Ascension 2020. Holy Communion
7 PM Central Daylight Time, May 13th, 2021
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
The melody is linked under the name of the hymn.
The lyrics are linked to the Bethany Lutheran Hymnal page.
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven?
Hallelujah!
This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven:
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Psalm. Oh, clap your hands, all ye people: shout unto God with the voice of triumph.
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that like as we do believe Thine only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to have ascended into the heavens,
so may we may also in heart and mind thither ascend and
with Him continually dwell; who liveth, etc.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
V. God is gone up with a shout:
the Lord with the sound of
a trumpet. Hallelujah!
V. Thou hast ascended on high:
Thou hast led captivity
captive. Hallelujah!
The Gospel Mark 16:14-20
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #656 Behold a Host
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #656 Behold a Host
Mark's Harmony of the Gospel
The Hymn #341 Crown Him with Many Crowns
The Hymn #341 Crown Him with Many Crowns
The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn #294 O Word of God
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn #294 O Word of God
In Our Prayers
- Pastor Jim Schroeder and Chris Shrader are in our prayers.
- Christina Jackson will have her monthly checkup later this month.
- Those being treated for cancer and continuing therapy.
- Our national leaders, the justice system.
- The Midland flood was a year ago.
- The Schwan Justification by Faith Catechism is in print. Thanks, Alec Satin.
KJV Luke 24:49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. 50 And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. 51 And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy: 53 And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.
[The ending of Luke fits with the opening of Acts, which Luke also wrote.]
KJV Acts 1:1 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: 3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: 4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. 6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. 9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
KJV Mark 16:14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. 15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. 19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. 20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
Ascension
O Jesus Christ, Thou almighty Son of God, who art no longer in humiliation here on earth, but sittest at the right hand of Thy Father, Lord over all things: We beseech Thee, send us Thy Holy Spirit; give Thy Church pious pastors, preserve Thy word, control and restrain the devil and all who would oppress us: mightily uphold Thy kingdom, until all Thine enemies shall have been put under Thy feet, that we may hold the victory over sin, death, and the devil, through Thee, who livest and reignest with God the Father and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.
Mark's Harmony of the Gospel
Background
Two great pseudo-intellectual movements changed the official attitudes toward the Scriptures. We could easily say that one influenced the other, without knowing or claiming which one was first. 1) The Bible is just another religious book about God. 2) The Scriptures tell us about Jesus only being a man, not divine except in the eyes of His followers, sometimes called "their Easter faith." They believed in Him so they believed He rose from the dead.
The abrupt ending of Mark (so-called) may simply be a scribe seeing telos (end) after Mark 16:8, the place where the Gospel ended in church readings. We have Easter Sunday but they had readings for days after Easter as well. To put it simply, we have many witnesses to the death of Christ and over 500 witnesses of the risen Lord.
KJV Mark 16:14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.
The acceptance of Jesus risen from the dead was a mixture of sorrow, denial, fear, and gradual recognition. It is difficult to believe something never seen before, and they knew Jesus suffered terribly before He died. Jesus in John's Gospel and here placed the emphasis on unbelief in what He predicted and hardness of heart.
In John 16:8ff, Jesus said they would preach conviction of sin through the Holy Spirit - "that they believe not on Me." We can safely say that this definition of sin is the least preached topic today, as proven by the lack of Ascension Day services of Holy Communion.
This is true that the disciples had trouble believing the witnesses of Jesus' resurrection from the dead. They were brought very low by this loss and the overwhelming fear of the authorities against them - Roman and Jewish alike, a powerful combination.
If the Son can be arrested, tried, and executed, how would they be treated? We all know how a logical sense of danger can grow into overwhelming fear, weakness, and despair. Coming back from that low point, we see how our emotions and experiences gear up the reactions and blind us to good results, which are only possible through God. He has only good in mind and "repents of His evil and leaves an offering behind." After the time of trial, unexpected blessings comes, God's way of showing the abundance of His mercies.
15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Jesus in His Ascension would be the global manager of His earlier physical mission. That did not lock Him up in heaven as the "classic" NIV tried to translate, but changed His mission from a local one, training a few, to rapid expansion across the civilized world and beyond (India).
When Jesus is preached, He is there in both natures, human and divine. When Holy Communion is distributed, consecrated by the Word, that includes the two natures in Christ. So we do not judge "if Jesus is here" because Jesus is here through the invisible Word of preaching and the visible Word of Holy Communion.
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
Those who quibble want to discuss baptism when the Word clearly teaches that faith in Christ gives us forgiveness of sin and salvation. The sacrament of baptism gives us the sign and seal of God's mercy through Christ, which means so much to parents of small children.
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
Miracles small and large are part of the Christian ministry of the Word. Hardships come along but so do the obvious signs of God's help for believers - which unbelievers will not and cannot see. Just as God let the disciples sink into sorrow before they were shown the risen Christ, so God let's us feel the absence until our hopes are fulfilled - and then some.
19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
This is a glorious moment so beautifully painted and drawn in so many ways. This is the ultimate confirmation of His mission. He suffered and died and rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven.
Those who do not believe - and many are clergy and seminary professors, authors of thick books of unfaith - they cannot grasp this. They only know what they can see and experience and repeat from seminary and graduate school.
Faith is not a tiny on and off spark, kindled during times of sickness and sorrow, but being in Christ as He is in us, just as He is in the Father and the Father is in Him.
20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
Those signs or miracles continue to this day. We had our services stopped and all the video files removed for Mother's Day. Now it has all been restored, in a kind and generous way. There was a dramatic shift and everything changed today, and they made sure it was done correctly.
Besides that, a publication very important to the Gospel was not going to appear, so it seemed. People need to know that Justification by Faith was taught over 100 years ago, by officials of the LCMS. Today, it happened! More will be said later, showing the need for knowing Biblical doctrine and confessing the truth of that teaching.
Today some girls came over to help the family with lawn mowing, etc. They remember strawberries, honeysuckle, and bird food in our yard. I gave them handsful of corn plus sunflower seeds. "We are going to plant them!" they decided and threw the seeds recklessly into the garden. Many seeds will be eaten but others will grow. That is how the Word is thrown in all directions, with the assurance of a child that the Word bringing Christ will grow and prosper.
