This evening we complete our series of sermons on our stained glass windows by considering the large window at the back of the church. A drawing of that window is found on the cover of your bulletin.

I have noticed that some of us have begun giving names to our stained glass windows according to the symbols on them. So the window with the shell on it has come to be known as the baptism window, the window next to it with the manger on it is the Christmas window, and so on. If we were to give a name to the window we are considering tonight, it would have to be called the Christ window. For one of the symbols on this window represents the name Christ and the other tells us something about Him. Tonight, we want to take a closer look at this Christ window.

The second symbol in our window, the one to the right of the cross, also consists of two letters, one written over the other. They look like our English letters P and X , but are actually the Greek letters Chi and Rho. These are the first two letters in the Greek spelling of Christ. In fact, this symbol is known as Chi Rho. From the very earliest times in the Christian Church, it has been used as a symbol for Christ.

Now, most of us have heard many times what that title Christ means. It is the Greek word for the Hebrew word Messiah. It means the Anointed One.

In Old Testament times, when a prophet, a priest or a king was installed into his office, there was an anointing ceremony. That means that oil was poured over his head. This would set him apart, before all the people, as the one God had chosen to fill that office.

Therefore, when we say that Jesus is the Christ, we are saying that He is the One whom God has set apart to be our ultimate Prophet, Priest, and King. The eternal Son of God, the Alpha and Omega, has taken upon Himself human flesh and blood and become the Messiah.

As our Prophet, Jesus speaks God’s Word to us as no one else can. For as Jesus Himself said, He and the Father are one. He could reveal God’s Word more clearly than any other prophet, for He had come from the Father. Just as the Father, He has existed for all eternity.

As the Christ, Jesus is also our ultimate Priest. The function of a priest is to offer sacrifices in behalf of others. Obviously, Jesus has offered the ultimate sacrifice. The cross in the middle of our window reminds us of that sacrifice. He offered the once–and–for–all sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins by offering His body on the cross.

Finally, Jesus is the ultimate King. The Bible calls Him the King of kings. After completing His work by offering His body as a sacrifice for sinners, God exalted Him to the highest place in heaven, where He now rules over heaven and earth for the benefit of His church.

That brings us to the message of Ascension Day, the day we are celebrating today. Forty days after His resurrection, Jesus, in the presence of His disciples, was lifted up above the clouds to heaven, where He is now seated at the right hand of God. Seeing Jesus ascended to heaven has always had great meaning for the church. For one thing, it confirms for us that Jesus really is the great prophet of God. If He is powerful enough to conquer death and rise from the grave, and then to visibly ascend beyond the clouds to heaven, then He obviously has the power to do what He says in His Word, in the words of the Bible..

As our great Prophet, Jesus is still preaching in our churches today, not visibly as He did when He walked the earth, but through His called pastors and through the words of the Bible. It ought to have great meaning for us that the authority of this One, who is the Alpha and the Omega, stands behind the Words we hear preached or that we read in the Bible.

And knowing that Jesus is ascended into heaven also gives us confidence to trust in Him as our great High Priest. In Jesus’ ascension to heaven, God makes a statement. He says loudly and clearly that Christ has successfully completed the work He came to do. He has conquered sin, death, and the devil. In His ascension, Jesus was returning to heaven as a triumphant King. And all who trust in Him share in His victory.

That’s the assurance that Christ’s ascension gives to us. Jesus is our great High Priest, whose sacrifice has paid the price for our salvation.

Now, Jesus our High Priest has ascended to heaven, where, as the Bible says, He makes intercession for us. That means that Jesus, now in heaven, pleads and prays for us before our heavenly Father.

This ought to be a great source of comfort to us, because there are times in our lives when we find it hard to believe that we are really forgiven. There are times when conscience condemns us because of sins we have committed. At these times, it is good to know that Jesus is pleading our case before God. He is saying, “Father, forgive them because of the sacrifice I made on the cross.” The ascension of Jesus to heaven assures us that Jesus has defeated all our spiritual enemies and has done everything necessary to save us.

Finally, knowing that Jesus ascended to heaven gives us confidence that Jesus is the King of kings. That’s what the ascension means. When we say that Jesus ascended to heaven, we do not only mean that on one day in history His body floated upward. But we mean especially that He has ascended to the highest position of authority. That’s what we mean when we confess in the Apostle’s Creed that Jesus is seated at the right hand of God. To be seated at the right hand of God means that Jesus has been given all authority over heaven and earth. As we heard in our epistle lesson, “God has placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church, which is His body.”

In the meantime, Christ continues to do what He did when He was visibly present with His church. Just as He gave forgiveness to repentant sinners when He lived in our world, He gives us forgiveness today in baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Just as He preached and taught back then, He preaches and teaches still today through His called pastors. Just as He prayed for His believers then, He continues to pray for us in heaven. Just as He had compassion for those in trouble back then, He continues to care for us today in all of our needs. Just as He raised those who had died back to life again then, He gives eternal life to His believers still today.