There are several themes of our Lord's ascension, His return back to His throne & rule in heaven. One theme is that of triumph and victory. Psalm 47 commemorates this blessed day, and draws our attention to these ideals.
1 Clap your hands, all peoples!
Shout to God with loud songs of joy!
2 For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared,
a great King over all the earth.
3 He subdued peoples under us,
and nations under our feet.
4 He chose our heritage for us,
the pride of Jacob whom He loves.
5 God has gone up with a shout,
the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises!
Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
7 For God is the King of all the earth;
sing praises with a psalm!
8 God reigns over the nations;
God sits on His holy throne.
9 The princes of the peoples gather
as the people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to God;
A second theme of this day we should consider is completeness. Jesus became human in Mary's womb and perfectly lived His fully human life without sin, so He could accept ALL the punishment of sin. The perfect man, the spotless sacrifice taking our guilt and punishment in our place. Jesus' salvation work is now done, once for all people of all time. So this day, in His glorious return to heaven, reminds us of His perfect and complete forgiveness of our sins.
The third theme I'd like us to consider today comes in response to the disciples' certain feelings of being deserted and abandoned. God always has something better coming for us, and this is also true for His disciples on the first Ascension Day! Just like Jesus HAD to suffer and die to win their forgiveness, Jesus HAD to leave them so the Holy Spirit would be given to them. And so today begins 10 days of anticipation, looking forward to The Day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit is given to us in our baptisms, and remains with us each and every day of our lives, protecting our faith and encouraging us as we walk through this valley of the shadow of death.
Thanks be to God, who reigns over the nations, who completed His salvation work and returned to His heavenly throne, and who sent His Holy Spirit, to care for you and me!
Pastor Mark
Pilgrim Lutheran Church, LCMS Burton, Michigan
office: 810.744.1188 mobile: 248.881.7627
We are Pilgrims with a Purpose:
Sharing God’s Love & Mercy with Each Other & the World.
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Soli Deo Gloria
"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1
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