The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1908, Page 33

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The Lutheran Pioneer,

A MISSIONARY MONTHLY.

PUBLISHED BY THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN SyNODICAL CONFERENCE OF NortH AMERICA.

R. A. BISCHOFF, Editor.

Entered at the Post Office at St. Louls, Mo., as second-class matter.

‘St. Louis, Mo.) May, 1908".

Vol. XXX. No. 5.

The Ascended Savior.

“All His work and awirfare done,

Christ to heaven now is gone,

And beside His Father’s throne

Still is pleading for His own:
Hallelujah!”

Our Savior’s Ascension.

Forty days after His resurrection Christ as-
cended into heaven. His ascension is a source of
comfort and joy. For it is our Savior that as-
cended into heaven, the same that came down from
heaven to redeem us from all sin, from death, and
from the power of the devil. His ascension is the
crowning proof that the work which He came to do
is finished. He returned to heaven as the mighty
Conqueror who has gained the victory over our ene-
mies, and has redeemed us from the captivity in
which we were held by sin. “When He ascended
up on high, He led captivity captive and gave gifts
unto men,” says the apostle. And the psalmist
says: “Thou hast ascended on high; Thou hast led
captivity captive; Thou hast received gifts for men,
yea, for the rebellious also.” Therefore Christ, be-
fore His ascension, told His disciples to go into all
the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.
The Gospel which He wants His Church to preach
in all the world is the glad news of the world’s
redemption, the glad news that our enemies have
been made captive and that heaven is again opened
for us. In the Gospel the ascended Savior Himself
gives. to sinners pardon and salvation, the gifts
which He has received for men, even for the re-
bellious. It is this that makes the Gospel the power
of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.

It is this that gives us the assurance that our mis-
sion work is not in vain. In the preaching of the
Gospel the ascended Savior is working with us for
the salvation of sinners. He is at all times with us,
though our eyes see Him not; for He has given us
the promise: “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto
the end of the world.” He that has entered the
majesty on high and now sitteth at the right hand
of God the Father Almighty, is able, as He is will-
ing, to fulfill all His promises. Therefore Chris-
tians pass through this world doing in joyful con-
fidence the work which’ the Lord has given them to
do, ‘patiently bearing the cross the Lord gives them
to bear, seeking those things which are above, where:
Christ sitteth on the right hand of God, and looking
for “that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing
of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.”

To the disciples who looked after the ascending
Savior the angels'said: “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.”
He has gone to prepare a place for us and will
come again to take us to our heavenly home. He
Himself tells us: “In my Father’s house. are many
mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you.
I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to
prepare a place for you, I will come again and re-'
ceive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye
may be also.” So our hearts need not be troubled.
A little while and all the labors and sufferings of
earth shall be past. :

“A little while our Lord shall come,
And we shall wander here no more;
Yet He'll take us to our Father’s home,
Where He for us has gone before —
To dwell with Him, to see His face,
And sing the’ glories of His grace.”