May 27, 2001,
Vicar Rick Marrs
Seventh Sunday of Easter,
Ascension Day observed

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The text on which this morning's message is based comes from our Acts and Revelation lessons read earlier.

Tomorrow is Memorial Day. Ten days from now is D-Day, June 6th, when the Allied forces of WWII began the invasion of northern Europe. For those of you who have memories of those days on and after June 6, 57 years ago, you may remember both the thrill of victory and the agony of lost lives. For those of us born later, many have relived that day through history lessons and movies like "The Longest Day" and "Saving Private Ryan". D-Day and the week following was a brutal time, 1000's of Allied soldiers lost their lives to obtain freedom for Europe from the Fascist Axis Powers. That freedom came at a terribly high cost.

But D-Day was also a glorious time. With that battle victory, the fate of the war was sealed. The Nazi enemy would fight on, but the destiny of the Great War was known, even by many of the German generals of that day. Other battles would still go on, even some in which the enemy would be temporarily victorious. Months later the Germans engaged in the Battle of the Bulge, a temporary triumph that cost the lives of many more Allied soldiers. But still the victory had been won at the crucial time, on D-Day. All last gasp attempts for victory by Hitler were doomed. Eventually, his weapons would all be seized, his soldiers all surrender. It was all just a matter of time. When D-Day came no one knew for sure when V-E Day (Victory in Europe Day) would come, but all knew that it was inevitable. It would not come easily. Loss and pain and grief would still be ever-present, but the joy of peace and triumph were very certain. The same could be said of our celebration today, Ascension Day. When Christ came, He, in a sense, fought and won our spiritual D-Day for us. His suffering and death on Good Friday was his ultimate sacrifice, but it brought us victory. His resurrection on Easter assured us of his power in that victory and made it visible to all who are willing to believe. His Ascension puts a final guarantee on that victory. The critical battle of the war against sin, death and the devil has been fought and won by Jesus. This battle victory meant it was only a matter of time before the final victory, on the last day when Jesus' returns.

The greatness of his victory over sin and death was not immediately felt here on earth. His disciples could not yet see it. But upon Jesus' Ascension, the celebration in heaven began. Jesus, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Lamb who was slain, was able to open the scroll, the Book of Life with the names of all who trust in Him. He took that scroll from the right hand of God the Father and heaven broke out in song, thousands upon thousands singing the Hymn of Praise that we joined them in minutes ago: "Worthy is Christ, the Lamb who was slain, whose blood set us free to be people of God. Power, riches, wisdom, and strength, and honor, blessing, and glory are his. Blessing, honor, glory, and might be to God and the Lamb forvever. Amen."

While thousands were singing this great Hymn of Praise in heaven, men from Galilee were standing on a hilltop outside Jerusalem, looking up toward heaven. At that time they were not able to hear that great Hymn. They could only pine for whom they had lost. But then two of those 1000's of angels came down and told them: "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."

The apostles could not yet visibly see that great victory celebration, the great tickertape parade of the Lamb. They were still down here, facing the reality of this world, still engaged in the spiritual war that would take their lives. But they did not despair. They knew that reinforcements were on the way. The Holy Spirit, the Comforter, was about to come. They need only wait faithfully for Him.

Between D-Day and V-E Day there was still much fighting and devastation. Lives were lost. Pain, real pain was felt. The same is true for those of us living in between Christ's Ascension and His return on the Last Day. Christ's ascension, in a sense, completed his work here on earth. But in another sense, his work had just begun. Did you notice the first verse of Acts, where Luke speaks about the Gospel he wrote: In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach. "All that Jesus began to do and to teach." In another very real sense, Jesus continues to do and to teach even today, through His Holy Spirit, through us who continue to be witnesses of his power to the world.

  Like Hitler, Satan refuses to give up and he and his forces continue to wreak as much havoc as they can. Death occurs on both sides. Illness and injury abound. At times, like in the Battle of the Bulge, Sat an and his forces may actually appear to be gaining the upper hand. But that is only a temporary victory.

  We know that our Lord returned to heaven with shouts of praise. He is the one and only one who is able to open the Book, to guarantee the final victory for all those on His side.

The war that we are still engaged in between the Ascension and the Judgment Day doesn't look like a military war, nor should it. Ours is not an Islamic Jihad with guns and bombs. Most often ours is a war of words and ideas. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 10: 3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. Our weapons are the Words of God (Ephesians 6). Our helmet in this conflict is Christ's salvation. With these tools God is able to continue winning the war here on earth, marching ever forward to the time that the enemy will lay down all his weapons and we will join our Lord on that last glorious day. It doesn't often even look like a war to us. Your primary role may not often be that of a front-line soldier. Your primary role may be behind the lines, providing resources, constructing supplies, providing nursing, cooking meals, protecting the young. But whatever your role, always remember that you are involved in a war against Satan. He is often sending dangerous buzz bombs over our heads that can drop on us even if we are not on the front lines. He has spies out who are looking to eavesdrop and gain any tactical advantage they can when we misuse our words. When we don't work together as a team, as the body of Christ, the enemy can use our divisions to strengthen his position, to take more lives. The time between D-Day and V-E Day still had to be fought and won. The time between Jesus' ascension and His return must be fought and won too.

Perhaps there is a better analogy for how we are to be involved in winning this war. Sometimes when a war is nearing its end, the winning side will fly over enemy territory and drop leaflets informing the enemy soldiers and civilians to lay down their arms, to stop fighting and to stop supporting the war effort. The winning side confidently spreads the word that the destiny of the war is certain, and that it is to the losing side's members advantage to save their lives and lay down their arms.

That is the way it is with us.   We are on the winning side. We know it and can be confident in that knowledge. We can proclaim that to those on the other side, some who are our friends and neighbors, and urge them to recognize it as well. Many of them may not even be consciously aware that they are in a war and on the losing side. Satan's lies, like Hitler's, can be very subtle and powerful. But, we can proclaim to them the repentance and forgiveness of sins in the name of Jesus, the great Lion of Judah. We can know that He will return in glory, just as He ascended into heaven, worthy of victory over death. Amen.

The grace and peace that comes with the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us always. Amen.