Palos Lutheran Church Colin Rieke

Jesus ascended into heaven. That does not mean the gospel has ceased to  march victorious around the world! Jesus promised to send another  advocate to represent God to the world: the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is  the constant companion of believers in these Last Days. This raises an  important question. If God now reveals himself by his Spirit, where is  the Holy Spirit found? God has not left the answer to that question in  doubt. When Jesus promised to send the Spirit, he indicated that his  work would be connected to words, specifically God's Word. As a result,  we need never wonder where we can find the Spirit. He marches victorious  through the Word.

When the Church gathers, it regularly remembers Christ's ascension. The  words "He ascended into heaven" are found in all three ecumenical creeds  which we use to confess our faith. In addition, the Church sets aside a  day each year on which this event takes center stage. This is for good  reason. Jesus' ascension marked the fact that his work was complete.  Never again will a sacrifice for sin need to be made. However, Jesus'  ascension also marks that his work is just beginning. Through the Church  Jesus now proclaims forgiveness throughout the world. The Church  consists of people like us who are often weak and timid witnesses for  Christ. So Jesus promised to send us his Spirit to give us power from  heaven, that we might take the gospel to the ends of the earth.

Conventional wisdom says that joy is a direct result of circumstance.  Our disposition is nothing more than a product of the events,  conditions, and relationships of which our life consists. Therefore, it  would seem that for our disposition to change, our circumstances need to  change. But Jesus offers us a joy that is superior. It is not a product  of circumstance; it's a product of Easter. Easter proves that God can  take what normally causes people to weep and turn it into what causes  people to rejoice. Sin, death, and shame went into Jesus' tomb.  Forgiveness, life, and glory came out. Our risen Savior gives us a joy  that remains constant in the highest of life's highs and the lowest of  life's lows. It is a joy that can never be taken from us

The disciples argued among themselves about who was "greatest" (Luke 22:24).  We are not immune from such hubris. Sinful man is entirely  self-focused. We often try and prove our goodness by comparing ourselves  to others. You see this sense of superiority in the way we prioritize  life, typically putting our wants ahead of others. Easter ends this  focus on self. Right now, we know we have value, not because of the  greatness of our actions, but because of the great things Christ did to  save. We also know a resurrection to glory is in our future. Easter  helps us avoid the trap of self-glorification and opens our eyes to a  more excellent way: selfless love. Christ did not glorify himself, but  selflessly did everything for the benefit of others. This week, he  promises to be our inexhaustible power supply that we might also put selfless love into practice.

The world is full of talkers. There are plenty of people who say they  care about you. But we are aware of what many of those people will do  when it comes time to put those words into action. Jesus tells you in  his Word that he cares for you dearly... that he would do anything for  you. How do you know you can trust him? Jesus followed up his words with  works. Jesus said he would suffer and die for you, so that you might  enter Paradise. He fulfilled that promise. Jesus words are followed by  works. He once illustrated that point in a striking metaphor, that of  the Good Shepherd. All shepherds use words, calling to the sheep hoping  they will follow. What sets the Good Shepherd apart is the fact that his  words are followed by his works, including his willingness to lay down  his life. Every word our Good Shepherd speaks to us is trustworthy!

The good news of the risen Christ is bigger than a single day. The Easter gospel will continue to march across  centuries and continents. However, there will always be forces that try to slow that march. Those forces could be  self-inflected fears and doubts. They could be various types of persecutions.  Whatever the case, the good news of Easter will not be restrained. For it is not some myth or fable, not a hoax or  conspiracy. The reality of Easter rests on the testimony of eyewitnesses. Therefore, the gospel cannot be boxed in  any more than Christ could be put back in a tomb. Many may try and restrain the good news of Christ. But the march of the Church's witness will never slow down.