Ascension, 2016

Acts 1:1-11

Have you ever looked at the stars at night and found

yourself wondering where heaven is? Physicists tells us

that in this universe of revolving galaxies, nebulas,

quasars, antimatter, electrons, neutrinos and alpha

particles there's yet far more than meets the eye. I still

sometimes wonder what and where heaven might be. Is it

simply the space around me and everything that lies

beyond. Or is there something more? Where does the Lord

God Almighty enthroned above the heavens dwell? Where

did Jesus ascend to when his disciples watched him

disappear behind a cloud?

Up In Space

There's a story told about the first Russian cosmonaut to

successfully get into space during the 1960s. When he got

there and finished gazing at the wonder of the blue

planet, he radioed a message back to Earth. He

remarked, I've arrived and guess what? There's no God

up here!

Above the Clouds

Something similar happened to me when I was five years

old. It rocked my pre-school faith.

We were flying to Australia. My sister was approaching

her first birthday and it was time to show her off to the

Australian grandparents. I wasn't excited about that

something far more important was about to happen. I was

going to see heaven; all those singing angels and shining

harps and God sitting like a giant golden Santa Claus on

his emerald throne. As the plane levelled itself above the

puffy clouds my round little face peered out the window

with an expression of deep disappointment.

Where's God? I asked Mum. She was the nearest expert.

She paused for a moment before replying.

You can't see God...he's invisible.

An invisible God. I wished someone had mentioned that

earlier...I wouldn't have got my hopes up over nothing.

Did the Russian Cosmonaut have a wise old Orthodox

mother who told him the same thing when he got back to

earth?

No angel's, no gold mansions, no God with a beard. Not

even Jesus. Though I hadn't heard the story of the

ascension so to be honest I wasn't actually looking for

him. Though I would happily of settled for Jesus if he'd

been there.
What's it All About?

An invisible God. A disappearing Jesus. Is this all a

theological sleight of hand? A rabbit in the hat trick? A

religious illusion, all smoke and mirrors?

Or does it point to something true and beautiful and deep

about the world we live in? Even deeper than quasars and

black holes and e=mc2?

And why do we care about this story of Jesus' ascension

anyway? Why do we ask questions like, Where did he

go? How did it happen? Did really happen like that?

Well because we want to go there too. We want to go

where he is when our time here's up. Isn't that what this

story is all about?

Or maybe it's not...maybe it's about something else...even

larger and more life-giving. Maybe to start grasping the

meaning of Jesus' Ascension it's not to Russian

Cosmonauts, or five year old boys, or physicists or even

our mothers that we must to go.

Story Tellers not Rationalists

How would the early Christians have understood the

story told by the disciples of their last moments with

Jesus before he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out

of their sight? (Acts 1:9)

We need to keep in mind that they weren't cold-hard

rationalists wanting to dissect how thing happen. They

were a story telling people, more concerned with, what

does this story mean for us?

One story the first believers would have connected Jesus'

Ascension with was an earlier story of Elijah and Elisha.

So it's to Elijah and Elisha that we turn to unlock the

meaning of Jesus' ascension.

That story takes place about 800 years before Jesus'

ascension, told in the 2nd book of Kings.

Dark Days

These were the dark ages for the Hebrew people; a time of

failure, famine and unfaithful kings and queens. The

golden age of King David and Solomon was just a

memory. The Jewish kingdom had been ripped apart by

civil war - Judah in the South and Israel in the North.

The history of Israel and Judah's kings became a litany of

idolatry, violence and mayhem as the old dark god's

regained their power over the hearts and minds of the

people.

Elijah and Elisha

Into the middle of all this came Elijah the Tishbite, a

hairy prophet and his young but bald protg Elisha.

Elijah was most famous for his fiery competition with 450

priests of Baal on Mt Carmel A sort of My God's bigger

than your god death-match. Near the end of his career

he finds his apprentice.

One day Elijah and Elisha are walking along together.

Elisha hasn't actually done anything much at this stage

though he shown his commitment as Elijahs disciple by

chopping up the family's oxen, burning the plough and

consoling his parents with a farewell feast.

