5/12 Sermon - Why did Jesus have to leave?

He gives joy - He gives gifts - He gives a mission

Acts 1:1-11

When I was young, I loved our family reunions. We drove up to our cabin in Northern Michigan. My cousins and aunts and uncles would drive from Wisconsin. A whole week of swimming, campfires, good food, and games. Suddenly, it was over. I was always sad. Why? Why did it have to end? Why did my cousins have to leave?

Have you ever felt something like that? The end of a family reunion? The last day of a vacation on the beach? Close friends going away? Leaving a good job?

The disciples felt that same exact way. Jesus taught them for three years! He was their friend. He had died. Then he rose to life! They had their friend and teacher back? But he had to leave again. Why did Jesus have to leave? Just think of all that could go wrong with the disciples: Who would teach them? Who would guide them? Who would comfort them? Why did Jesus have to leave?

Have you ever thought the same thing? Because that’s devastating news for us too, isn’t it? Why did Jesus have to leave? It sure would be nice to have Jesus around, to be able to see him, to talk to him, to ask him questions. But we can’t. Where is Jesus? We can’t see him. Where does that leave us? This leads us into a couple different sins.

1) We can be afraid and fearful. We worry about our health. Why can’t Jesus be here to heal me? We fret over what’s going to happen to our family. Why can’t Jesus just show himself and tell us what to do? We’re anxious over a budget that never seems enough. Why can’t Jesus just tell me it’ll be okay? We’re sad, as if there were no joy in the world. Why can’t Jesus just hug me? We think that because we can’t see Jesus, he must not exist.

2) Then we’re tempted to just start doing whatever we want. We can’t see Jesus. He can’t yell at us. He probably doesn’t even care! We get selfish in our relationships, we get a little lazy at our jobs, we stop loving and helping others because it’s such a ‘waste of time.’

3) Then we start saying whatever we want. We gossip, we tear down others, we use foul language, we maybe even speak contrary to what God’s word says! Who cares? Will Jesus really even hear me?

Why did Jesus have to leave? The Ascension of Jesus should have been sad, right?

Look at Luke 24. What are we told? 50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God. Jesus left, and he gave joy to his disciple! He ascended, and they praised God and rejoiced! Why?

Look at Acts 1. 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 his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. The book Luke talks about is the Gospel of Luke. He defines the Gospel as what Jesus began to do. The Gospels tell us the story of the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The kingdom of God. Our salvation! And that work was finished! Jesus came to this world, lived a perfect life in our place, shed his blood to cover our sin, died our death, and rose to life to give us eternal life. His work was done. Our salvation was accomplished. That part of Jesus mission was done.

This is what Ephesians 4 talks about. When he ascended on high, he took many captives, and gave gifts to his people. There’s a picture going on here: an enthronement. A victory parade. When a team wins a championship, when a king is crowned, there is a victory parade and then they sit down. That part of their work is done. Jesus’ work was done. We have forgiveness and eternal life.

Jesus’ ascension means that we have joy. His work of salvation is done. Our sins are washed away. He ascended because he had saved us.

And that’s not all Jesus’ ascension means. I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach. All that Jesus began to do! Jesus’ Ascension means that Jesus still works today, right now. What happens when a king is crowned, or someone throws a celebration party, or during Christmas? People give gifts. That’s exactly what Jesus does when he ascends, when he sits on his heavenly throne. He blesses us. He gives us gifts. Jesus gives us gifts in two big ways.

First: He gives us the gift of the church. Look at Ephesians. 11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. What a wonderful blessing the church is. I’m not talking about this building, but about these people. Pastors. Teachers. Leaders. Jesus wants us to grow in our faith, to have encouragement, and guidance. Jesus ascended and now blesses his followers with pastors, teachers, brothers and sisters. To equip us for works of service. To grow us in our faith. 

Let’s not take church for granted. Enjoy it! It’s a gift from Jesus. We can meet here, every Sunday, and hear God’s Word, have a pastor, bible study, meet with brothers and sisters in Christ. What a gift!

He gives us the gift of the Spirit. 4 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. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with[b] the Holy Spirit.” The apostles received the Spirit is a little different way than we do. They spoke in tongues. Not gibberish! Actual languages. They performed miracles. The Spirit doesn’t come to us today in that particular way. But we still have the Spirit. He empowers our hearts to trust in God. He gives us strength to make it through the challenges in life. He gives us wisdom to understand how Word. God promises that wherever his Word is preached, wherever Christians gather, the Spirit comes to bless them. You’re not alone. The Spirit lives in your heart.

Boy, we really need it. Look at what the disciple said. “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” They still misunderstood! They thought Jesus’ kingdom was a physical place, that he would set it up on this earth. They didn’t realize it was in their hearts. Jesus knew his Spirit would help them grow, learn.

We have short comings. We don’t understand what the Bible says all the time. We make excuses to not live for God, to not share our faith, to sin. But thankfully, Jesu sends his Spirit, to help us grow, learn, and live for God.

Finally, Jesus’ ascension means that he gives us a mission. And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. What it a witness? The definition is simple. Someone who sees and then tells others what they see. They don’t add to it! They don’t change it. They just tell. That’s our mission. We simply tell others about Jesus. Invite them to come and see. Jesus gives us an outline too: Judea, Samaria, to the ends of the earth. Jesus says, “Go and be my witnesses in the town where you live, where we gather as a church. Go be my witnesses here in America. Go be my witnesses in the whole world.

The ascension is one of the earliest and most important events to be celebrated by the church. For good reason! Jesus’ work of salvation was done, that means we can rejoice! So Jesus ascends to give us gifts and to send us on a mission.

“I am not leaving you as orphans. I am going to prepare a place for you. I will come back and take you to be with me.” Jesus’ ascension means that he will take us as well to heaven. “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Jesus left, but he’s not gone. He’s still with us, every day. Amen.