Movements in the lesson--Remembrance / Illumination / Kerygma / Witnesses / Promise / Blessing / Absence / Waiting / Doxology

Luke’s interests--continuity - Luke’s presentation of Christ and the Church includes the theme of continuity of Jesus’ mission with that of Israel (2:21-40; 4:16-30; 24:25-27; 24:44-45). That is, the death and resurrection of Jesus and the proclamation of the gospel to all peoples were in the plan of God revealed in Hebrew Scriptures. No new departures here.

Universality of God’s offer of repentance and forgiveness to all (vs. 47). Luke makes this point from the inception of Jesus’ ministry (2:29-32), and Jesus makes it a top priority in his mission (4:16-30); now the disciples carry the inclusive gospel-"repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations . . ." (vs. 47).

Mission/commission-Luke is also interested in the notion of the centripetal vis-à-vis the centrifugal thrust of mission. Acts 1:8 reflects just such an interest. Here, the call is to proclaim to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem (Lk. 24:47).

Ascension means that life with God, not resurrection, is Jesus’-and our--destiny.

Ascension means transition . . . between resurrection and Pentecost; but the time includes commissioning and promises of the empowering presence of the Spirit.

Ascension means the sending of the Spirit so that the worshiping church can get on with its mission task. Though it suggests worlds of mystery with the ascending Jesus, it keeps our feet grounded in the mission of the church.[1]

Here are several interesting sermon ideas to consider . . . [2]

Story line-block #1: name the promise Jesus give the disciples of his supportive presence; block #2: he opens their minds to understand the Scriptures; block #3: he calls them to be witnesses.

Three "musts" of Easter-(1) Christ must suffer; (2) Christ must rise; (3) in his Name, repentance and forgiveness must now be preached.

Four guiding lights-Christ illuminates the future path for his disciples: (1) a biblical theology (v. 46); (2) an evangelistic program (v. 47); (3) an apostolic authority (v. 48); and (4) a spiritual dynamic (v. 49).
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1) New Proclamation, Marshall D. Johnson, ed. (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2002), page 63.
2)Taken from C.W. Burger in Sermon Guides For Preaching in Easter, Ascension, and Pentecost (Grand Rapids: W. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1988), page 78.

 

Structure--Ephesians 1 contains primarily two parts: 1st, vv. 3-14 which is an enumeration of the blessings that are the Christian’s inheritance and the 2nd part (our lesson, vv. 1:15-23) which is a prayer that God would open the congregation’s eyes to know the richness of the blessings described in the 1st part.

Dividing the text - the hope of God’s call (vs. 17-18a) / the glory of the inheritance (18b) / the greatness of God’s power (19-23).

Verses 20-23: Christian credo? Confession of faith? Resurrection psalm? (Barth); others suggest that they function as "thanksgiving and intercession," "a great intercession," (Stott), or "a jubilation and radiation of joy" (Barth).

 

Ephesians is the prayer epistle. Much of what Paul says is actually a prayer. What impact would that have on you if a friend included thoughtful prayer about you in her letter?

Three themes in this prayer--future hope / present wealth / past heritage [1]

Marius Victorinus (ca 280):

Every prayer that we offer up to God is made either in thanks for what we have received or in petition to receive something else. We are encouraged to pray both for ourselves and for those we love . . . Paul’s prayers for the Ephesians are a pattern for us.[2]

Your God is Too Small--Verses 20-23 may reveal the limitations that we place around Ascension Day. Maybe that’s precisely why such language in our lesson is preceded by a prayer for enlightenment (17-18). We are being summoned to think of Christ in the most comprehensive sense possible-One who encompasses all reality as we know it, One who brooks no rivals, One who has transcended both space and time and in doing so has redefined both.[3]

 

See Barbara Brown Taylor’s homily on this passage: "He Who Fills All in All." [4]

^{____________________________________________________
1)A. Leonard Griffith, Ephesians: A Positive Affirmation (Waco, TX: Word Books, 1975), page 28.
2) Cited in Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture VIII (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1999), page 119.
3) Preaching the New Common Lectionary Year A (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1986), page 223.
4) Barbara Brown Taylor, Home By Another Way (Cambridge: Cowley Press, 1999), pp.135-141.}

 

1) all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning . . . (vs. 1) - Luke alludes to his gospel: the birth narrative (the beginning), the doing and teaching (the middle), and the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus (the ending).

2) after giving instructions . . . (vs. 2) - What instructions? One view: "Things they already knew, had heard, were reminded of, but which were now also being interpreted or explained anew by the risen Lord himself."[1]

3) Exegetical problem: the Q / A exchange: . . . Lord, is this the time . . . It is not for you to know the times . . . (vs. 6-7) - Jewish particularism? Restoration of the Davidic kingdom? Or does the Q have more to do with a timeline? As in, "How soon is the kingdom going to come?"

4) Jesus’ answer encompasses the entire world-breaks beyond the local precincts and city limits to the world’s horizon point and beyond (vs. 8).

 

1) Acts 1:1-11 is not a farewell scene in a sitcom but a commercial proclaiming a new task in a new era.

2) Time on our hands. The departing Christ is also the returning Christ. How do we conduct ourselves in the times of in-between? Jesus’ says eyes off the clock! It’s not about time but about progress that the Spirit will initiate through us. That is our new mission. So we don’t look backward or upward -but forward.

Quote

With Christ gone, how does the church function? It listens to the apostolic witness, assured that in and through it Christ is speaking . . . But it does so with a new realization that the focus of the kingdom of God is not on liberating Israel from Roman rule but on witnessing to the presence of the Spirit in the world.[2]

 

Block #1: Describe the omnipotence of "Time" -it is inevitable, inescapable, and it will have an final impact on all of us be we healthy, wealthy, or wise. We may feel powerless in the face of events, new situations in personal or public life, crises, threats to our lives and happiness;

Block #2: Jesus’ response to disciples suggest a change of view toward time: "it’s not for you to know the time . . . but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you." Christ is Lord of time. Our mission is to live life in the Spirit’s power, bearing witness to God’s faithfulness and Kingdom. God will unlock opportunities for faith, hope, and love within these seemingly difficult changes.

Whatever changes may occur in history, whatever new situations may arise in the congregation or personal lives, we are called to be faithful to what remains-the gospel that points to renewal and preparation for God’s new heaven and earth.

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1 C.W. Burger, B.A. Muller, D.J. Smit, ed. Sermon Guides for Preaching in Easter, Ascension, and Pentecost (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publ. Co., 1988), page 109.

2 Carl R. Holladay in Preaching and the New Common Lectionary (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1986), page 220.