Jesus Ascended (Why That's A Good Thing) | A Sermon on Acts 1:6-11

Introduction
We’ve been looking at stories where the resurrected Christ appeared to His followers.  We have not studied them all of them; only some.  Here is a full listing is in your sermon notes.  

Post-Resurrection Appearances of Jesus
Mary Magdalene – John 20:11-18

The Other Women – Matthew 28:8-10
Peter – Luke 24:34
Two Disciples on the Road to Emmaus – Luke 24:13-35
The Disciples (Thomas Absent) – John 20:19-23
The Disciples Including Thomas – John 20:24-29
Seven Disciples at the Sea of Galilee – John 21:1-14
The Eleven in Galilee (Great Commission) – Matthew 28:16-20
More Than 500 Believers at Once – 1 Corinthians 15:6
The Apostles at the Ascension – Acts 1:6-11

We have one more story to look at today–the day the resurrected Jesus appeared to His disciples and then ascended to heaven.  And I want to consider why His ascension is a good thing.

Acts 1:6-11
⁶ So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?”

⁷ He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. ⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

⁹ After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. ¹⁰ As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. ¹¹ “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”

Parallel Emotions
It is fitting that this year Ascension Sunday coincides with Graduation Sunday, because there may be some ways the emotions of both events intersect.  Graduation is often a time of tearful emotions for many reasons.  Graduation is both an end and a beginning.  It is the end of many years of striving and learning; it is the culmination of much hard work, many successes, and possibly a few failures.  It is saying goodbye to one era of life, but also welcoming the beginning of a new adventure and new ways to learn, grow, and mature.  Graduation is the natural progression of a healthy child turning into a young adult and “putting away childish things” in order to walk bravely into the future clothed in wisdom, purpose, and responsibility. 

As a parent whose last child graduated just one year ago–making Kelly and I empty nesters–I am keenly aware of the bittersweet joy that comes for parents when a child graduates.

The Disciples may have had similar emotions as they watched Jesus ascend into Heaven.  Here was a man they followed faithfully for 3 years–dedicating their lives to Him and the Kingdom they hoped He would establish.  They saw Him brutally executed on a cross, buried in a tomb, and remarkably rise to life again on the third day.

All of this–especially the last part with the resurrected Jesus appearing many times over 40 days–was joyful and overwhelming.  And now, Jesus ascends to Heaven to sit on the right hand of the throne of God.  Just as graduation is the natural progression of a child growing into adulthood, Jesus' ascension to sit on the throne in Heaven is the natural progression of the Lord of all now that He has fulfilled His earthly purposes.

When you think of a graduating son or daughter, part of you (as a parent) wants them to stay a “child” forever.  But that would be as unnatural as an infant that never graduates from drinking milk to eating solid food.  And thus it is for Jesus Christ.  He is Lord of all the universe—King of kings and Lord of lords, the Son of the Living God.  It would be unnatural for Jesus to not be sitting on the throne up in the Kingdom of Heaven.

So as much as the Disciples may have wanted Jesus to remain with them on earth forever, perhaps their hearts also swelled with pride to see their Lord ascend into heaven to take His rightful place on the throne.

“Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?”
While Jesus was with them, the disciples kept asking, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?”  This wording reveals a subtle error in their thinking–one that often creeps into our own thoughts in this life.  The Disciples were Jews from Israel–a proud people who wanted independence for their nation.  They wanted Jesus to “free Israel and restore their Kingdom.”  

As for us, we may not be so concerned with the restoration of Israel, we have our own “kingdoms” we want restored.  For some it is the kingdom of our health.  For others, it is the kingdom of Family relationships and marriage, or maybe financial stability and security.  Or we may want peace of mind and emotional well-being, purpose, meaning, and hope for the future.  All of these are good things, and ultimately Christ may restore the blessings of each of these (but always in His perfect timing).  We do not know the day or the hour when our prayers for these blessings will be answered.

Jesus reminded His disciples (and us) not to get caught up in worrying about when our prayers will be answered.  He sends us His Holy Spirit to empower us to be witnesses who tell people about Jesus–in our own neighborhoods, in our community, and even to the ends of the earth.

Jesus Ascended to Heaven
After saying these things, Jesus ascended to heaven.  Picture that for a moment…

The disciples watched Jesus go up to heaven in a cloud.  They watch for a long time, until they could no longer see him.  Still the gazed up into heaven for a long time. 
Two angels had to rouse them from their staring.  They told them something that defines one of the core teachings of Christianity:  “Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!  

We recite our belief in this every Sunday in the Apostles’ Creed:  “I believe… He ascended into Heaven to sit at the right hand of God the Father, almighty and will come again to judge the living and the dead.”

So we believe Jesus will return.  He is coming!  And we should work to be ready, because we do not know when that will be.  So we should always be ready.

And It’s A Good Thing!
And I want you to know that Jesus’ ascension is a good thing.  Some may wish that Jesus was still on earth with us today like He was with the Disciples.
(To be sure, Jesus is with us and will never leave us—in a sense—but I mean, Jesus is not with us in the flesh no as He was with the Disciples back then. He is with us spiritually.)  Jesus said His ascension to heaven was a good thing.  In John 16:7, Jesus said, “...it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you.”  

This Advocate is the Holy Spirit. God sends the Holy Spirit to live inside every person who follows Jesus as Lord.  Jesus took on flesh to live as one of us.  Though He is Divine God, He squished His divinity into the limits of our human flesh.  He lived by the limiting laws of time and space that restrict all of us. For instance, Jesus could only be in one place at a time. 

But the Holy Spirit can be with all believers everywhere at once and is not limited by time and space. 
The Holy Spirit lives within us, giving constant personal guidance and conviction.
The Holy Spirit empowers every believer for ministry, not just those physically near Jesus.
The Holy Spirit helps us understand Scripture and discern God’s will.
The Holy Spirit gives strength to resist sin and grow in holiness.
The Holy Spirit comforts us in suffering and reminds us we belong to God.
The Holy Spirit unites believers across the world into one Body of Christ.
The Holy Spirit produces spiritual fruit like love, joy, peace, and patience in us.
The Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts to build up the Church and reach the world.

With the Holy Spirit, all the power of the God of the universe is at our disposal to do the will of God and complete Christ’s mission to restore His Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven.  But we must always remember is it His Kingdom, not ours.

So, Jesus ascended into Heaven to sit at the right Hand of God the Father, Almighty.  And that’s a good thing, because it means we can receive the Holy Spirit when we choose to follow Christ as Lord.  Next Sunday, we will celebrate Pentecost—the day God poured out the Holy Spirit on the Church.  I invite you to wear red next Sunday to help commemorate the event.

Closing
As we close, I invite you to image Jesus ascending up to take His throne in Heaven.  The disciples wondered when Jesus was going to retore their kingdom.  In your own heart, think of the “kingdoms” you want restored:  health, family, peace, finances, purpose…

Now I invite you to open your hands and surrender those kingdoms to Christ.  Don't worry about when or how Jesus will restore those kingdoms in your life.  Trust Jesus to do it His way in His time.  Meanwhile, take upon you the power Christ offers to be a witness for His Kingdom.

"Jesus, we release to You our worries about the things in our lives that are broken. We trust that You will retore these things in our life according to Your holy and perfect will and timing. We trust You. Help us to focus on Your Kingdom and receive he power of the Holy Spirit to be effective in Your mission. Amen."

The Ascension Story | A Sermon on Acts 1:6-11

Introduction
For six Sundays since Easter, we’ve been exploring powerful stories of the risen Jesus—appearing to His followers, proving He was alive, and changing lives forever.

We serve a risen Savior. Death could not defeat Him!  Today, we turn to the final moment Jesus appeared to His disciples before ascending into heaven.  It’s a pivotal scene—a farewell, a promise, and a mission—all in one.  Our Scripture comes from Acts 1:6–11.

Acts 1:6-11
⁶ So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?”

⁷ He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. ⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

⁹ After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. ¹⁰ As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. ¹¹ “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”

The Disciples Question
The question the disciples asked amounts to this: “Lord, when are You going to fix everything?”

It’s such a revealing question. After all they’d seen—Jesus’ teachings, His death, and His resurrection—the disciples were still holding onto their old expectations.  They were still hoping Jesus would throw off Roman rule and restore Israel’s independence.  In other words, “Is now the time You’re going to fix everything for us?”

