Great Joy | Luke 24:44–53 | The Disciples Understood at Last

Watch This Sermon on the Ascension

What caused the disciples to rejoice after Jesus left them? In this Ascension Sunday sermon from Luke 24:44–53, Pastor Mark Groen unpacks the joy-filled response of Jesus’ followers—not because of His absence, but because of His exaltation. The ascension is not a departure story, but an arrival story. It reveals that Jesus has taken His throne and now reigns as our risen and ascended King. This message explores how the Old Testament pointed to this moment, how the disciples became bold witnesses of the truth, and how we are called to do the same today. Let the joy of the ascension fill your heart with confidence, purpose, and praise.

📖 Click to Show the Transcript of this Sermon

Are we there yet? Now, this is perhaps one of the most famous lines uttered from the back seat of a vehicle on vacation. Am I right? Impatience rules the day when it comes to children making their way to a desired destination. It's natural that they would feel this way. They don't understand often time, and so therefore, they also don't understand distance. You mix those two things together, and you're going to end up with some impatience. Now, many years ago, when I was a youth director, students would try to get under my skin when we would go on trips by asking, Are we there yet? And eventually, they would literally start asking from way back of the 15-passenger van, Are we there yet? As we were pulling out of the church parking lot. They thought they were funny. It's my job to think I'm funny back, right? So I started saying, Yes, we're just looking for a parking spot. Now, they thought that was funny at first, but eventually they wanted to know when we were going to arrive at the destination. They didn't really understand where the retreat or the camp or the mission trip was at.

They didn't understand. Well, maybe they knew it was near this town, but not being drivers themselves. They didn't feel that sense of time or no. It was this long-standing joke. It kept on going through the time that I served there. Now, sometimes I would stick to that corny line about looking for a parking spot, but other times I would finally give in, and I'd give them that rough estimate of when we were going to get there. Because understanding the final destination is important for us. Understanding the purpose of why we are traveling is important for us. As we look at the ascension of Jesus today, we see that Jesus is arriving at his destination. This ascension of Jesus is not a random thing. It isn't plan B. This was where he was intending to arrive at all along. Jesus knew when he was going to get there. He leaves his disciples, and he clearly understands, because he's Jesus, where he is going. But his disciples may not understand. But he lets them know that this is the plan all along. He is going to be arriving at his destination, and it's for their good and his glory.

We're going to see that the disciples understand this great truth because it brings them great joy. We land here in Luke 24 this morning, and it is my hope that we will once again come away with a better understanding of the ascension of Jesus. Like the disciples, we will have great joy when we remember that we not only have a risen Lord, we serve an ascended king. And so as we go through these passages today, we're going to be focusing on three points that arise out of this text for us. The first thing that we're going to see, and I've mentioned it already, we're going to see that what happened to Jesus was the plan all along. Now, the disciples are only a few weeks removed from the events of the crucifixion and the resurrection. And from their point of view, these things would have seemed as unplanned. But what we see here is that this was what was always going to happen. It was prophesied. It was planned. As I said before, this isn't plan B. The resurrection and the ascension are plan A. This was ordained from the beginning, and it was foretold by the prophets.

Secondly, we see that the disciples are the witnesses of these events. The idea is that they are not only able to attest to the truth of what has happened, but they also are going to go out, and they are going to testify to what has happened. But we also see that they are to wait until they are clothed with power from on high. They are not going to be able to do this on their own. This isn't about their power. It's about the power of God. They are going to be equipped by God to do his work. Finally, we see that the departure of Jesus is not something that brings sorrow to the disciples. You would think the resurrected and ascended Lord of heaven and earth, your rabbi, your teacher, your master is leaving you. You think this would be cause for depression and sadness. But what we read in the text is that they're filled with great joy because they understand that Jesus is arriving somewhere. He is arriving at his destination, and he is reigning in heaven. So they're not saddened by his absence, but they're filled with joy that they are servants of the King.

And so as we land in verse 44 of Luke 24, we see Jesus giving his disciples some instructions. And what we find is that Jesus is reminding them of what he had been teaching them prior to his crucifixion. Now, when we read the Gospels, we see a theme over and over about the poor disciples. Those guys, they get a hard look there in the Gospels, don't they? They just don't ever seem to know what's going on. They're just not getting what Jesus is teaching them. They're like that one friend that we all have that just doesn't get what's going on. You got to explain the jokes to, right? I mean, really, that is, and hopefully that friend isn't you. I don't mean to offend anybody. But that's what's going on always in the Gospels. The disciples just don't get it. While it would be easy to just assume that they're a bit daft. We have to understand that their expectations for the Messiah were skewed. That's why they don't get it. They were expecting earthly conquest. They weren't expecting an ascended and a heavenly king. Their focus was national Israel and not the salvation of the people of God from one tribe, tongue, and nation.

