The Kingdom of God

 ²⁶He also said, "This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground.²⁷Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. ²⁸All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. ²⁹As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come."³⁰Again he said, "What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? ³¹It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. ³²Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade."

Jesus is the sower and the seed.  Jesus plants and the kingdom of God grows by his Word. Christ' s body and blood are planted and they sprout creating a great harvest of believers.  Jesus does this all for us in our baptism that we may be a part of the harvest of the kingdom of God.   

Our Ascended Lord

 ⁵⁰When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. ⁵¹While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. ⁵²Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. ⁵³And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.  Luke 24:50-53

Jesus was taken up into heaven to take his rightful place on the throne of God as the King of all creation.  He had led a life of humility on our behalf in order to take our sin upon himself and pay its price on the cross.   He had come back from the grave on Easter and revealed himself to his disciples and now it was time to rule over his creation with his Father.

After Jesus ascended into heaven his disciples worshiped him and stayed continually at the temple, praising God.  They knew that even though they couldn't see him, Jesus was still with them.  Jesus was at the right hand of his Father.   Our Father is everywhere and so is his Son.  We can't explain how this can be with Christ in his body, but in faith we receive his body and blood wherever we are around the world.  He is always there to give us peace.  As he promised he sent his Holy Spirit to his church on the day of Pentecost.  The Spirit is always there comforting us, pointing us to Jesus and creating faith in us through God's Word and Sacraments.  Praise our ascended Lord.  He is still here with us now.