Sermon at Pepperbox Hill, Whiteparish, Wiltshire – Ascension Day - Thursday 14th May 2026
Acts 1:4-11
Our passage of scripture, this morning, is
well familiar to most of us and I have often wondered what reaction I might
have had in witnessing this event, as the Apostles did. The narrative presents
a powerful moment of transition, hope, and promise. Jesus, after His
resurrection, has gathered together His disciples and prepared them for His
departure. Although the disciples are understandably uncertain and still
focused on earthly expectations, Jesus redirects their attention toward God’s
greater plan. Rather than remaining physically with them, He promises that they
will receive the Holy Spirit, who will guide, strengthen, and empower them. The
Ascension is therefore not a moment of abandonment, but one of hope.
At first glance, the disciples must have felt grief
and loss as they watched Jesus ascend into heaven. For years they had walked
beside Him, listened to His teaching, and relied on His presence. They had been
his apprentices, often getting things wrong but with the Master always there to
correct them and help them out. Now they thought they were about to be left
alone and the suddenness of this must have left them feeling quite anxious and
fearful. Yet Jesus reminds them that
His leaving is necessary because the Holy Spirit will come upon them. This
promise transforms their fear into expectation. They are not being left alone;
instead, God’s presence will remain with them in a new and deeper way. The Holy
Spirit becomes a source of comfort, wisdom, courage, and faith for all believers.
The passage also highlights the mission that
Jesus gives His followers. He tells them they will be His witnesses “in
Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
This calling brings hope because it shows that God’s salvation is not just limited
to one group of people, but is meant for the whole wide world. The disciples,
ordinary people with doubts and weaknesses like us, are entrusted with sharing
the message of Christ. Through the Holy Spirit, they are being equipped to
carry out this mission. This reminds Christians today, like us, that God still
works through imperfect people to bring light and hope to others.
A further important message in this passage is
the promise of Christ’s return. As the disciples stand looking into the sky,
the angels tell them that Jesus “will come back in the same way” they
saw Him go into heaven. This promise gives us, and all believers lasting hope.
The Ascension is not the end of the story. Christians now live with the
assurance that Jesus reigns in heaven and will one day return to restore all
things. In times of suffering, uncertainty, or waiting, this promise encourages
believers to remain faithful and hopeful despite so many pressures from
elsewhere in our daily lives. It is
something which we can all cling onto as we live through these times of this chaos
and uncertainty in an unstable world.
The Ascension teaches that hope is found not
only in what Jesus has done, but also in what He continues to do through the
Holy Spirit and what He will do when He comes again. Even though Jesus is no
longer physically present on earth, His Spirit remains active among His people.
Christians are called to live with confidence, trusting that they are never
abandoned and that God’s promises are true and secure. In Hebrews 13:5 we are once more reminded of
God’s words in Deuteronomy 31:6 – “Never will I leave you, never will I
forsake you”
This passage is filled with encouragement.
Jesus leaves His followers with purpose, power, and promise. The Holy Spirit
sustains believers in the present, while the hope of Christ’s return points
toward the future. The Ascension therefore becomes not a farewell marked by
sadness, but a message of enduring hope for all Christians.
Amen. MFB/235/13052026
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