Of course, they didn't understand what Jesus was saying because they weren't looking for it. Have you ever picked up a cup and you drink from it and you were expecting something different to be in that cup? Have you ever done that? You pick up a cup and you think you have water and it's milk. And the milk is perfectly fine. Whatever you're drinking tastes perfectly fine. But when you drink it, it tastes like there's something wrong with it because your brain was expecting something different. It's the same thing with the disciples here. They are expecting an earthly conquest of Rome. They're expecting an earthly Kingdom of Israel. And so when Jesus comes and tells them something different, they can't even begin to understand. For us, when we drink something out the wrong cup, the flavor is off, the texture is different, but there's nothing wrong with what we're drinking. Our expectations affect what we experience, right? Like I said, something similar was in play here with the teachings of Jesus prior to the resurrection. The disciples' expectations were off, but now Jesus helps them to get it sorted out correctly. We see here right off the bat that this is what was ordained to happen.

Jesus says that everything in the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. And what Jesus is driving at here is that the entire Old Testament was pointing to him. That phrase, the law of Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms, that essentially means the whole of the revealed word of God, what we would call the Old Testament. And the big point is that this was the plan because it was the point of what we all see in the Old Testament. It was foretold not only in statements by the prophets, but the work of Jesus is also pointed to in the Psalms. As we've seen in our time in Genesis, even the stories of the Old Testament point us to something else. They point us forward to a Messiah. They point us to someone who is going to save by the power of God. The entire Old Testament is doing this. This is the truth of what God was doing in the pages of scriptures. But they knew the scriptures. The disciples knew the scriptures, but they still couldn't see Jesus coming. And so now Jesus is going to help them to understand what the big point is of all of this.

Right there in verse 45, we read that he opened their minds to understand the scriptures. Now, we can't know exactly what happened there when Jesus did this, but we do know the result. Their spiritual blindness is gone, and they're no longer slow of heart. These guys who were the goof in the Gospels suddenly turn into these amazing witnesses for Christ in the Book of Acts. Something happened. Something happened for them to understand these truths. They finally get what we've been talking about here, that Jesus is the focus of all of Scripture. His life, death, and resurrection were dripping from the pages of the Old Testament. They also understand that the message is not only for the Hebrew people, but for the Gentiles, too. This impacts what they will teach as they go out with the message of Jesus. It is to go to all the nations. That's a big deal. That's another surprising turn of focus for the disciples. Now, notice that it says that it will all start at Jerusalem, but it is going to out to all the nations. And this message isn't just for the Jews. It's for everyone. And this handful of followers of Jesus are going to be the ones who are going to deliver that message to the people.

If you pick up your Bible and you turn to the Book of Acts, this is exactly what they do. As we'll see next week when we remember Pentecost, we see that they go to Jerusalem and the message from there goes out to the whole world. And when we read the story in Acts, we see how the disciples are preaching. What are they doing? They're proclaiming Christ and him crucified from all of scripture. They're quoting from the Old Testament and showing how all of it pointed to him. And that's the message that they have to share. And as we move on to our second point, we see that this is what Jesus is sending them to do. They are to be witnesses to these things. They have seen them happen with their own eyes, and they now understand how these events fit into the greater story of God's work in the world. They are not just going home and contemplating what these things mean. Clearly, I now have a savior. That's not what they do. They've been called to take this message out from Jerusalem and into the world. Now, I'm sure that this was more than they bargained for.

When a rabbi, by the name of Jesus, came by and said, Follow me. I don't think they were looking for this. They weren't imagining that he would suffer and die and rise again. They were probably most excited at the possibility of telling grandma that they had finally been chosen by a rabbi. They weren't expecting to become witnesses to the ends of the earth of a crucified and risen and ascended Lord. But this is where they're at. They are now the witnesses of the greatest news that the world will ever hear. God the Son took on human flesh to bear the wrath of God for your sin. And after three days, he rose again to secure your individual resurrection. Repent and believe the gospel. This was their message. And this important message is from God. And this message is the power of God unto salvation. But they have to know, even now, even right here in this passage, they have to know that this will not be easy. If the one that you are proclaiming was crucified, chances are they aren't going to be big fans of his followers either. But they're witnesses to this truth, and it is so astounding.

They can't keep quiet. They are the ones who know the truth, and so they can't not do something about it. They have to go. They have to proclaim this message because they are the eyewitnesses to the truth of who Christ is, his death and his resurrection. For this reason, Jesus is telling them that they aren't going to be left to their own devices. The promise of the Father we read will come upon them. And we know what this is, and we'll be remembering the story of Pentecost next week. The Holy Spirit will come upon them, and they will be able to take the message of salvation in Christ to all the nations because they will be able to speak in their language. They will have the power to perform miracles. Why? To attest to the fact that their message is from God. This is what it means for them to be witnesses. It's an important duty that they have, and there is gravity here. They need the help of God. We know that they will be persecuted, they will be martyred. But the message is going to go out. They will attest to the point of death that Christ has been risen.

