Behold Your King: Not Absent, But Enthroned

Text: Acts 1:1-11

In the name of Jesus. Amen. 

It is important to know that Jesus' ascension is not about Jesus going away. That is often how we think of it, though. Jesus was born in Bethlehem. He suffered under Pontius Pilate. He was crucified, died, and was buried. On the third day, He rose again from the dead. Then, after appearing to His disciples for forty days, He is taken up into heaven: 

“Bye-bye, Jesus – we will see you later, I guess.”  

That is to say, we can easily think that the ascension is Jesus leaving the world and the church behind – we can view the Ascension like a newly retired person taking off to Arizona, 

“I’m done; I’m retired.  Off to the Arizona heat to drink an ice-T.”  

But dear friends, that is not what the Ascension is about.  The ascension is not Christ’s absence. It is Christ’s enthronement. 

Listen up, the Ascension is not about Jesus retiring from His work but about Jesus taking His seat of authority. It is not the Church being left behind as an orphan; it is the coronation of her King.

C. F. W. Walther once called the ascension “the coronation of our King of grace.” And that is exactly right. Jesus ascends as the Redeemer of sinners, the Head of the Church, the Lord of heaven and earth, and the conqueror of sin, death, and the devil.

Think of the Ascension this way: we should picture a king taking his throne. The battle has been fought. The enemy has been defeated. The gates of the city are opened wide. The trumpets sound. The people shout. The victorious king enters, not in weakness, not in uncertainty, not hoping that perhaps the kingdom will survive, but in triumph. The king then walks to the throne. He turns. He sits. And when the king sits, everyone knows what it means. The throne is not empty. The kingdom is not without a leader. The enemies have not won. Authority has been established. 

Dear friends, this is the ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. The crucified and risen Jesus goes to the right hand of the Father and sits down. And we must not pass too quickly over those words of Jesus sitting down.  You see, Jesus does not sit because He is tired. He does not sit because He has stopped caring for His Church. When He sits, He is not grabbing a beer and turning on the game while saying, 

“I’m exhausted; this Savior job is wearing me out.” 

No, He sits because His saving work has been completed. He sits because the sacrifice has been offered once for all. He sits because sin has been atoned, the Law has been fulfilled, death has been conquered, hell has been broken, and the devil has been judged.

Baptized Saints, consider this for a moment: the One who stood silent before Pilate now sits in judgment over Pilate. The One who was crowned with thorns now wears the crown of glory. The One who was lifted up on the cross is now lifted above the cosmos. The One who was mocked as King of the Jews is now revealed to be King of kings and Lord of lords. This is what we confess in the Creed when we say that He 

“Ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.”

Now, speaking of sitting at the right hand of God the Father, we should also note that the right hand of God is not a small chair somewhere far away in outer space. We must not imagine Jesus traveling beyond the clouds, past the moon, past the sun, past the stars, until He finally arrived at some distant heavenly location where He now remains far away from His church. No, the right hand of God is the place of divine power, majesty, glory, authority, and rule. To sit at the right hand of the Father is to reign with the Father. Listen up! To be at the right hand of the Father means that all things are placed under Christ’s feet. Angels and demons, kings and nations, life and death, heaven and earth, the Church and all her enemies, your body and soul, your past and future, your sins and sorrows, all of it is beneath Christ who sits at the right hand of the Father.

Also, get this: Psalm 110 says, 

“The Lord says to my Lord: Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” 

Did you hear that: a footstool? Don’t let that escape your attention either! A footstool is what becomes of Christ’s enemies. Sin raged against Christ. The Law accused Christ. Death swallowed Christ. The devil struck Christ. The grave held Christ. But only for a little while. On the third day Christ rose. Forty days later, Christ ascended. And now sin, death, devil, hell, and every accusation must bow beneath His pierced feet. They are but a mere footstool. 

Baptized Saints, we observe and celebrate the ascension not merely because it is a pious doctrine to admire from a distance.  Instead, it is a reality that grants us comfort.  

You see, in this life, your conscience will trouble you.  Your sins will still accuse you.  And death – it will still frighten you too.  Death enters hospital rooms. It stands beside the grave.  Death appears in weakness, old age, sickness, and sorrow.  It takes those we love.  It reminds us that we are dust and to dust we shall return.  But mark this right now – your sins are not seated at the right hand of the Father.  And death?  It is not seated at the right hand of the Father.  Jesus is.  And your Jesus – He is your advocate.  He is your king, with sin and death placed beneath His pierced feet. 

This is why the Ascension is so important for you and Christ’s Church – Jesus has not left His congregation behind.  He has not become an absentee King. He has not gone off to reign from a distance away from you. He is with His Church as God and man. He is with His Church as Savior, Lord, Shepherd, Head, and Master. He rules His church.  

Now, very briefly, when we say that He rules His church, we must understand that He rules you for your good. When He corrects you, He does so to save you. When He humbles you, He does so to lift you up. When He kills the old Adam in you, He does so that the new man may arise and live before God in righteousness and purity forever. And so, His authority is not against your salvation. His authority is your salvation, because the One who rules you is the One who died and rose.

So, Baptized Saints, lift up your hearts today: Christ has ascended. He has not abandoned you. He has not forgotten His Church. He has not left His throne empty. Your sins do not reign. Your fears do not reign. Your enemies do not reign. Your death does not reign. Jesus Christ reigns. He reigns above the cosmos. He reigns over angels and authorities. He reigns over history. He reigns over His Church. He reigns over your life. And He reigns for you.

Because He reigns, His Gospel still goes forth. Because He reigns, Baptism still saves. Because He reigns, sins are still forgiven. Because He reigns, His Supper still feeds His people. Because He reigns, the gates of hell shall not prevail against His Church. Because He reigns, no one can snatch you from His hand.

Behold your King: not dead, but living; not defeated, but victorious; not absent, but present; not powerless, but enthroned; not merely spirit, but true God and true man, the risen and ascended Lord Jesus Christ. He has ascended on high. He has taken His seat. He reigns at the right hand of the Father. And He reigns for you.

Amen.

This sermon is indebted to CFW Walther’s Sermon: The Ascension of Jesus Christ, a Sure Foundation of Our Faith