We can relate to that, can’t we? We often want God to step in and take care of everything—
to fix our problems, change our circumstances, and do it now.

The disciples weren’t wrong to hope, but their vision was far too small.
They wanted national restoration. Jesus was about to launch a global mission.
They were focused on their country. Jesus was thinking of every tribe, tongue, and nation.
They wanted comfort and control. Jesus offered power and purpose.

How often do our prayers sound like their question?  “Lord, when will You finally fix this situation?”
“When will You restore my idea of how things should be?”

Jesus doesn’t rebuke our questions, but He gently lifts our eyes to something far greater than we can imagine.

Jesus’ Response
Jesus doesn’t answer the disciples the way they expect.  He doesn’t give them a timeline.  He doesn’t lay out a political plan. He tells them two key things:

First, “It’s not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set.” In other words—“You don’t need to know the schedule. That’s the Father’s business.”  How often do we want God to give us the when and how?  But Jesus shifts their focus from timing to trusting.

Second, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you…”  This is the true gift—not power to take control, but power to share the Good News.

And here comes the surprising part.  Jesus said:  
“You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  This is bigger than national renewal. It’s a worldwide revolution of grace and truth.

And let me ask you—have you ever thought about this?
If the disciples had clung to their small vision—if they had kept the Gospel only for Israel—you wouldn’t be sitting here today.  There would be no Pleasant Grove Methodist Church.  No Christian faith in America.  No Bible on your nightstand.  And more importantly—no forgiveness of your sins, no hope beyond the grave, no peace that passes understanding.  Every blessing you know in Christ is possible because those first followers let go of their narrow view and embraced God’s global mission.

In His response, Jesus is also saying:  “Don’t wait around for Me to do the work you’ve been called to do.  I’m sending you.  But I’m also equipping you—with Holy Spirit power—to fulfill your purpose.”

It’s not a small story about Israel anymore.  It’s God’s mission for the world.  And the Disciples—and everyone who calls Jesus Lord—is part of the mission. 
And that means you.

The Ascension
On the Christian calendar, today is known as Ascension Sunday—the day we remember that Jesus ascended back into heaven.  But that raises a question: Why did He leave? Why not just stay on earth?

First, because He belongs on Heaven’s throne.  After conquering sin and death, Jesus takes His rightful place as King—not just of Israel, but of all creation.

Second, Jesus left for our good. In John 16:7, Jesus said, “It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go, the Advocate [the Holy Spirit] will not come to you.”  You see, Jesus’ resurrected body is still a physical body.  Glorious and perfect, yes—but still bound by time and space like ours like all physical bodies.  That means Jesus, in bodily form, could only be in one place at one time.

But the Holy Spirit is not limited that way. The Spirit can be with me in the hospital room, with you in the middle of a stressful workday, with a mother protecting her children in Gaza, with a world leader making a critical decision, and with a high school student taking their final exams—all at the same time.

The Holy Spirit makes the presence of Jesus available everywhere, to everyone who trusts Him.
So yes—it was good that Jesus ascended to Heaven to sit on His throne so we could receive the Holy Spirit.

Finally, by ascending, Jesus passed the baton to us.  If He had stayed on earth, we might still be sitting around waiting for Him to do the work.  But instead, He gave that work to us.  We are now His hands and feet in the world.

The Promised Return
I wonder how long the disciples stood there, mouths open, eyes on the sky.  After seeing such an incredible thing, I probably would have stood there a long time.  I think that’s why two angels appeared—to snap the disciples out of their wonder.  They asked, “Why are you staring into heaven?”

In other words—don’t just stand there!  Jesus has gone, but now you’ve got a mission.  There’s work to be done, lives to be changed, Good News to share. Get going!

But the angels also offered reassurance:  “This same Jesus who saw going up to heaven will come back in the same way you saw Him go.”  So don’t lose heart.  Jesus reigns.  The Spirit empowers.  And one day, our King will return.  But until then—let’s get to work.

Holy Communion
But before we go out to serve, let us pause to remember and be empowered.  At the table of Holy Communion, we remember His sacrifice, we receive His grace, and we are nourished by His presence.  The Risen, Ascended Christ is still with us through the Holy Spirit. Come to the table, not because you have it all together, but because Jesus invites you—to be forgiven, to be filled, and to be sent.