+ Ascension Commemoration +
Readings: Acts 1:12-26 | 1 Peter 4:12-19; 5:6-11 | John 17:1-11
Text: John 17:1-11
Jesus prays in today’s Gospel, “And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.” The Glory of God has been seen before this, most memorably in the form of a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night as the Israelites were led out of Egypt:
It stood between the Israelites and the Egyptian forces:
“19Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, 20coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness. And it lit up the night without one coming near the other all night.” (Exodus 14:19–20)
Guided them in the wilderness:
“15On the day that the tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony. And at evening it was over the tabernacle like the appearance of fire until morning. 16So it was always: the cloud covered it by day and the appearance of fire by night.”
(Numbers 9:15–16)
Made the face of Moses shine and brought fear on the people
“29When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. 30Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him.” (Exodus 34:29–30)
Dwelt in the Tabernacle:
“34Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.” (Exodus 40:34–35)
The Glory of God is both terrifying and comforting, depending on the hearer.
7 The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth
and strips the forests bare,
and in his temple all cry, “Glory!” (Psalm 29:7-9)
Yet, for others, they can pray:
3 But you, O Lord, are a shield about me,
my glory, and the lifter of my head.
4 I cried aloud to the Lord,
and he answered me from his holy hill. (Ps. 3:3-4)
With all that in mind, now we return to Jesus’ prayer on His last night with His disciples before He suffered. Listen to how He speaks of the glory of God:
1When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
(John 17:1-5)
The glory of God had been seen in the wilderness, had filled the temple. But something so incredible happened when the Word became flesh, that it even shocked the spiritual forces in the world. The enemies of God recognized what was happening, when an unclean spirit met Jesus in Mark 1:
24“What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” (Mark 1:24)
This glory of God has authority over all flesh, as Jesus says, but not simply because He is the Mighty God; it is also because He offers up His flesh on behalf of sinful man:
“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” (John 6:51)
So, when our Lord prays that the Son be glorified, we are to see not a mighty cloud which makes the Egyptian army quake, but the incarnate Son betrayed into the hands of sinful man, scourged and nailed to a cross. There is the glory of God, bringing salvation to all who trust in Him.
What is Jesus praying to His Father for to be glorified? He is asking that the power, majesty, wisdom, and honor of God would be made known upon the cross. There, the wrath of God against the sins of the world would be fully atoned for, and ground into the dust with crushed head of the serpent who first introduced sin into the creation. There, the glory of God shone even into the grave, breaking its dreadful hold upon all who are held captive by it. The glory of God broke out against the Devil, disarmed him and put him to open shame,
“He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.”
(Colossians 2:15)
In seeing this glory, one is able to see the saving power of God for salvation to all who believe.
The visions of the glory of God in the past now show us what Jesus Christ—incarnate, crucified, dead, risen, and ascended—now works for us.
Satan and his demonic host are an exceedingly great army. They have captured much of the world through idolatrous religions and playing on the pride and fleshly lusts of mankind. Even God’s people must be on guard against their deception and temptation, as Paul commands us to put on the whole armor of God [Ephesians 6:10-20]. But never forget the Lord who stands between us and the demonic armies! He will vanquish them. He says to us now in Christ,
“Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the [hosts] whom you see today, you shall never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”
(Exodus 14:13-14)
At His ascension, the risen Lord is hidden by a cloud. To the eye and reason, it seems greatly underwhelming. But in the wisdom of God, this is the way His saving glory is to be made manifest not in a single place on earth, but everywhere His Gospel is proclaimed. He promised,
“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
(Acts 1:8)
So, His glory goes out to end of the earth, that all people should believe in the Son of God, who is the Savior of all.
Where should we seek this glory? In His Word and Sacraments. This is where He promises to be with His saving might. In His Word, we draw near to God, and the devil flees from us.
“7Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” (James 4:7-8)
Remember that you have been baptized into Christ, and believe the mighty work Jesus does for you:
“5For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” (Romans 6:5-6)
And today, upon this altar, your Risen and Ascended Lord serves you with eternal food:
“Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.” (John 6:56)
“10The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned as king forever. 11May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!” (Psalm 29:10–11)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
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