Kaboom!
Here are some thoughts on the gospel for Ascension, which we'll be using at St.Timothy Lutheran Church this Sunday.
Gospel: Luke 24:44-53
44[Jesus said to the eleven and those with them,] “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.”45Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, 46and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, 47and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48You are witnesses of these things. 49And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
50Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. 51While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. 52And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; 53and they were continually in the temple blessing God.
In this scene, Jesus has been crucified, raised from the dead and was appearing to his disciples and others. Life was not to continue like that, however. The time had come for Jesus to return to his Father, which would enable the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the disciples, empowering them to share the faith.
There are a couple of things that stand out to me in this passage. Verse 45 says, “Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures.” That was foundational. Without understanding how Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection connected with the Hebrew Scriptures, how could they ever testify to God’s work? This was not some new, cooked-up religion entirely separate from the only scripture they had at the time.
Notice Jesus tells the disciples to stay put “until you have been clothed with power from on high.” That power is the promised Advocate, Paraclete, Holy Spirit. The Greek word used here for power is the one from which we get the word dynamite. KABOOM! That’s power! God and God’s power were essential for God’s people to share God’s good news and their story intersecting with God’s story. That is what the Christian life is about!
If our story stays APART from God’s story, then we are missing out on so much in life. However, if we allow our story to become A PART of God’s story, that makes all the difference in the world. It changes our personal lives and our corporate lives. We are empowered by God’s Spirit in our world to effectively witness to what Jesus has done historically in Palestine with his first followers and in our own lives as his later followers.
What has God done in your life lately? Share your story.
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Gospel: Luke 24:44-53
44[Jesus said to the eleven and those with them,] “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.”45Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, 46and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, 47and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48You are witnesses of these things. 49And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
50Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. 51While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. 52And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; 53and they were continually in the temple blessing God.
Today is Ascension Day, which we will celebrate on Sunday. This passage from the end of Luke’s gospel sets the stage for the happenings of the book of Acts, also written by Luke.
In this scene, Jesus has been crucified, raised from the dead and was appearing to his disciples and others. Life was not to continue like that, however. The time had come for Jesus to return to his Father, which would enable the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the disciples, empowering them to share the faith.
There are a couple of things that stand out to me in this passage. Verse 45 says, “Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures.” That was foundational. Without understanding how Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection connected with the Hebrew Scriptures, how could they ever testify to God’s work? This was not some new, cooked-up religion entirely separate from the only scripture they had at the time.
Notice Jesus tells the disciples to stay put “until you have been clothed with power from on high.” That power is the promised Advocate, Paraclete, Holy Spirit. The Greek word used here for power is the one from which we get the word dynamite. KABOOM! That’s power! God and God’s power were essential for God’s people to share God’s good news and their story intersecting with God’s story. That is what the Christian life is about!
If our story stays APART from God’s story, then we are missing out on so much in life. However, if we allow our story to become A PART of God’s story, that makes all the difference in the world. It changes our personal lives and our corporate lives. We are empowered by God’s Spirit in our world to effectively witness to what Jesus has done historically in Palestine with his first followers and in our own lives as his later followers.
What has God done in your life lately? Share your story.
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