Sermon for June 1, 2025: Ascending based upon Act 1:1-11

Acts 1:1-11 Jesus Taken Up Into Heaven​
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In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

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     This is one of those great little readings that remind us that the Gospel of Luke and Acts are a product of inspired human creation. That is easier to remember in the letters that Paul wrote to churches. We call them Epistles (which means letters). Paul wrote his letters to churches to address issues and ask for support in ministry. There’s a purpose. Luke and its sequel Acts are written for a purpose, too. We know that because the opening part of both books says they do! In Luke, it says, “Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, I too decided, after investigating everything carefully from the very first, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the truth concerning the things about which you have been instructed.”

     And, as we heard today from our reader, Acts is also written to Theophilus: “In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the Apostles who he had chosen.” Then, like any helpful storyteller, the author gives a summary of what happened in Luke. It’s like when a tv show begins with a little recap of the episode before. Sometimes, if the story is long enough or happened a while ago, it’s good to have a reminder of what happened.

     Remember, Acts is the second half of a series intended to help teach someone who wants to follow Jesus. Marion Soards, in notes on Luke, and Christopher Matthew, in notes on Acts, both point out that Theophilus may be an actual person who is a member of a church or a name that is just supposed to be a stand-in for anyone seeking to know more about God. You see, the name Theophilus means “beloved of God.” It could be a person’s name! Or, it could be that this message is written to you and me. The message- you don’t know when you’ll see Jesus again, but you will be empowered to testify to his work in this world- is certainly one useful to an ancient ancestor in the faith as well as anyone in the pews right now.

     Today is the last Sunday of the Easter season and a special Sunday where we commemorate the part of Jesus’ story called the Ascension. That story is told in Luke 24: 51 and summarized here at the beginning of Acts. The Summary says that after Jesus told them that he would empower them, “he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.” When I read that, I thought of Eeyore the donkey floating into the sky with a balloon on his tail or when the Care Bears drove through the sky in their cars made of clouds, though the author of Acts didn’t know anything about Eeyore or Care Bears. Instead, the scholar Gilberto Ruiz thinks the Ascension is probably supposed to remind us of stories from the older parts of the Bible where prophets would appoint someone to follow them in their work. In 2 Kings 2: 9-15, Elijah ascends into heaven, similarly, giving his mantle (a piece of clothing) to Elisha and also giving him his spirit. Another example is when Moses decides to appoint Joshua as the next prophet leader in Deuteronomy 34:9, Moses lays hands on Joshua and Joshua becomes “full of the spirit of wisdom."  Too bad Moses didn’t get to float in the sky like Jesus and Elijah did. The Care Bears make it look pretty fun.

     Cheryl Lindsay, in a commentary on the longer Ascension story in Luke, invites us to remember that transition is a vital part of following God. The transition from Jesus’ presence in bodily form to Jesus’ presence in Spirit opens up the opportunity for the next era of the kindom of God. She says, “Just as each era before their life eventually concluded as Moses (Law) gave way to the Psalmists’ composition (Wisdom) which led to the ministry of the Prophets, the Incarnation birthed the empowered ministry of the Church.” These transitions, releasing some from work and commissioning others to take it up, connect us to the ones who came before us and help us look forwards to the ones who will follow. Dr. Lindsay says that “The church testifies to the already-not yet reality of the reign of God on earth as it is in heaven.” The Spirit is moving right now. We are in the midst of the foundations for the reign of God. But, God’s hopes for the world are not fully realized yet. We are invited to be a part of that. That is why Jesus empowered his followers. To be a part of the not yet but will of God being done all around us.

     Two figures showed up after the Ascension, just as they had at the tomb when the women arrived to find that Jesus wasn’t there. Just as those two helped the women understand what his going on, these two help the disciples figure out what’s going on. “Galileans, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” In her commentary on this text, Mitzi Smith points out that the two figures in white seem to not want the disciples to just stand there and stare at the sky. They point the disciples back to earth, the world around them. This is where they will live out their faith. Dr. Smith says, “We are born here and given a vocation here on earth and that calling is not to be always gazing into heaven, indifferent to the injustices and needs of our neighbors, but to be busy sharing and being good news to humanity.” Jesus never asked us to sit around and wait for his return. He did ask us to continue his work of healing, compassion, and justice.

     You might have noticed one important difference from the Moses and Joshua and Elijah and Elisha stories and the Jesus and the disciples stories. Ruiz points out in his commentary, that the earlier prophets are empowering one person who will continue their work. Jesus empowers many. Ruiz offers an important question for us today: if we as a whole group of people are invited into servant leadership by Christ, how do we make sure that all parts of the Body of Christ are offered the opportunity and responsibility of leading right now? How to we train ourselves to pay attention for the ways that the Spirit is present in each other in ways that may look different from person to person and group to group? We don’t have one Joshua or one Elisha. We have all of us. May we look to the world all around us to see where this Spirit is calling us. May we recognize the Spirit working in each other. And, may we, beloveds of God, take seriously the empowerment we have been given. Now is not the time to stare into the sky waiting for something. It is time to walk forward into the “already-not yet” with the Spirit as our Guide.

Resources consulted while writing this sermon:
Marion Lloyd Soards’ notes on Luke in The New Oxford Annotated Bible: The New Revised Standard Version with Apocryphya, ed. Michael Coogan (New York: Oxford University Press, 2001)

Christopher R. Matthews’ notes on Acts in The New Oxford Annotated Bible: The New Revised Standard Version with Apocryphya, ed. Michael Coogan (New York: Oxford University Press, 2001)

Gilberto Ruiz: https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/ascension-of-our-lord/commentary-on-acts-11-11

Cheryl Lindsay: https://www.ucc.org/sermon-seeds/sermon-seeds-opened-minds/
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Mitzi Smith: https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/ascension-of-our-lord/commentary-on-acts-11-11-3