Dear Christian friends:

Last Thursday was Ascension Day a very important day for us Christians. On that day forty days after the first Easter Jesus blessed His disciples and then ascended into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.

In the Bible we are commanded, exhorted to be very happy about that. In Psalm 47:5-6,1, we read:

"God is gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises.
O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph."

That is why we sang Hymn TLH 212, "A Hymn of Glory Let Us Sing" at the beginning of the service with the many "Alleluias" in it. We want you to know that today is a very important day for us because Jesus has ascended into heaven. Often we fail to see this.

The words which Jesus said to His disciples before He went to heaven help us to understand why His ascension is so very important. So this morning I want to consider with you:


What were His last words: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:19) What is this Good News? That God forgives sins because of Jesus.

Today we see the new banner which should help us celebrate the seventy-fifth anniversary of Deaf Missions in the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod. We read the Bible verse quoted from 1 John 1:1, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life."

Who is "the Word of life?" Yes, Jesus. John means that he and the other disciples saw Jesus with their own eyes and touched Him with their hands." Jesus is the "Word of life." He by His suffering and death upon the cross won forgiveness of sins for us. Now God offers forgiveness to all in Jesus' name. Whoever believes in Jesus is saved and has eternal life. "He that believes and is baptized shall be saved," Jesus says here in our text. (Mark 16:16)

Paul says, "The Good News gives life, but the law kills." (condemns). (2 Corinthians 3:6) When we hear that God forgives our sins, we begin to truly live for God to praise Him and to do His will. Now here Jesus' last word and command to us is to "go everywhere and preach the good news to the whole world."

We know that here Jesus commands us, His church, to bring forgiveness of sins through teaching, preaching, baptism and the Lord's Supper to all nations. This of course means that Jesus commands us to support world wide missions.

Now you know, and I know that many of us are not eager to obey Jesus' command. Every year we fail to give for missions as we promise, but nobody worries about it. We only shrug our shoulders.

Why? I wonder why? Maybe we are careless about world wide missions because we have not yet really accepted God's forgiveness ourselves. If we have not yet really accepted God's forgiveness ourselves we will not be full of kindness and forgiveness to others. Either we will be self-righteous and proud and despise others; or we will be very ashamed and shy and afraid of God and other people, despairing.

Wives, do you forgive your husbands when they fail you or sin against you? Are you ready to forget it and be cheerful and happy anyway and be a good wife? Or do you get upset and angry and seek revenge by not preparing good meals and keeping your house neat? Do you often quarrel and hen-peck and find fault with your husband? If you do not preach, offer and give forgiveness to your husband at home, you also can't love and have eagerness for world wide missions.

The same for you husbands. If you do not be patient and kind and forgiving to your wife at home, you also will not be kind and eager to bring forgiveness of sins to people far away. World mission work begins at home in our hearts with God and with our family. Then it will be here in the Prince of Peace Church, too. Often here at church we do not have forgiveness of sins between one member and the other.

One member makes a mistake or happens to insult another member then that member gets angry and quits the Church Council or the Choir or the Ladies Guild. We often refuse to cooperate and work together as a team. Why? Because we do not preach the good news to one another. We too much teach the law. Until we learn to preach the good news at home and church, we can't become very eager to preach it to all nations.

But Jesus' ascending up into heaven should help to give us that power of God to love and forgive, to see other people as children of God whom God loves and for whom Jesus also died.

We read here that after Jesus said His last words He was taken up to heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. (verse 19)

This means that Jesus is crowned King and now rules over heaven and earth. His kingdom is not like earthly kingdoms and governments which rule by law and courts and police and soldiers force. Jesus' Kingdom is a kingdom where love and forgiveness rules the people. Jesus' power is the power to forgive sins. That is the greatest and most wonderful power in the world.

Kings and presidents do not have the power to forgive sins. They can only use the power of law, courts, etc. Rich men with all their money can't buy forgiveness of sins. They can only buy houses and boats and cars and factories. Beautiful women with all their beauty can't forgive sins themselves. Only God can forgive sins, and God gave this great power to Jesus when He let Him ascend into heaven and sit at His right hand. And this power Jesus has given to us, His Church. "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." (verse 16)

On Easter evening Jesus appeared to ten of His disciples and said unto them: "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." (John 20:21-23)

So what we need is for Jesus to breath upon us and give us His Holy Spirit then we will remember that His Kingdom is a Kingdom where love and forgiveness rules. Our hearts will be changed and we will be new persons with love, patience, kindness, eagerness and respect for others who are now in God's Kingdom: the members of our family at home; the members of our church here; and in all other Christian churches of the world.

We will also love and respect those who are not yet members of God's Kingdom of love. We will try to preach the good news to them because our Lord who sits God's right hand commands us.

Amen.