So they're walking along and Elijah says to Elisha, You

stay here, the Lord's told me to go to Bethel.

Elisha figures out something fishy is going on and says,

Not on your life, or God's life for that matter. I'm going

with you.

So they get to Bethel, where some of the local prophets

pull Elisha to one side and say, Do you realise that the

Lord's about take Elijah away from you?

Elisha responds, Yes of course I do. But just keep quiet

about it, ok!

Meanwhile Elijah tries to ditch Elisha again, You stay

here, the Lord's told me to go to Jericho.

Elisha says no way and continues following Elijah to

Jericho.

They arrive in Jericho and the same thing happens. The

local brothers come out with what they think is fresh

gossip and again Elisha tells them to keep quiet and not

let Elijah know that he knows what's going on.

Elijah makes one more attempt to slip away on Elisha,

but Elisha swears and declares he's going with him and

they finally arrive at the Jordan river. At this point Elijah

rolls up his coat, hits the water with it, it parts like the

Red Sea did for Moses and they both walk over without

getting their sandals wet.

Elijah asks Elisha if he has any last requests before they

part. What does Elisha do? He does what any first born

son would ask of a father, for a double portion of the

inheritance. In this case he asks for a double portion of

whatever it is that enables Elijah to call down fire from

heaven. Elijah replies, That's a tough one...how about

this. If you see me getting taken away from you that's all

good, otherwise at least you'll get a free coat.

They carry on walking, when suddenly the heavens open

and flaming chariot with fiery horses swings low and

Elisha sees old Elijah carried off to heaven in a

whirlwind. Elisha picks up Elijah's coat, rolls it back up,

hits the Jordan river with it, and for second time in one

day crosses without wetting his feet.

The Point of the Story?

The point of all this for Elisha? It had nothing to do with

him going to heaven one day too. He didn't walk away

singing, Swing low, sweet chariot. The point of seeing

Elijah getting carried away was that Elisha, bald young

Elisha, was going to continue the mission that Elijah had

started, empowered by the same spirit.

The Acts of the Apostles, the sequel to Lukes Gospel,

shows us that the Ascension of Jesus was no magic trick,

no theological sleight of hand. It is here that Jesus, like

Elijah, passes on his mantle to his disciples. He

withdraws into heaven so that they will be clothed with

the power of heaven.

In Johns Gospel, Jesus assured his disciples, I tell you

the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do

not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go,

I will send him to you. (John 16:7)

In Lukes Gospel Jesus said to those he led out to

Bethany, see, I am sending upon you what my Father

promised; so stay here in the city until you have been

clothed with power from on high. (Luke 24:49)

John Chrysostom, one of the Fathers of the early church,

began his sermon series on the Book of Acts with these

words, The predictions which in the Gospels Christ

utters, here we may see these actually come to pass; and

note in the very facts the bright evidence of Truth which

shines in them, and the mighty change which is taking

place in the disciples now that the Spirit has come upon

them.

The bright evidence of Truth which shines in them, and

the mighty change which is taking place...

Conclusion

Brimming with Resurrection life Jesus promises his

followers, both then and today, that they will receive the

same Spirit that filled him at his Jordan baptism. They

will be to the world what Jesus was to Israel. They will

brim with life. They will live with hearts and minds

inspired by the Spirit of God. They will, but they must

first wait, and worship, and pray. We also must rediscover

the art of waiting, and worshiping, and praying, and

living with anticipation for the activity and power of the

Holy Spirit.

For there's a wondrous promise at large in our world.

Hidden amidst every cloud. Heaven shimmers right here

in front of our noses. Filled with atoms, electrons,

neutrinos, quarks, light waves, alpha particles...and the

presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, Risen and Ascended.

Grant, we pray, almighty God,

that as we believe your only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus

Christ to have ascended into the heavens,

so we in heart and mind may also ascend

and with him continually dwell;

who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

Amen.

Blessing.

May you each know the presence of Christ, ascended in

all places.

May you patiently await the life-giving power and

guidance of God's Spirit.

And may Christ's promise break forth in our lives here at

the ends of the earth.