May 4, 2013

Here's One Departure That's Good News!

6th Sunday of Easter, 5/5/13
John 14:23-27


Here’s One Departure That’s Good News!
I. Jesus still lives with us.
II. He sends us the Holy Spirit.
III. He rules over all things.


Good-byes. So often we’re not fond of them. We’ve enjoyed a wonderful time with someone very dear to us and now it’s time for them to leave. And we wish it weren’t so. We want them to stay.

Or, you’re a parent and you’re helping your daughter move into her college dorm room. You’re trying to keep the pain from showing on your face because she’s so excited to begin this important portion of her life, but you know that in a short time, you’ll have to say good-bye and it’s going to be with tears.

Or, we stand before the casket of a loved one. There won’t be any hugs or kisses at this good-bye. You know your loved one is in a far better place, but that doesn’t do enough to ease your pain right now. This is the last good-bye.
Those are tough.

But there are good-byes that we welcome. Good-bye to that clunker we’ve endured for so long and hello to this brand new vehicle! Good-bye to that class we had to take and that teacher we never could understand no matter how hard we tried. Good-bye to those 10 pounds we’ve been trying to lose! Good-bye to that dead-end job! Indeed, there are plenty of times in our lives when we rejoice to say good-bye.

I’m not sure if you noticed, but this Thursday the Christian Church on earth will bid good-bye to Jesus, in a manner of speaking. It’s the Festival of the Ascension of Our Lord. Imagine what filled the hearts of the disciples as they waved good-bye to Jesus. I’m sure they had their doubts and fears. They may have felt some anguish as they faced the truth that, this side of heaven, they would never see their beloved Jesus again. But it wasn’t too many days before they realized that this was one departure that was good news. Not because it signaled the end of an unwanted situation in their lives, but because it signaled the beginning of some tremendous blessings in their lives.
And the same holds true for us as modern disciples of Christ. Here’s one departure that’s good news. Let’s see how true that is as we take to heart these words of our risen and ascended Lord.

Part I.

“Gone but not forgotten.” I don’t see that message as often as I used to. I used to see that it on bumper stickers. It was meant to call attention to military personnel who were missing in action or had paid the ultimate price for our freedom. They were gone, but we would not forget them or what they had done for us.

Yes, Jesus ascended into heaven nearly 2,000 years ago, but he is not really gone and he certainly isn’t forgotten. Listen to what he told his disciples, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” This is one of the places in his word in which Jesus assures us that he is with us. Before he ascended into heaven he promised, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Mt. 28:19). Even though our Lord ascended into heaven, he is still with us in a very real way. But he’s not just out there somewhere. Jesus says here that he and the Father have made their home with us. They live within us. Amazing!

How does that happen? Jesus tells us, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.” Which teaching is he talking about? Every one of them. The whole body of what Jesus has told us in his word. In other words, as we listen to his word, read his word, study his word, ponder his word, Jesus makes his home with us. Jesus is present with us. He’s not gone. He’s here with us now in spite of the fact that he ascended into heaven.

Here’s one departure that’s good news. Jesus still lives with us.

Jesus is still with us! What comfort and joy that truth gives us, especially when life is tough. But don’t miss what Jesus said, “If anyone obeys my teaching.” He lives with us through his word as we believe that word and follow it. Consider what that means. It means we can’t ignore what he says or violate what he says and still expect the fullness of his presence. Sin leads us away from the Lord and his blessing, never closer to him. Shame on us for thinking that we can do what Jesus forbids and still be blessed. But that’s what humans have been doing ever since the fall into sin. And that’s what made our Savior and his work for us necessary. His deepest desire is to be present with us always. He made it possible by his death and resurrection for us. And now he has comes to us and lives in us by faith in him, even though he ascended on high. Here’s one departure that’s good news! Jesus still lives with us.

Part II.

One of the ways that merchants get you interested in buying their product is to offer you two for the price of one. Or they might call it BOGOF—buy one get one free. It’s effective. Potential buyers respond.

In this morning’s text, Jesus offers us not only his saving presence, but also the saving presence of the Holy Spirit. And in this case, we don’t have to spend a thing and we get both. Jesus told his disciples, “The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” He promised them his Holy Spirit. That was critical for the disciples. Fifty-three days later they would receive the Holy Spirit in a special outpouring. It occurred on Pentecost when our Lord equipped them to take his saving word the ends of the earth. He would remind them of everything Jesus had said so that they could accurately share it with the world. Decades later the Holy Spirit would use some of these same disciples to write his inspired word. Without his presence, none of this would have been possible.

That same Holy Spirit lives in us. At our baptisms or through the saving word of our Savior, the Holy Spirit entered your heart and mine and worked saving faith in Jesus. He made us his temple, his dwelling. He accomplished that saving indwelling so that he could give us the peace that Jesus won for us. Jesus declared, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.” He’s talking about the peace he won for us—peace with the holy God. That peace comes through the forgiveness of sins and assures us that our God has nothing against us. There’s nothing we need to do to make peace. It’s ours through Jesus. We have it, even though he has ascended into heaven.

Here’s one departure that’s good news. Jesus sends us the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit has been called the silent member of the trinity. That’s because Christians often don’t think about him. We think most about our Savior and we pray often to our Father in heaven. But the Holy Spirit? Not so much. But without his presence, we’d be facing an eternity of suffering. In spite of what we might think, we’re not fine all on our own. We’re sinners. We’re selfish, uncaring, discontented, judgmental, lustful sinners. We’ve ruined our relationship with the holy God. But Jesus sends the Holy Spirit into our hearts to restore that relationship, to bring us the peace of forgiveness, to assure us that all is well between us and our God. He has removed our sins and guilt forever. May the Holy Spirit convince us of it daily as he dwells within us!

Part III.

More than one soldier in our country’s military has told a young son or daughter that they must leave so that they can protect their little son or daughter. It’s true, but it probably doesn’t do much to ease the pain of separation.

At his ascension, Jesus removed his visible presence from us so that he could protect us. He explained it this way, “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe.”

Here’s one departure that causes us to rejoice. But what he just said might puzzle us, even cause us to doubt his ability to protect us. He talks about the Father being greater than he. Realize that Jesus spoke these words before his resurrection. That means he was still in his state of humiliation when he placed himself under his Father as he served us as our Savior. After his resurrection he would assume his full divine glory. He was enjoying the full use of that glory when he ascended and he’s still enjoying it today.

That means he’s making use of his full glory as God to rule over all things for our good. Your Savior ascended into heaven and now he directs all of history which will culminate in his return on the Last Day.

Here’s one departure that’s good news. Even though Jesus ascended, he rules over all things.

I realize that it may seem that things all over the world are out of control. I’m sure that there are times when your personal life, like mine, seems just as chaotic and as though it were heading for destruction. But not with Jesus as your Savior. Why would he come to this earth, die for you, rise for you, ascend into heaven for you, if he couldn’t deliver on his promise to make everything turn out eternally perfect for you? He already did the most difficult thing when he defeated Satan. Now he will do the easier thing which is bring you to himself in glory. How can I be sure? Because Jesus departed just as he promised. Now there’s a departure that’s good news. Celebrate that good news! Believe it! Live it! Amen.