Book II, the Sequel
Ascension Day Recognized
By Rev. Kenneth Redmann
Welcome to Zion Lutheran Church, a conservative church in the heart of Tampa where God’s Word is preached faithfully and Christ is proclaimed boldly. If you are searching for a family-friendly church in Tampa where Scripture is taught clearly and the Gospel of Jesus Christ is central, we invite you to worship with us and grow in faith together.
Opening Prayer
May the meditations of our hearts and the words of my lips be acceptable to You, O Lord. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Special thanks this morning to Rev. Dr. Carl C. Fickenscher of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne. He has authorized his theme and general outline for today’s message. Dr. Fickenscher opens with a quote from page 1 of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain:
“You don’t know about me without you have read a book by the name of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. . . . That book was made by Mr. Mark Twain, and he told the truth, mainly. There was things which he stretched, but mainly he told the truth. . . . Aunt Polly—Tom’s Aunt Polly, she is—and Mary, and the Widow Douglas is all told about in that book, which is mostly a true book, with some stretchers, as I said before”.
Book I and Book II
Dear Friends in Christ, you heard the First Reading this morning from the very first verse of the Book of Acts, aka, “The Acts of the Apostles.”
“In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up” (v 1).
It’s almost as if St. Luke is saying, “You liked my first book, O Theophilus? Here’s the sequel.”
Luke’s first book, of course, is the Gospel of Luke. In it, Luke described in detail the life of Jesus. Luke’s Book I, if you will, ended with our Gospel reading—forty days after Jesus’ resurrection from the grave. Significantly, as we read, in Luke’s Gospel, he records only what Jesus began to do and teach. Today, we are introduced to the sequel.
Luke’s sequel, Book II, is the Book of Acts. If Book I is the story of what Jesus BEGAN, Book II is the story of how Jesus continued to act THROUGH His apostles. Book I is the story of the Gospel. Book II is the story of what God’s people have done with the Gospel.
Obviously, God’s people cannot “DO” the Gospel until after they receive the Gospel. First things first. Right?
The Gospel of Luke Reveals Jesus
The Bible says:
“In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God” (vv 1–3).
Book I, the Gospel of Luke, records the essential facts about Jesus. It informs and educates us about Jesus’ Words and His actions. Especially, the Gospel of Luke reports Jesus’ death and His resurrection. It reveals how Jesus has purchased salvation for us. Jesus’ death means there is forgiveness of sins for the whole world. Jesus’ resurrection assures us of eternal life. Jesus’ teachings in Luke explain the truths of the kingdom of God, that by grace God rules in the hearts of all who believe, that God actually makes us kings—to reign with Him forever.
When we come to the Acts of the Apostles, Luke assumes we know and believe that:
“He [Jesus] presented himself alive after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God” (v 3).
We understand how necessary the Gospel of Luke is! Without Jesus’ teachings, there would be no Word to proclaim. Without Jesus’ suffering and death, there’d be no forgiveness to offer. Without Jesus’ resurrection, there’d be no HOPE—the story would be over.
The Story Must Continue
On the other hand, without Book II, the meaning of Gospel would have been forgotten centuries ago. In other words, if we did not have the Acts of the Apostles, we would have no reason to remember Jesus at all. The Gospel is NOT a volume of ancient history that can just sit on a shelf. It’s NOT simply a good book with which we can curl up in the living room. We can’t just sit back and let someone read it to us. Are you with me?
We haven’t finished when we we’ve read and believed the Gospel. In fact, once we have read and believed the Gospel, our work has just begun! The story of Jesus’ love must be told! It is true, the ascension ends Jesus’ earthly ministry, yet our text is NOT the end.
The story of Jesus’ resurrection continues in Book II:
“He presented himself alive after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days.”
For forty days, Jesus appeared to His disciples frequently. He proved that Easter wasn’t just one chapter in an ancient history book. For the disciples, “Jesus is alive!” was their motivation, their validation. For us, Easter continues to be just as real. JESUS IS ALIVE—and that’s our proof, our hope.
The Promise of the Holy Spirit
Jesus would soon leave the disciples—visibly—but He would make sure that His work would continue.
“And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, ‘you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now’ ” (vv 4–5).
You know what Jesus meant: chapter 2 of Acts tells of the day of Pentecost. (We will talk about that next week!) The disciples are filled with Holy Spirit. They are given power to proclaim Jesus—all that He did and taught. And they will proclaim Christ and Him crucified boldly. For you see, where the Holy Spirit is at work, Jesus’ story continues.
Baptized Into Christ’s Continuing Story
Beloved in the Lord, you know, don’t you, that this same story continues with you—with me! We, too, have been baptized with the Holy Spirit. Hear the Word of the Lord:
“Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).
Baptism is not an isolated event in our personal ancient histories—or in our scrapbooks or photo albums. Our Baptisms are continually writing the stories of our lives; the Holy Spirit is living in us, keeping us in faith in Christ, continually sharing with us forgiveness, enabling us to do good works.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, by the Holy Spirit’s power, we continue Jesus’ work and teachings as we proclaim His Gospel to the world:
“But 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.”
The Gospel Continues in Tampa Bay
You see that? Our text, the ascension, is the ending of Jesus’ earthly ministry. But it is NOT an ending at all. Our text this morning reads more like a table of contents for Book II.
Book II is the story of the Gospel being spread, and it’s going to spread just as Jesus says: the Book of Acts will tell us first about the Gospel going out to Jerusalem, then we’ll read about the Gospel spreading throughout all of Judea and going out beyond to Samaria, and then, the Bible says we will be the Lord’s witnesses to the end of the earth.
Do you get it? We are commanded to continue to give witness of Jesus and His life, death and resurrection. Book II, if you will, continues with us! We are now the characters in the Book of Acts. We have our new Jerusalems and Judeas and Samarias as well. They are our children, the folks we work with, the students we go to class with, the friends and neighbors and our surrounding community.
And then there is this: According to Pew Research Center:
“only about 34.7% of Tampa Bay residents identify as regular church-goers, making Tampa one of the least church-attending regions in the United States. Furthermore, historical studies by the Barna Group note that the Tampa media market consistently ranks as having one of the highest concentrations of unchurched residents in the nation, alongside cities like San Francisco and Houston.”
Ouch!
Beloved in the Lord, we have our work cut out for us! Indeed, we do—however—we need not fear! Hear the Words of the Lord:
“And when [Jesus] had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight” (v 9).
Christ Ascended Yet Still With Us
The disciples saw Jesus leave, but He was really going away…in order to be with them. You see, at the ascension, Jesus took His seat at the right hand of God’s power. But that is not a distant place at all. In fact, it’s not really a “place” at all.
It means Jesus is constantly exercising God’s power on our behalf. It means Jesus is now everywhere, always with us—not just His divine nature, but His human nature as well. Jesus—true God and true man—is right here with us. YET, He is also at the right hand of God, exercising God’s power, Jesus is praying for us, guiding us, protecting us.
Christ Will Return Again
And finally, this:
“And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven’ ” (vv 10–11).
Beloved in the Lord, Christ has ascended into heaven as our forerunner and to prepare our heavenly mansion. And Jesus leaves us with His promise to return and take us there.
God grant it for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jer. 29:11).
Key Points from Today’s Message
- The Gospel of Luke tells what Jesus began to do and teach.
- The Book of Acts continues the story through Christ’s apostles and His Church.
- Jesus’ death and resurrection bring forgiveness, salvation, and eternal hope.
- The Gospel is meant to be proclaimed, not hidden away.
- The Holy Spirit empowers believers to continue Christ’s work.
- Christians today are part of the continuing story of Acts.
- Tampa Bay is a mission field where many people still need to hear the Gospel.
- Jesus ascended to the right hand of God and continues to guide, protect, and intercede for His people.
- Christ will return again just as He promised.
Join Us at Zion Lutheran Church
If you are searching for a conservative church in the heart of Tampa or a family-friendly church in Tampa where Christ is preached faithfully, and God’s Word is taught clearly, we invite you to join us at Zion Lutheran Church. We would also encourage you to review the worship folder and follow along with this powerful message centered on the ascension of Christ, the continuing work of the Gospel, and the hope we have in Jesus.