The Forgotten Festival

by Timothy Teuscher

The forgotten festival of the church year, The Ascension of Our Lord, took place this year on May 21, 2020. I say “forgotten” because, in spite of the fact that Jesus’ ascension rates a line in all three of the ecumenical creeds, in recent decades many congregations have forgotten all about it. As a result, we miss out on the blessings and comfort we have by His ascension—blessings and comfort dearly needed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Have you ever noticed the tenses of the verbs in the Second Article of the Creed which speak of the main events in the life of “Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.”

“He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary.” And that necessary work—to become one of us in order to take our place under the curse of the Law—has already taken place. “He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.” This great work—to be the sacrifice for our sins—has also already happened. “He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven.” This important work—to overcome death and the devil—has, as well, already taken place.

“And He will come to judge the living and the dead.” Now, this, obviously, has not yet taken place. We are still waiting for that glorious day when Christ will return, as the two angels promised the disciples on the Mount of Olives: “This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). And as St. John thus reminds us: “When He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2). It is only then when everything will finally be “okay.”

Such is what our Lord has done in the past and what He will do in the future. But what about the present? What, if anything, is Jesus doing right here and now? Well, that is what the forgotten festival of The Ascension of Our Lord is about. “He ascended into heaven,” we confess in the Creed, “and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty.”

What is Jesus doing right now? Why, He is sitting at the right hand of His Father in heaven. Now, this expression does not mean a specific, confined location, so that Jesus is now up in heaven and we are down here on earth and never the twain shall meet. Rather, “the right hand of God” is a phrase used throughout the Bible to describe God’s presence and His power everywhere. So the psalmist declares: “If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me” (Psalm 139:9-10). And again: “The right hand of the LORD exalts, the right hand of the LORD does valiantly” (Psalm 118:16).

The apostle Paul explains it this way: “God, the Father of glory, seated Christ at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things under His feet and gave Him as head over all things to the Church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:17-23).

Did you catch it? Jesus’ ascension to the right hand of His Father in heaven means that right now He is present with and ruling and protecting His Church—that He is governing the whole world in the interest of and for the benefit of His Church. Is this not a truth which we especially need to remember in these uncertain and fearful times? After all, with all the turmoil in the world today because of the coronavirus pandemic... with all the turmoil in the Church, be it false teachings and practices, defections, financial concerns, or government directives that prevent us from gathering together for worship... because of these things, we are prone to wring our hands in despair, forgetting that the ascended Lord Jesus is at this very moment ruling, directing, and controlling the affairs of this world for the benefit of His Church.

To be sure, it might not appear this way to our eyes or to our way of thinking. That is why we need to take to heart this Word of God: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

Many of us may have forgotten the festival of The Ascension of Our Lord, but let us take comfort knowing that our ascended Lord Jesus has not forgotten us. For He is at this very moment sitting at the right hand of His heavenly Father.

Rev. Timothy Teuscher

Rev. Timothy Teuscher is President of Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC).