The Ascension of Our Lord, Jesus Christ
Ephesians 1:15–23
Life in Christ Lutheran Church, Grand Marais, MN
May 17, 2023
Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Ascension seems a bit strange to Christians.
The Ascension almost seems like an ending.
Christmas begins something.
Good Friday accomplishes something.
Easter triumphs over something.
But Ascension can sound like Jesus simply went away.
As though the disciples watched Him disappear into the clouds and now the Church is left alone to continue without Him.
That is how many Christians quietly think about Ascension.
Jesus was here once.
Jesus acted once.
Jesus spoke once.
But now He is gone.
But the Scriptures teach the opposite.
Ascension is not Jesus leaving His church.
It is about Christ taking His throne.
Jesus Christ, the crucified One, now reigns over His church.
Lots of people don’t look at this Ephesians text as an Ascension text.
But it is.
It is exactly what Paul is talking about.
He speaks about rulers, authorities, powers, and dominions.
And to be honest, in our day and age, all of that looks like a mess.
The world is a mess.
Wars rage across the world.
Governments promise peace and produce corruption.
False teaching creeps into the Church itself.
Christians are mocked.
Churches shrink.
Death continues its relentless work.
Cemeteries keep growing.
Hospitals remain full.
And every generation of Christians begins to wonder the same thing:
Is Christ really reigning?
There is nothing new here.
The world is always the world; societies are built on corruption and greed.
The church faces the temptation to doubt Jesus’ words.
Even the disciples stood staring into the sky after Jesus ascended.
Into this doubt, Paul says God:
“raised [Jesus] from the dead and seated Him at His right hand.”
He uses enthronement language.
Seated at the right hand of God.
The power of God is there at His right hand.
Christ isn’t floating somewhere in space.
He is seated at the power of God, at the authority of God, at God’s dominion, and His kingship.
And notice:
The One who reigns isn’t merely God.
The One reigning is Jesus Christ.
The man born of Mary.
The One with the nail marks in His hands and feet, and the spear scar.
The One who was crucified for sinners.
The crucified man rules the universe.
Not Caesar.
Not presidents.
Not billionaires.
Not armies.
Not the devil.
The One ruling creation is the One who allowed nails to be driven through His hands.
The One seated above every power is the One who carried a cross through the streets of Jerusalem.
And that changes everything.
Then Paul pushes it one step further.
It is, in fact, the very heart of this text.
“And He put all things under His feet and gave Him as head over all things to the church.”
Over all things, Paul says.
But he doesn’t end there.
Over all things to the church.
To the church.
In other words, everything Christ rules, He does for the benefit of His people, the Church.
The ἐκκλησίᾳ.
The Greek word means “called out.”
Those Jesus calls through Holy Baptism, through faith, are the beneficiaries of Jesus’ rule.
We benefit from all that we see Him doing.
Just look at this church building—I see Him working here.
But that’s obvious.
He rules even in things we don’t understand.
He rules in suffering.
He rules in hardship.
He rules even in death.
There is nothing that happens that escapes His authority.
Absolutely nothing.
That means your suffering is not random.
Your hardships are not meaningless.
Even death itself has been bent into service under Christ.
The devil intends destruction.
The world intends chaos.
Sin intends ruin.
But Christ reigns over all of it.
And if you think there are powers outside His control, Paul answers that too:
“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
— Romans 8:38–39
Notice how Paul piles up the universe itself:
death,
life,
angels,
rulers,
powers,
height,
depth,
all creation.
He is exhausting language itself trying to make one point:
Nothing can separate you from Christ.
In other words, the One governing history isn’t your enemy.
He rules over everything in love, for you.
He is your Savior.
And being that, everything that happens is used for your benefit.
When we think that the Ascension means Jesus is absent, the Scriptures teach exactly the opposite.
Christ now fills all things.
He is here every time we gather.
He is reigning over His church through speaking His Word, through His activity in Holy Baptism, through His real presence in the Holy Supper, and especially through the forgiveness proclaimed to you.
The ascended Lord Jesus Christ is here now.
He isn’t here because you can feel Him here.
He isn’t present here because we use our emotions to climb up to Him.
We don’t gather around memories of Jesus.
The church gathers around the living Christ who still speaks and gives Himself.
Christianity is not nostalgia.
The Church is not a museum preserving stories about a dead religious figure.
Christ is alive.
Christ reigns.
Christ speaks now.
Christ forgives now.
Christ feeds now.
Christ is present now.
Paul prays.
The text is a kind of prayer.
He wants us to understand how Jesus is reigning.
He gives us hope in our calling.
We are ἐκκλησίᾳ, called out, the Church.
The Church is the ἐκκλησία — the “called out ones.”
Called out of darkness.
Called out of unbelief.
Called out of death itself.
Christ reigns for those He has called to Himself.
He calls us out of the world to Himself.
He gives purpose and meaning.
We have an inheritance.
Not only a heavenly one, but a new earthly one.
And everything He does is for the Church.
Why does Paul spend ink on those things?
Because we lose sight of Jesus reigning.
Christians see the world the way it is.
And Satan is pushing you to believe that evil is winning.
That history is random and rudderless.
That Jesus is distant.
That He left the church and abandoned us.
But Ascension says otherwise.
Jesus reigns now.
He is the One reigning over all heaven and earth.
And He is the same One who died and rose for you.
Ascension is not the story of Christ abandoning His church.
It is a public declaration:
Sin is defeated.
Death is conquered.
Satan is crushed.
The sacrifice has been accepted.
And the crucified Christ now reigns forever.
The throne of heaven is occupied by your Savior.
And He reigns for you. Amen.
The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
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