I mentioned to someone the other day that Thursday was the 40^th day after Easter, and the day of the Ascension of our Lord. His first response was to ask me, "Are you ready for his return?" I answered "Yes." [I am ready for his return because I believe he is my Lord and God.] Then he asked me what would be the signs right before his return. And I answered that the signs were in the newspaper and all around us every day. I said that today would be a good day for the Lord to return.

It is the core of our belief that Christ has died, Christ has risen and Christ will come again. We do not know when he will return. Christ refused to give that date to his disciples and to the church. Even though many have tried, no one can find the correct answer by looking at the strange and hidden prophesies in the Bible. So, since we do not know when Christ will return, we have to live each day as if it could be the Last Day. Realistically speaking we have to do that because we might die today or tomorrow, and so for each one of us personally, the day we die will be our last day of earth. The day we die is the day that we meet the Lord. Are you ready to meet your Creator? Are you ready meet your Lord?

Some people make a big deal about the Second Coming of Christ. Sometimes I think it is an evangelism technique to scare people to come to church and believe in Jesus. It may be a good way to help people understand the seriousness of sin and unbelief. When Jesus comes again, the Second Coming of Christ on the Last Day is also the Day of Judgment. It is like separating the sheep from the goats. Some are for eternal life, others for eternal damnation. The Coming of the Lord can be a fearful day. Meeting Christ the Judge can be a fearful thing. When the book of our life is opened, when the sin and unbelief is given as evidence, how will Christ judge us?

When Christ came the first time, he proclaimed, "Repent and believe in the Gospel." In other words, Jesus was telling us how to prepare for his second coming. We must confess or sins and repent and believe the Gospel. We must believe that Jesus died on the cross for us. We must believe that our sin is forgiven. And at that time we are ready. Then, when the book of our life is opened, when the sin and unbelief is given as evidence, how will Christ judge us? Well, the sin is forgiven. The unbelief has become faith. There is no case against us! There is no evidence. Christ took the blame for us. He took the punishment for us. He died on the cross, and on the third day he rose victorious over sin and death and hell. And therefore we are ready for the Second Coming of Christ!

If you knew that you were going to die tomorrow, like from a disease, what would you do today? Write your will? Say good-bye to your family and friends? Call the pastor for prayer and Holy Communion? Have a party? Go for a drive? Martin Luther said, "Even if I knew that the world would end tomorrow, I would still plant an apple tree today." In other words, God wants us to live as if the world would continue for many years, while at the same time live as if the end is right now. Planting an apple tree is for the future, but it a symbol of how God wants us to live in the present. We live knowing that the future is in God�fs hands. Therefore the present is secure, because the present is in God�fs hands, too.

Because we believe in Christ as our Savior, our future is secure. Our eternal future is secure, even if we do not know about the political and economic and social and religious condition of next year. It could be a complete mess! And even if it is a mess, we are still, as always in God�fs hands.

The Ascension of Jesus is not that Christ has left us alone like abandoned children. We are not left alone to worry about tomorrow. Rather, Jesus said that he would be with us till the end of the world. He is not limited to time and place. He can be with us all ? all the time! He is with us to hear our prayers. He is with us to give us help and comfort. He is with our loved ones who might be far away. So you see, the Ascension is not about Jesus going away, rather it is about him coming near. He is equally near to all of us.

You know, the Lutheran Church emphasizes the Second Coming of Christ only a few times of the year. This is at Ascension and during Advent when we are caught between his First Coming at Christmas and His Second Coming at the end of time. And yet we proclaim our faith in the Return of Christ each time we confess the Creed. But the most important thing is that we believe that Jesus comes to us right now. He comes in the reading of the scriptures. He comes to us in the Sacraments. He comes to us whenever two or three are gathered in his Name in prayer and praise. He comes when we give that uniquely Christian greeting, "The Lord be with you." "And also with you."

Amen.

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