DAY 10: THE ASCENSION
Scripture Passage: Acts 1:1-11

 

AFTER HOLY WEEK:

FOLLOWING JESUS’ ASCENSION:
• THE DISCIPLES CHOSE MATTHIAS TO REPLACE JUDAS (ACTS 1:12-26).
• THE HOLY SPIRIT CAME ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST (ACTS 2:1-13).
• PETER DELIVERED THE FIRST CHRISTIAN SERMON (ACTS 2:14-41).
• GOD ESTABLISHED HIS CHURCH (ACTS 2:42-47).
• JESUS’ FOLLOWERS SHARED THE GOSPEL IN JERUSALEM (ACTS 2:5-8:3).
• JESUS’ FOLLOWERS SHARED THE GOSPEL THROUGHOUT JUDEA AND SAMARIA (ACTS 8:4-11:18).
• JESUS’ FOLLOWERS SHARED THE GOSPEL TO THE ENDS OF THE KNOWN WORLD (ACTS 11:19-28:31).

 

Lots of people make a big deal about how much time we spend on our phones. Some see it as a big problem, and rightfully so. All of us could probably benefit from putting our phones down a little more from time to time. However, our phones are also essential tools in our lives. They keep us connected like never before. They put essential information at our fingertips whenever we need it. They remind us of important dates and tasks. They wake us up. They entertain us. In light of this, they’re extremely important to us. Even if you don’t yet have a phone, you most likely desperately want one because you see how vitally important they are to so many people around you.

 

That importance has made us extremely reliant upon our phones. That’s what some people see as one of the dangers. After all, what happens if we no longer have them? Most of us can’t fathom the thought of this being a reality in our world, but many of us have experienced some small taste of it before when our phone dies. Because we use them so much, most of us have trouble keeping our phones charged. We’re constantly looking for an outlet or a USB port we can get it plugged into because we know all too well, with everything our phone is capable of doing, it’s not going to be worth anything at all if it doesn’t have the power it needs. In the Christian life, the same thing is true for us.

 

Read Acts 1:1-11. In the minutes before He ascended into Heaven to take His rightful place at the right hand of God the Father, Jesus found Himself, once again, surrounded by His closest followers. Even after all they had seen, they were still questioning Him about what exactly it was He had come to accomplish in our world. They wondered if He was finally going to restore the earthly Kingdom of Israel, not yet fully realizing Jesus had come to inaugurate the Kingdom of God.

 

Jesus told them not to concern themselves with those kinds of things. He made clear that everything that is meant to happen will happen in God’s time. In the meantime, however, He reminded them what they were to do, echoing what He had told them in the Great Commission. He said, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” In other words, “go tell people what you’ve seen and heard from me.” Of course, Jesus desires us to do the same thing, but what does it mean for us to be witnesses in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and the ends of the earth?

 

We need to witness to our people, those people immediately around us, that are like us. That’s what it means to witness in Jerusalem and Judea. We talk about Jesus with people who share our language and culture and other commonalities. In other words, our neighbors. We’re called to love our neighbors, and what’s more loving than witnessing to them of the saving power of Jesus Christ?

 

We also need to witness to those people, not just people who aren’t like us, but people we might not even like. That’s who the Samaritans were for the Jews, people they saw who had abandoned God. They hated Samaritans, and Samaritans hated them. It’s not polite to admit, but we all have “those people” in our lives, people we’d rather we didn’t have to interact with at all. However, we know from Christ that everyone is our neighbor, whether like us or not, and we are called to love everyone with the love of Jesus, freely and willingly sharing that love with them.

 

Lastly, we are called to witness to all people. Jesus used geography to explain the scope of Gospel advancement He expected, but He wasn’t concerned with places. He was concerned with people. He called His followers to witness to all people everywhere. That’s why His mission continues today. Everyone hasn’t heard the Gospel yet, and it’s up to us to tell them.

 

However, none of us will be very effective in trying to do it on our own. Jesus knew this. That’s why He commanded His disciples to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the very presence of God with us and the power of God at work within us. Without the Spirit, we’re just like a dead phone. We have all the potential to change the world, but we won’t be much use without the Holy Spirit’s power.

