Ascend

This coming Sunday we will observe Pentecost, which is the annual celebration of GOD sending the Holy Spirit to bring life to the Church. It is a beautiful thing that bringing life to the Church came by the Holy Spirit resting on individuals. This is precisely how GOD chooses to work – He brings His Spirit to people, and as we gather together as individuals to collectively serve, share, and shine, the Church lives!

Jesus began to prepare His disciples for his departure prior to his betrayal, crucifixion, death, and resurrection. They weren’t excited about this, but Jesus told them it was for the best “it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” (John 16:7, NIV) It is the ongoing fulfillment of His promise of the Holy Spirit that brings new life to us as individuals so we can share that with the whole world. Needless to say, this is a big deal and I hope you are making plans to be present as we celebrate Pentecost this year.

The idea of Pentecost is preceded by another significant event in the history of the Church: the Ascension of Jesus. When it was time for Jesus to return to the Father after He walked the earth following His resurrection, He asked for His remaining 11 disciples (Judas Iscariot was already dead) to join Him on the Mount of Olives. It is here that according to Matthew’s Gospel that Jesus gave us the Great Commission: Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28.18-20)

These are important words. Prior to leaving for Heaven and then sending the Holy Spirit, Jesus told the Disciples that they had work to do. Everything that he had taught and modeled in His ministry was to give them the example to share the love of GOD with the whole world! Suffice it to say, these are three very important verses as they teach us:

1. Jesus has all authority in Heaven and on earth: the job of deciding the tough issues isn’t yours and it isn’t mine, but the Lord’s. This provides us freedom to do what he needs us to do.
2. Go and make disciples of all the nations: the hallmark of this is love. Jesus said we will be known as His disciples by how we love others.
3. Jesus is with us…always: when the going gets tough, Jesus is with us. Following Jesus’ commandment to love and share the Good News of salvation, knowing that Jesus is with us in the good days and bad, is critically important!

 So as we consider Jesus’ ascension, there is definite inspiration for us to ascend to a new role as well! Jesus wants us to rise up out of the minute and the mundane to share the big idea of GOD’s love and grace with a world so desperately in need of it! With the Holy Spirit’s help, we can rise from the pain and agony of hopelessness and into a beautiful new existence! We can find the hope to ascend from whatever troubles the world might bring thanks to what Jesus said, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16.33)