Easter 7 – Ascensiontide

May my words and my thoughts be acceptable to you, O Lord, my refuge and my redeemer. (Psalm 19:14)

SEASON: Easter 7 – Ascensiontide
PROPER: A
PLACE: St. John’s Episcopal Church, Kingsville
DATE: May 12, 2002


TEXT: Ascension & High Priestly Pray of Jesus
John 17:1-11 – “I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word . . . . . . Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.”

Acts 1:1-14 – “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, , in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

ISSUE: This Sunday, like the last Sunday of Epiphany, is a transitional Sunday from Easter-Ascension into the season of Pentecost. We are given the Ascension Story in Acts, and the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus in John. Jesus’ work is accomplished. He has brought a clearer understanding of the likeness and presence of God to people who were and often felt ostracized from the presence of God. In the conclusion of his ministry, he offers a prayer for his followers that they will receive the Holy Spirit, and be empowered to carry on the ministry.
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This Sunday is another one of those transitional Sundays, like the last Sunday in the Epiphany, which you may recall dealt with Jesus’ transfiguration on the mountain top as the conclusion to his manifestation as the Son of God, and prepared the way for his temptation in the wilderness and his ministry that led toward the cross. On this last Sunday of the Easter Season, and referred to as well as Ascension Sunday, we leave behind the resurrection stories of Christ, and begin to look forward to Pentecost, the season commemorating the coming of empowering of Jesus’ disciple by the Holy Spirit.

In John’s Gospel, we have the concluding statements of Jesus’ farewell address to his disciples. According to John, the Farewell Address takes place around the table at the occasion of the Last Supper, before Jesus is taken for trial and crucifixion. The verses from the 17th Chapter of John are referred to as the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus. He is in communion with the Father. Aware that his crucifixion and death are imminent, Jesus offers himself back to God. His work is done. He has brought to many people the understanding of what God is like: “I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world.” God is likened the Good Shepherd, the Light of the world to enlighten the lost and lonely, the True Vine which gives new life and the hope of a new Israel or people of God, and the Bread of life he spiritual food. He is God’s enlightenment, love, spiritual nourishment for the people, rich and poor, and especially the peasants who were often considered indispensable and labeled as sinners. All that was considered to be fallen and lost among the people are restored to God through the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.

Jesus has given to his disciples and followers eternal life, which is access to the giver of all life, communion with God. Here is should be noted that eternal life does not mean duration of life, but quality of life. He gives them and opens up to them God’s love, forgiveness, a peace that comes from being in union with God, reconciled to God, friends of God. God is truly honored by his ministry, and God will honor him.

The second part of the farewell prayer is Jesus’ prayer for his disciples. He prays that they will be protected while remaining and living in the world. Indeed, they needed that protection. The early Christians did not enjoy the protection that was afforded to the Jewish Synagogues. The Romans knew well they could not get the Jews to pay homage to the Caesar. But Christians were something new, and was becoming another religion separating from Judaism. Not to pay homage to the Caesar was unpatriotic and could and did lead to persecution. Followers of Jesus were also being expelled from the synagogues, and were facing loss of family, friends and business contacts. Jesus therefore prays especially for their protection, and for their unity and oneness with one another, so that they could be safe, and carry on the work of Jesus in the world.

Jesus’ trial and crucifixion followed the offering of this High Priestly Prayer. His prayer is answered. He is honored and exonerated by God through his Resurrection. The world and Jewish Sadducees-Roman authorities had declared him guilty and sentenced him to death. But he is fully acquitted and resurrected by God to life, and given the honor that only God could give: “Truly this man is the Son of God.”

The story is concluded by the Gospel account of Luke, and his second book, The Book of the Acts of the Apostles. It is the final lifting up of Jesus Christ to the presence of God where we believe he reigns as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. According to the story, Jesus goes to the Mount of Olivet forty days after his resurrection, near Jerusalem and the disciples are gathered there with him, and named. Mary the mother of Jesus is there as well. The gorgeous central window here at St. John’s above the altar depicts the scene. What we do not see is the two angels, likely to have been Moses and Elijah, who were also present at Jesus’ transfiguration. They too had been, it was believed, ascended to the heavens to be with God. It is another way in which the great honoring of Jesus is expressed. He is lifted up with the greatest of the men of God.

The question for us is what does all this mean. Do not get caught up in whether or not Jesus actually prayed this High Priestly Prayer, or was the Ascension of Jesus an actual historical event. The importance of all this story is its meaning for the world today. The prayer, the suffering, the crucifixion, followed by resurrection and ascension do have a profound meaning for us. They reveal to us something of the very essence of our faith. Jesus came into the world to reveal the true God. He reveals an honorable God of love and forgiveness, a God that is approachable, as he is, and a God whose intention is to raise up all that is fallen and to restore human dignity.

Throughout the ministry of Jesus, the aim of his ministry is to raise up the fallen, and restore the lost. He lifts up the sick, the lepers, and restores them to health and hope. He touches them that no one else will touch. He raises the dead. He gives new enlightenment to the blind, new understanding of the forgiveness of God to the deaf, and new intelligent words of love to the dumb. The lame are given new vitality and freed from spiritual paralysis. The poor, the disenfranchised, the ostracized become his friends. The healing gives hope. The parables and sayings we have of Jesus give new and profound understanding of God’s remarkable grace, unearned love.

In addition to the healings, miracles, and teachings, you have the suffering as a result of the cross. Jesus’ life is offered even to death. “No greater love is there than a person lay down their life for their friends.” The crucifixion of Jesus is just such a sacrifice that reveals his love, and the resurrection reveals the power of God to honor and raise him up. Jesus is the new Adam. He is the new man who is obedient to the end, and he is raised up to sit a God’s right hand. If in Adam all died, now in Jesus Christ the new Adam, all are raised up, restored, given hope and love.

A new empowerment is about to be given. The disciples, the followers, the faithful will receive the Holy Spirit of God to carry on in the world the message, the love, the forgiveness, and the hope of God for the world. It is so important that we understand the meaning of the Gospel Story, because it immerses us into the living and uplifting spirit of God. All who are baptized into Christ join forces with him.

We all know what the world is like. The violence and lack of respect for human life is at one of its lowest points in history. Drug dealers think nothing of murdering young children. Violent loss of life in our own area is more than what goes on in Israel and Palestine, in spite of the press that they get. Racial hatred still prevails. What we may say is that there is still a loss of an understanding of the love of God in the world we live. Christianity is not without its enemies, both and home and abroad. Devoted Christians face persecution around the world. But the Gospel calls us not to be defeated, and receive the empowerment to carry on with Christ, in the spirit of Christ to live out the faith of caring, and raising up the oppressed and fallen. To teach, preach, and proclaim in our lives that God lives, that God is love, and to maintain the understanding of ourselves as the body of Christ in the world, lifting it up and helping to restore God’s creation.

Jesus lifted up all that was fallen. He himself was lifted up in honor by God. The next step is for us to receive the Spirit, to live into it, and carry on as the body of Christ in the world today daring to face the world with determined hope.