They are going out. It's because of the power of God that they are given through the Holy Spirit that they continue. As I said before, they can't imagine that this is going to be easy, that an establishment that crucified their Lord will think that they're proclaiming his death and resurrection and his ascension and the fact that he is king over all the earth. They can't even begin to think that the establishment is going to be happy about that. They know what they're up against. And yet, as we move on to our third point in the final part of our passage today, we see that they have great joy. And this is the final part of the book of Luke. And it's astounding, really. Jesus is departing. What's going on? He just defeated death and hell, and he's leaving? Now is the time to really show these religious leaders and those Romans who he is. Let's show them, Jesus, who they're messing with. But that wasn't the point of the earthly ministry of Jesus. The biggest struggle I think we have with understanding the ascension is that we read it and we think of it as a departure story.

I don't know how much of what I say from up here you actually remember, but you might recall what I've said on other Ascension Sundays in the past. This isn't a departure story. This is an arrival story. What we're talking about here is Jesus arriving at his destination. He is getting to where he was always going to go. The ascension of Jesus to the Father's right hand isn't something that's being done because the plan of Jesus was thwarted when he was crucified. Jesus is at the Father's right hand after his death and resurrection for a purpose. And that purpose is to be our mediator and to be our resurrected and ascended King. Now, we saw this truth in what we read from the Book of Daniel this morning. This is one of our favorite Old Testament passages because it reminds us of this destination that Jesus was headed to. The Book of Daniel here gives us a different perspective than we're used to on the ascension. When we think of the ascension, what do we think of? We think of the accounts from Luke and from Acts. But what's the point of view in those stories?

It's our point of view. It's an earthly point of view. It's the view from below. But in this prophecy from Daniel, we see a heavenly perspective. Look at what it has to say here. With the clouds of heavens, one comes up to the ancient of days who is like a son of man. Now, remember, that is a messianic term. When the Old Testament or the New Testament says, Son of Man, it's talking about the Messiah. Well, what does this one, this Son of Man, do? He's presented to the ancient of days, and he has given dominion, he's given glory. He's given a kingdom, and it's not just an ordinary kingdom. This kingdom isn't made up of people from one tribe and derived from a narrow family tree. This king is served by all peoples, all nations, all languages. And this kingdom is everlasting. It's a kingdom that shall not be destroyed. You see here in this passage what the ascension is all about, right? We get further confirmation that this is the plan all along. You can see clearly that the ascension isn't a departure story. It's an arrival story. Jesus is arriving at the right hand of the Father.

When we get this heavenly perspective, we suddenly understand the joy of the disciples in much clearer light. Their minds have been opened, and they now understand what they've been taught. Jesus is leaving them, but they understand what he is leaving to do. And what do they do? They worship him. They now fully understand who he is. You don't worship a mere human. You worship God. And this is why they have joy. Their master has left them, but he has gone to sit on his throne and to do something far better. He is not simply reigning over a small tract of land in the Middle East, sitting on a throne in Jerusalem. Instead, he is ruling over all things. He's seated at the Father's right hand. He is not the king of the Jewish people. Instead, who is this king? He is a king who rules over people from every tribe, tongue, and nation. This was cause for great joy for the disciples, and it brings you and I great joy today. What a blessing that the Lord of Heaven and Earth is the one who loves us and gave himself as a ransom for us. When we understand this, it brings us great joy.

It causes us to worship. So what do we do with this great truth? How can we apply this truth of the ascension in the coming week? Well, today, I want us to focus on one important point of application. We are called to be his witnesses. Now, this looks different for you and I than it did for the Apostles, right? They were called to be witnesses because they were eyewitnesses of the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. And so they went out. And because of their witness, we are here today. They spread the word, and they wrote about it that it might be something that continued beyond their life because.wh they knew that the reign of Jesus would go on for eternity, that it would go far beyond their lives. Our witness to the truth of the gospel is not that we were eyewitnesses, but that we have received the gift of faith through the word and the Holy Spirit at work within us. We testify to the truth that solely by his grace, we have been saved from our sin and our unbelief. We witness to the truth that we receive the blessings of salvation from death and hell.

We gather today as the people of God to testify to the truth that we are the people of God, not brought together from one group of people, but we are under King Jesus, and we consist as the church as a whole, as people from every tribe, tongue, and nation, and we glorify God together. We testify to this in many different ways. We share the truth of the gospel with others. We proclaim the truth of God and trust that the Holy Spirit is at work in us. And so when we proclaim the gospel, we also trust that it will be at work in those who hear our testimony. And we testify to the truth when we gather to worship and we praise God with joy. But we also testify to this great truth of our reigning and ascended Lord when we bring our covenant children for baptism. We acknowledge at the font that we trust in the word and the spirit to be at work. We trust that we testify to the truth. And W so we want our children to hear that truth. We want them to believe in the saving news of the gospel.

And so we are blessed to testify this truth today and to see the promise of the covenant that we have with King Jesus because it's visibly seen for us today as a sign and a seal of God's covenant promise to us. And so may we testify to the truth of our crucified, resurrected, and ascended Lord today and in the coming week, because we have an enduring reason to be filled with great joy. Because our Lord and our Savior is on his throne, and he reigns. Amen.

Want to dig deeper into the Ascension of Jesus?

Watch our related sermon on Acts 1:1–11 titled Receive Your King to explore how the risen Christ rules from heaven and empowers His church for mission.