(Observed in Our Sunday Worship – 17 May 2026)
The Church’s calendar reminds us that the Festival of the Ascension of Our Lord is traditionally celebrated forty days after Easter—on a Thursday. On that day, we recall how our risen Lord Jesus was lifted up before the eyes of His disciples and exalted to the right hand of the Father (Acts 1:9–11).
Yet the joy and comfort of the Ascension are far too rich to be confined to a single weekday. For that reason, we will celebrate the Ascension together in our Sunday worship, rejoicing as one congregation in the gift Christ gives to His Church. The appointed readings—Acts 1:1–11, Ephesians 1:15–23, and Luke 24:44–53—help us confess this great truth:
The Ascended Lord Jesus is with us always in His Church on earth.
Not Absent, but Exalted for Us
After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to the apostles for forty days, teaching them about the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). When He ascended, He did not withdraw from His people. Rather, He was enthroned for their sake. From the right hand of the Father, Christ now governs all things—especially for the benefit of His Church.
This is why the disciples could return to Jerusalem with great joy (Luke 24:52). They had not lost their Lord. They had gained a clearer promise: their Savior now reigns over heaven and earth for them.
“He Continues to Do and Teach”
St. Luke opens the Book of Acts by saying that his Gospel described what Jesus began to do and teach (Acts 1:1). With that single word, Scripture makes something wonderfully clear: Jesus’ work did not end with His Ascension. It continues.
Through His Church, the ascended Christ still speaks. He still teaches. He still forgives sins through the preaching of repentance and forgiveness in His name (Luke 24:47). By the power of the Holy Spirit, He sends His witnesses “to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
The Head Who Is Present with His Body
In Ephesians, St. Paul lifts our eyes heavenward and then brings them immediately back to the Church. Christ is seated “in the heavenly places,” far above every power and authority—but He is given as Head to the Church, which is His body (Eph. 1:20–23).
This means that when the Church gathers around Word and Sacrament, heaven is not distant. Christ is present. He fills all things. He blesses His people with forgiveness and life. Even now, He lifts us up and seats us with Himself in the heavenly places.
A Festival of Joyful Confidence
Although Jesus is hidden from our sight, He is not hidden from His Church. He comes to us by the Word of His apostles. He comes by the promise of the Father. He comes by the Spirit He pours out upon His body on earth.
So whether we mark the Ascension on Thursday or celebrate it together on Sunday, the confession is the same:
Christ reigns. Christ is present. Christ is with His Church always.
As we gather this Sunday to celebrate the Ascension, let us do so with joy and confidence—blessing God, worshiping Christ, and trusting that our ascended Lord continues to do and teach among us until the day He comes again in glory.
In Christ,
Your Under Shepherd