Ascended to Reign
- Rev. Christopher Brademeyer
- May 14
- 5 min read
Ascended to Reign
Ascension Day – 5/14/2026
Mark 16:14-20
Rev. Dr. Christopher W. Brademeyer
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
That portion from God’s holy Word for consideration this morning is our reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark in the 16th chapter with special emphasis on verse nineteen which reads as follows:
“So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.”[1]
Thus far the Scriptures.
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Forty days after His resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven. Dear Christians, saints of the Lord, the Ascension is not Jesus leaving His Church behind. It is not Christ withdrawing from the world. Rather, the Ascension is Christ taking His throne. The crucified and risen Lord is now enthroned as King of kings and Lord of lords at the right hand of God.
Ascension Day is a feast of victory and comfort. Jesus reigns. This is not a future reality alone; it is not a metaphor or mystical idea that sounds nice but has no reality behind it. Jesus truly reigns even now. The Jesus Christ, true God and true man, rules over all things for the good of His Church.
The disciples themselves struggled at first to understand this. In our reading from Acts, they ask, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” They were still thinking in earthly categories. They expected visible political power, national restoration, and worldly glory. But Jesus directed them to something greater. His kingdom is not limited to one nation or earthly throne. His reign extends over heaven and earth.
And then He ascended. St. Luke tells us that “a cloud took Him out of their sight.” That cloud is important. Throughout the Scriptures, the cloud is a sign of the presence and glory of God. The Lord descended in a cloud upon Sinai. The glory cloud filled the tabernacle and the temple. The cloud overshadowed the Mount of Transfiguration. Now Christ ascends into that divine glory. He enters openly and visibly into heavenly kingship.
The historical fact of Christ’s ascension means that the incarnate Son of God now reigns over all creation. There is a temptation to see this event as Christ laying aside His humanity, but Jesus does not cease being man when He ascends. The One enthroned at the right hand of the Father still bears human flesh. He is your brother according to the flesh, and now He reigns over heaven and earth. Humanity itself, united to Christ, has entered the heavenly throne room. Knowing this is incredibly important for your salvation and comfort. The One who rules all things is not a distant tyrant or unknown deity. The King of heaven is the same Jesus who ate with sinners, touched lepers, wept at graves, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and rose again. The scars of His crucifixion remain upon Him even in glory. The throne upon which He reigns is the throne won by His sacrifice.
Because He reigns, you, His Church, need not fear. The world often appears chaotic and hostile to Christ and His people. Governments rise and fall. Nations rage. False teaching spreads. Christians suffer persecution and weakness. Even our own hearts tremble with anxiety and uncertainty. Ascension Day reminds us that appearances are not ultimate reality. Jesus is the One Who reigns forever. Caesar, presidents, courts, armies, wealth, death, and Satan my rule for a while, but their rule is only ever partial and is always temporary. Christ is the reigning, everlasting King.
As St. Paul says elsewhere, God seated His Son “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion.” Every enemy already stands beneath His feet. Now this does not mean the Church will appear outwardly glorious according to worldly standards. In fact, our Gospel reading from Mark reminds us of the weakness that still clung even to the apostles themselves. Jesus rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart. These are not heroic men establishing a kingdom by their own strength. They are fearful and faltering sinners.
Christ sent them to preach to the world anyway. “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” This is how the ascended King exercises His reign in this age: through His Word. The world expects kings to rule through armies, force, spectacle, and visible power. But Christ reigns through preaching, Baptism, Absolution, and the Sacrament of the Altar. His kingdom comes wherever sins are forgiven in His name.
That is why Mark tells us that after the Ascension, “they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them.” Notice that carefully. Jesus has ascended, yet He still acts. He still works. He is not absent from His Church. Though enthroned in heavenly glory, Christ continues to be present with His people through His means of grace. The right hand of God is not a location somewhere beyond the stars. The right hand of God is the position of divine authority and power. And because Christ fills all things according to His divine majesty, He is able to be truly present wherever He promises to be.
Thus the ascended Christ is here tonight. He is here in His Word, in the preaching of repentance and forgiveness, in Baptism, and in the Sacrament of the Altar where He gives us His true body and blook. The enthroned King continues to rule over His people in serving them His salvation. The ascended King does not abandon His people. He equips and sustains them. From His heavenly throne Christ governs His Church, protects her, forgives her, and sends her into the world with His Gospel.
The Ascension of our Lord also gives confidence in our suffering. The One who reigns has Himself suffered. And because He lives and reigns, suffering and death cannot have the final word over those who belong to Him.
And finally, the Ascension gives confidence concerning the future. The angels told the disciples: “This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven.” The enthroned King will return. The world now ignores Him, mocks Him, or denies Him. But the day is coming when every eye shall see Him. The hidden reign of Christ shall become fully visible. Every knee shall bow before Him. For believers this is not a terror, but comfort. The Judge who comes is the same Savior who died and rose for you.
Therefore Ascension Day is not about absence. It is about the reign of our everlasting King. Christ ascends in order to fill all things. He ascends to rule all things for His Church. He ascends so that His Gospel might go forth into all nations. He ascends as the victorious King who has conquered sin, death, and hell.
Where the King is, there His people will also be. Where Head has ascended, and the body will follow. So lift up your hearts, dear Christians. Your King reigns. Your sins are forgiven. Your future is secure. Christ is enthroned at the right hand of God, and nothing shall separate you from His love.
In the holy Name of + Jesus. Amen.
The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
[1] Mark 16:19 English Standard Version
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