Good Monday to you my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
Are ‘good-byes’ hard for you? Sadly, they are a fairly frequent reality in life, but some are more difficult than others, aren’t they? We’ve all walked away from the bedside of a dying friend or family member knowing that was likely the last time we’d see them alive. For the disciples and close friends of Jesus, His appearances, after that Passover/Easter weekend, were wonderful, confusing and hard good-byes all at the same time. All of His post resurrection appearances were unexpected and as each ended, those who’d seen Him didn’t know when or if they’d ever see Jesus again?
Yesterday I left you in Jerusalem with the closest friends of Jesus… WAITING. Waiting for what, they weren’t exactly sure!? Jesus had simply told them, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift My Father promised, which you have heard Me speak about…. in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1:4,5)
According to Dr. Luke while the friends of Jesus waited it appears their questions mounted. Suddenly, once again Jesus surprised them by meeting with them. We don’t know exactly when or where, but Luke tells us they were ready with a question: “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6) What do you hear in their question, my friends? Since the days of King Solomon, almost 1000 years before, almost all Jews, no matter where they lived in the world, had been waiting, hoping that somehow in their lifetime the miracle of Israel’s restoration would happen.
But if they were truthful, their waiting and their hope was doused by the reality that Jews were increasingly scattered all over the known world and Israel was disappearing from the world map. In the days of Jesus Israel was but a province in the huge Roman empire. Daily Jews felt the tyranny of Roman occupation and domination. While Jerusalem and the Jewish Temple existed, to most Jews they seemed but a shadow of their former glory of so long ago.
But Mark tells us Jesus had made a fascinating statement, as His ministry began, which I’m sure awakened Jewish hopes that maybe, just maybe the almost forgotten hope might be approaching. Mark records it this way: “After John the Baptist was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee proclaiming the good news of God: ‘The time has come. The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news.” (Mark 1:14,15) All three of the other Gospel writers tell us Jesus often referred to the Kingdom of God and that His Life, His teachings, His miracles were all part of God making His kingdom available to humanity. (Matt. 5:3-10)
For Jews, of course, many wanted to believe that Jesus was giving them hope that Israel would be restored to the global glory of centuries past. (1 Kings 10:23-25) And therefore the disciples now asked the resurrected Jesus if finally, NOW, the time had come and resurrected Jesus would declare Himself to be the long awaited Messiah and bring the restoration Israel long had hoped for?
But I imagine that Jesus’ response left His friends confused: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:7,8)
Now my friends, if you were one of these hopeful, anxious, waiting friends of Jesus who had watched the incredible miracles Jesus had performed so many times, and listened to Jesus speak about God’s kingdom, what would you have understood Jesus was saying and would you be encouraged or further confused? Do you hear three very clear, powerful statements from Jesus in His words?
First, God the Father, in all His majesty and glory, is the only One who holds the future of Israel, planet earth and the Kingdom of God.
Second, these close friends of Jesus were soon to receive a spiritual power from God which they had never before known, as the Holy Spirit would come upon them. The Holy Spirit would enable them to more fully understand all Jesus had been teaching them, and more courageously engage in accomplishing God’s purposes here on earth in their lifetime.
Third, their life purpose was now coming into focus. As eyewitnesses of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and as followers of Jesus whose lives were changed by being with Him for these many months, the remainder of their lives would have one primary purpose: being ambassadors of Jesus! They would be the ones authorized to speak on behalf of Jesus, giving personal witness to all they experienced and helping all those who were interested, to know Jesus and experience the life transformation available in a relationship with God through Jesus.
Do you imagine these disciples of Jesus had so many more questions? We know Matthew recorded that Jesus had met not long before this with His disciples in Galilee and told them something very similar. Jesus had said: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I will be with you always to the very end of the age.” (Matt. 28:18-20)
Do you hear how similar these two statements of commissioning are? As exciting as these statements are, do you suppose the disciples were left with some haunting disappointment, especially those who desperately wanted to see Roman authority overthrown and a practical, powerful restoration of Israel prominence similar to that of centuries past?
The disciples were left with the same challenge you and I often face today. Can we find contentment in the promises of God when our hopes and vision for our futures seem different from what God has as His best for you and me? Are we willing to align our hearts with the heart of God even if it means we set aside our personal agenda? Are we willing to consider that God’s purposes in our world and His way of involving us in those purposes are so much more than we could ever imagine and may bring far more hope and help to our world than we could ever attempt on our own?
Those are deep and life impacting questions aren’t they my friends? As the disciples wrestled with them, let’s do the same, and here’s a song to help us consider them, and I’ll meet you right back here tomorrow as we continue digging into what Jesus meant with these powerful, remarkable, challenging statements, very near the time that He left His disciples.
Today’s Scriptures: Acts 1:4-8 & Matt. 28:18-20.
Choose below to read or listen.
Acts 1:4-8
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Matt. 28:18-20
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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