"Thy Kingdom Come!" Acts 1:1-11

The Ascension of our Lord                                   13-May-2021
Sermon Text: Acts 1:1-11
Sermon Theme: “Thy Kingdom Come!” by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert

I.N.R.I. “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” St. Luke, Paul’s personal physician and a keen historian, records the apostles’ question to Jesus. For forty days Jesus had shown Himself alive to them with irrefutable medical evidence. He who was dead lived. The wounds of our redemption visible in His living flesh. They weren’t seeing a ghost. He had sacrificed His innocent life for sinners upon the Tree. He lived physically - really. His atonement through His flesh and blood is accepted by God the Father. Now Christ Jesus justifies sinners breathing out the Lord and Giver of Life - God the Holy Spirit - forgiving our sins in absolving words within His Church.
      For forty days Jesus had appeared in their midst, often while two or three of them gathered at table. He taught them the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.   He ate and drank with them. Perhaps He repeated to them His testimony before Pontius Pilate, “My Kingdom is not of this world.” Luke records that Jesus “opened their minds” their imaginations to comprehend all that was written concerning Him in the “Law of Moses, and the Prophets, and the Psalms.” In Jesus’ risen flesh and blood God’s promise to build David an everlasting House with his Son ruling over it as the prophet Nathan foretold is fulfilled. Jesus as True Man, Son of David, is crowned by God to rule over all things. David sang forth confessing that his Son and his Lord will have an everlasting kingdom far above all earthly realms. David sang in the 68th Psalm, “Thou hast ascended on high, Thou hast led captivity captive: Thou hast received gifts for men; yea for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them.”(Ps. 68:18). The sons of Korah echoed this prophetic truth singing of Jesus: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your Kingdom.”(Ps. 45:6)
      Pagan Pontius Pilate had understood that Jesus wasn’t establishing a Kingdom to overthrow worldly governments and order. He found no fault in Jesus’ claim as a King who came not to fight but to preach the Truth to those who would hear. Still the apostles didn’t get it. They wanted to know if finally Jesus was going to restore a physical earthly kingdom to Israel. “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken.” (Luke 24:25)
    “Lord, will you at this time restore the United States to Your Church?” “Make us a Christian nation again?” We are just as slow of heart and dense as the apostles were before Pentecost. We want a Kingdom and glory that we can see and a cross that remains hidden. Repent and tonight learn to pray, “Thy Kingdom Come!”
  “Our Father, Who art in Heaven... Thy Kingdom Come!” Jesus gives us the very words to pray with Him and through Him. “The kingdom of God certainly comes by itself without our prayer,” we learn to echo what Christ Jesus teaches through His apostles and prophets in His written Word. St. Luke records (vs. 1-3). In his historical researched record of Jesus’ conception, birth, life, teaching, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension - Luke had taught Theophilus of Jesus’ work on earth to redeem sinners. Now he records the historical record of King Jesus’ rule and ongoing work on earth through His Church.
  “The kingdom of God certainly comes by itself without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may come to us also.”   We don’t make God’s Kingdom come. It is a devilish deception that we can grow Christ’s Church by slick marketing campaigns. It is a worldly deception that we empower Christ’s Church by re-imaging it as a political action committee. (vs. 4-5) God’s Kingdom is the Triune God’s work and gift not ours. God the Father fulfills His Promise sending forth God the Holy Spirit - the Lord and Giver of Life - through the Word made flesh and blood - Jesus - the Eternally Only-Begotten Son of God.
    “ How does God's kingdom come? God's kingdom comes when our heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit,” (vs.7-8) Jesus ascends to the Father’s right hand as our Brother - flesh of our flesh. God has restored His Kingdom to all humanity - not only to physical Israel. We are not to calculate when Jesus is coming again in glory as Judge. The end of the world is according to the Father’s good and gracious will. We are to receive the Holy Spirit from King Jesus. God’s Kingdom doesn’t have slaves, only sons and daughters of the King. We must be born from above to see His Kingdom. As King Jesus taught Nicodemus, “Joh 3:5-6 "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. (6) That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. “
      “God's kingdom comes when our heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that by His grace we believe His holy Word.” (vs. 8) King Jesus is True Man enthroned in our flesh to stand before God the Father sending forth the Holy Spirit. How? Through the apostles’ witness - the Word of Christ. “Faith comes through hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ.”(Rom. 10:17) It is only God’s grace and power of the Holy Spirit that we believe the Holy Word made flesh - Jesus our Savior. What is “His Holy Word”? When a paralytic was brought to Jesus at the beginning of His public ministry - He breathed forth, “Mat 9:2 "Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you." Bearing our sins in His innocent flesh to the Tree of the Cross and pouring out His blood to atone for sinners, He rises to speak His Holy Word. “Peace be with you.” Peace in His living wounds for Hisi fearful disciples.Joh 20:21-23 So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." (22) And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. (23) If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." His Word of Absolution - spoken through men He call and sends proclaiming peace between Holy God and sinful man.
        “God's kingdom comes when our heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that by His grace we believe His holy Word and lead godly lives here in time…” (vs.9) For forty years God concealed Himself in a cloud as He led the children of Israel to the promised land. The Cloud of His Presence shaded them from the harsh sun by day. His Presence lit up the night scattering the fear of darkness. Now, as the apostles look Jesus is taken up into the cloud of God’s abiding presence. As a Man He is closer to God the Father than Adam had ever been. Ascension is Jesus’ coronation and enthronement according to His flesh. It frees us to live godly lives here in time. Made holy not by our works, but by trusting in Jesus’ Word. St. Paul teaches us of the comfort of ascension - “But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men” (Now this, “He ascended” - what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens that He might fill all things.) (Eph. 4:7-10).”   Our Lord Jesus Christ - the God/Man - has led our “captivity captive.” Sin, Satan, death, and hell ensnared and imprisoned us. We had no hope of escape. Christ Jesus defeated our captors in His death and by His resurrection proclaims our victory. Ascending He led our enemies bound and defeated before God’s judgment seat. Now King Jesus rules until He puts all things under His feet (1 Cor. 15:24) and delivers the Kingdom back to His Father. The last enemy to be destroyed will be death. Jesus will come visibly enthroned in glory and say, “Arise!” On that day death will forever die. Satan will be cast into the ever burning lake of fire. Hell will be forever closed, and sin will have its head chopped off - never to plague God’s children again.
        Trusting in our enthroned King Jesus sin no longer rules over us. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. When sin seeks to snare you with despair, doubt, rebellion, hate, lust, greed, lies, false accusations, or discontentment - you can say, ‘Sin, I will not do it - you are defeated chained by my Savior - you have no power over me, for Christ’s blood washes me free. I am forgiven! You no longer rule - Christ lives in me!” When sin ups his attack ensnaring your conscience accusing you and trying to tear you from Christ Jesus - say, “Sin, be gone for Christ’s blood cleanse me from you entirely. My Savior has come seeking to save sinners like me. God the Holy Spirit comforts me with Paul’s trustworthy confession, ‘Christ Jesus came to save sinners of whom I am chief.” To lead a godly life here in time is to walk by faith in Him who bled and died for me. Now Jesus as True Man and True God in one undivided Person fills all things. He is where He has promised to be - in His Church - as two or three gather around the Good News of His Cross won and empty tomb verified redemption. He is in the water joined to His Promise in my baptism. Daily and richly comforting me with His Holy Spirit. He is really present in bread and wine at His Table. He breathes forth the Comforter saying, “Take eat, this is My Body, it is the price I paid to free you from slavery to sin, death, and the power of the devil. Take drink, this is My Life - My Blood. I shed it for you! Taste and see My goodness. Through My blood the Holy Spirit forgives you all your sins. My living blood fills you with eternal life. You are safe and secure in Me and My holy wounds. You are Mine - I will save you!” Receiving all from King Jesus we are freed to live godly lives of serving our neighbor in love. Loved shaped by God’s Ten Commandments to die to self and rise to serve even the least.
      “God's kingdom comes when our heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that by His grace we believe His holy Word and lead godly lives here in time and there in eternity.” (vs.10-11). Two men in white apparel - angels call the apostles to cease scanning the clouds for Jesus. He will come again visibly and in glory - all eyes will see Him on the Last Day. Now He is with them always - hidden to the world - closer to them then during His three year public ministry. He humbled Himself to win for us salvation. Now He is exalted to apply His salvation to us sinners by His Spirit. He graciously knits us into His body. He is ever present in His Church by His Word and Spirit. Really present in Gospel preaching. Really present in His gifts - baptism, absolution, Lord’s Supper. Present as you converse and console one another with His Word. Present in the least of these His brothers and sisters. Present as we confess the Creeds: Rom 10:6-9 But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, "DO NOT SAY IN YOUR HEART, 'WHO WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN?' " (that is, to bring Christ down from above) (7) or, " 'WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS?' " (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). (8) But what does it say? "THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): (9) that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. His Kingdom of Grace has come - it is here! King Jesus rules! Thanks be to God. Amen.