problems began, of course, when the Messiah they had learned from the dusty old temple scrolls and the real deal who walked among them didn’t quite match up.
He hung out with the wrong people and created quite a scene in the courtyard which made for some hard feelings, especially amongst those who lost money in the deal. He was constantly at odds with the temple leadership and as far as the Roman oppressors were concerned, he was trouble.
I could go on, but you know all this already. My point is that when Jesus wasn’t busy confronting the authorities of the nation of Israel and making sure they clearly understood the meaning of the word hypocrite–when he wasn’t toppling the tables of the money changers, Jesus was constantly at work preaching the good news of salvation for the whole world.
“There’s no way,” you might say. “To bring salvation to the whole world, why that’s going to take centuries!” And you would be right. That is why the most important part of the ministry of Christ was the teaching and preparation of his disciples that they might take over after he was gone. From the first moment of their time together Jesus stressed over and over that his time here would be brief but it would be up to them to carry the message out into the world that it might grow and flourish.
You know, of all the varied accounts of the ascension of Christ, I’d have to say that Luke’s version At the very beginning of the book of Acts is my favorite. It answers the question that yes, this Jesus who was resurrected from the dead Is leaving the earth. It also answers the questions of “what’s next?” and how in God’s green earth are we gonna pull this off”
So let me read this portion from the first chapter just to refresh memories. Luke writes: “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.””
In other words, “Yes I am leaving to go back with my father. But don’t worry I am giving you the power and the tools that you might be my messengers into the world. So stop gawking with your mouths hanging open; I’m coming back the same way that you saw me go. But for now, it’s time to get busy.”
This is the impression I’ve always received when reading this scripture. Here are the beloved disciples begging for resolution. “Will Israel be restored to its rightful place in the Kingdom? When will we see the Kingdom of God in all its glory? This is what we want; this is what we’ve been waiting for.” And as Jesus is ascending into heaven, I can almost imagine A slight little eye roll and maybe the sound of a heavy sigh. To borrow the words of the Right Reverend John Fairless:
“Was there a thought crossing his mind, something along the lines of, “I can’t believe I’m leaving the whole shebang up to THESE guys?”
But, he did leave it to THOSE guys — the whole heavenly enterprise of the salvation of the world. And, somehow, they finally got it and got with it. And we are preparing to preach the message yet again all these generations later.”
So I’m thinking That if there is a theme for this Ascension Sunday It would have to be That we are THOSE GUYS And we need to own up to the fact That we play a part in “the whole heavenly enterprise of the salvation of the world.” I found it telling that all our scripture selections for today have a Sense of finality to them As if Jesus is telling that ‘this is what’s going to happen and this is what I want you to do and I’m going to help you to do it.’ From the 24th chapter of Luke, Jesus is explaining the scriptures to his disciples and then he said, “ This is what is written: the Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and a change of heart and life for the forgiveness of sins must be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 Look, I’m sending to you what my Father promised, but you are to stay in the city until you have been furnished with heavenly power.”
Likewise, in Paul’s beautiful prayer to the Church of Ephesus we read: “18 I pray that the eyes of your heart will have enough light to see what is the hope of God’s call, what is the richness of God’s glorious inheritance among believers, 19 and what is the overwhelming greatness of God’s power that is working among us believers.”
But it was the prayer of Jesus recorded in the gospel of John That grabbed a hold of me and wouldn’t let go. In this passage, Jesus is praying to God asking him to protect these people, these believers, that have been in his care. I even get the sense that he is sad to be leaving. One line touched me and that is when Jesus prayed the words: ““And now I am coming to you. I have told them things while I was with them so that they would be filled with my joy.” So that they would be filled with my joy.
About 3 bishops ago, Grant Hagiya at a symposium in Portland suggested to us all that when people ask about our faith, we should have an ‘elevator statement’ ready to go; something short but from the heart as if this conversation were taking place in an elevator. Well, I believe at long last that I have found my elevator speech. So if someone were to ask what it is that I get out of all this churchy stuff, I will tell them that I will continue to attend services of worship and I will continue studying the word of God and I will continue seeking fellowship of churchy people so that I might be filled with the joy, the unexplainable joy, of Jesus Christ. And here’s the thing, if I am filled with the joy of Christ, then the whole heavenly enterprise of the salvation of the world is going to be a piece of cake.
Amen and Shalom
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