“The Ascension of Our Lord”
Original sermon given May 29, 2022, written and delivered by Pastor Jeff Leininger at First Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church
Watch the sermon live here
“The Ascension of Our Lord” (Psalm 47)
Psalm 47
1 Clap your hands, all peoples!
Shout to God with loud songs of joy!
2 For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared,
a great king over all the earth.
3 He subdued peoples under us,
and nations under our feet.
4 He chose our heritage for us,
the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah
5 God has gone up with a shout,
the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises!
Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
7 For God is the King of all the earth;
sing praises with a psalm!
8 God reigns over the nations;
God sits on his holy throne.
9 The princes of the peoples gather
as the people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to God;
he is highly exalted!
In the name of the Living God and his Ascended Lord. Amen.
God has gone up with a shout,
the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises!
Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
7 For God is the King of all the earth;
sing praises with a psalm!
8 God reigns over the nations;
God sits on his holy throne.
Imagine that you are the down-trodden nation of Israel, but who has just been given one of the most remarkable victories in all of history. And you want to celebrate! Hundreds of people gather around the Ark of the Covenant, shouting, blowing ram’s horns (our versions of the trumpet), singing praises, and processing up into the temple. Soldiers, priests, princes, peoples, musicians all join in the grand, wonderfully noisy procession for one clear purpose: to recognize God alone as King not just of Israel, but of all the nations.
This, we believe, is the context for Psalm 47, which we sang this morning. It is one of several Psalms of “Ascent” in the Bible, that is, Psalms which recognize and reenact the enthronement of Yahweh as King of Kings and Lord of Lord over all peoples and tribes and nations. These Psalms were used in religious processions as the people ascended with the Ark of the Covenant up mount Zion to the Holy of Holies of the temple: Yahweh enthroned as King.
Now the original composition for the writing of Psalm 47 we think may have been during the reign of Jehosaphat. [Yes, of Jumpin Jehosphat fame]. As it’s recorded in 2 Chronicles 20, God has just given his people victory in battle, but it’s one of the most remarkable battles recorded in the Bible, because it was completely passive for them. God’s instructions were simple: “do not take control of anything; just trust me. Don’t be afraid. The Battle is not yours, it is God’s. The LORD will be with you.” What happens, then is that He caused the invading enemy armies to fall into the confusion of battle and ambush and destroy one another. The people of Israel were simply asked to behold the victory of God for them; and rejoice in it; to see it; and to sing-it.
The post-victory celebration that ensues is amazing: Let me read just a bit from 2 Chronicles which tells us what happened next:
“27 Then all the people of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat at their head, returned to Jerusalem with joy, for the Lord had enabled them to rejoice over their enemies. 28 They came to Jerusalem, with harps and lyres and trumpets, to the house of the Lord. 29 The fear of God came on all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel.”
They sang Psalm 47 as they ascended up the temple mount with the tabernacle celebrating God as their victorious King: “God has gone up with a shout! Sing Praises to him, sing praises!”
And, that’s also what we do on Ascension Day. Our Lord, Christ, won for us an amazing victory. He defeated, without our help (!) all the powers of darkness and death and the devil. Not with military might or power but with his own precious blood, and his perfect, self-less sacrifice of love. He rose three days later from the tomb, to make us right before the father and to give to us the assurance of eternal life with him. Now nothing can separate us from him and his love: no sin we have every committed; no moment of stress or anxiety; no time of trial or hardship; not even the hour of our death. Nothing can separate us from his love because the victory he one for us was all his work. Every bit of it. Our response is simply to behold the victory of God for us; and rejoice in it. See it; and sing it.
That’s what we do on Ascension. More than simply the “hey, where’d Jesus go” festival, the Ascension is a celebration and recognition that the Lord Jesus is indeed enthroned as King of Kings and Lord of Lords and ruler of all nations. In Luke’s account of Christ’s ascension, you’ll note that when the Lord parted from them and was carried up into heaven, they worshipped and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. They saw the victory in the resurrected Christ; and sang of it as he was taken up.
So if you’re looking for a day to “let go and let God” as the bumper-sticker goes, today is a good day. A great day. The King is in control: of your past, your present, and your future. He has defeated the greatest enemies of sin, death and the devil. He sits enthroned as King of all creation. He has intervened in a mighty way into the life of his people. He has given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Clap your hands! Shout to God all you peoples! Sing praises, sing praises sing praises! God has ascended with shouts of Joy!
Come soon Lord Jesus. Amen.