 

However, the Holy Spirit has come. He is with us now, every follower of Jesus. He empowers each of us to follow wherever Jesus leads us to be His witnesses. So, will you go with Him?

 

THINK ABOUT IT:
Who are some of “those people” in your life that you struggle to be around, much less talk to them about Jesus?
How can you look for ways to be a witness for Christ to people around you today?
How does the Holy Spirit empower us for the work Jesus has called us to?

DAY 9: THE GREAT COMMISSION
Scripture Passage: Matthew 28:16-20

 

AFTER HOLY WEEK:

FOLLOWING EASTER SUNDAY:
• JESUS CONFIRMED HIS RESURRECTION TO THOMAS (JOHN 20:24-29).
• HE APPEARED TO SEVEN OF HIS DISCIPLES AS THEY WERE FISHING (JOHN 21:1-14).
• JESUS FORGAVE AND RESTORED PETER (JOHN 21:15-23).
• HE SPENT TIME FURTHER TEACHING HIS DISCIPLES (ACTS 1:3-8).
• JESUS GAVE HIS DISCIPLES THE GREAT COMMISSION (MATTHEW 28:16-20).
• JESUS ASCENDED TO HEAVEN (ACTS 1:9-11).

 

We’re all fans of something: certain movies, types of music, specific sports teams. When we’re a fan, we’ll often share what we’re a fan of with others. We’ll try to get our friends to watch our favorite movie with us. We’ll create and share a playlist of songs inspired by the musical artists we like the most. We’ll post videos of our reactions whenever our team wins.

 

However, some people take their fandom to a whole other level. They become downright fanatical. They love the object of their affection absolutely and are completely devoted to it. These fans will also share what they’re a fan of with others, but it’s different. They want others to be devoted to it as much as they are. If they’re fans of the Marvel cinematic universe, they don’t want people to just watch the movies. They want them to love the movies, talk about how amazing they are, and stay up to date on the latest news and spoilers about the next phase. This kind of fan not only shares what they love with others, but they also do everything they can to make them as passionate about it as they are.

 

Another word for this kind of fan would be “follower” because they follow every bit of detail about the object of their fandom. They learn, share, and celebrate everything they can. And another word for “follower” is “disciple.”

 

Read Matthew 28:16-20. As Jesus was preparing to leave this earth until His promised return, He gathered together His closest followers, the 11 disciples who were left since Judas had hung himself (27:1-10). He had already appeared to them multiple times following His resurrection. They all, even “doubting” Thomas, had seen Him with their own eyes and listened to Him with their own ears and had their faith confirmed and strengthened. There were still others who had followed Him who had not had the same experiences, and they doubted. However, not these 11 men. While they had all fled and abandoned Him in some way before, they never would again. They would follow His lead wherever it took them and obey His commands, whatever it may cost them.

 

What Jesus said to them on that mountain outside Galilee are the last words Matthew records in His Gospel and some of the last ones Jesus ever spoke. So, they’re worth paying attention to. Jesus began by acknowledging His new authority. He had always been fully God and fully human, yet he had limited His divine power in coming to our world as a man. However, following His resurrection, He fully embraced His authority once again.

 

So, what did Jesus do with His authority? He gave His disciples, and in turn, all of His followers, a mission: make disciples. These men weren’t mere fans of Jesus. They loved Him absolutely and were completely devoted to Him. The purpose of their lives, Jesus revealed, was to invite others to become just like them. And how exactly were they supposed to do that? The same way we are today.

 

First, go. Jesus didn’t just mean for them to go to specific places and peoples in various parts of the world, though there are certainly times we need to be intentional about getting to those who need Christ most. But we also need to be aware of who is around us as we go about our lives every day. We’re surrounded at all times by people who, just like us, need to know the redeeming love of Jesus. Second, we baptize. What this means is that we bring people into the family of God, His Church. We don’t just tell others about Jesus to make them disciples. We then invite them to join us so that we can be disciples together. Third, we teach. This doesn’t mean we have to be experts. It just means we take everything we have learned and are learning about Jesus, and we pass it on to others.

 

For sure, this is a daunting task, but it’s the mission to which Jesus called every one of us. And the best news is, we don’t do it alone. We have each other, of course, but even more than that, we still
have Jesus. He may not walk this earth as a man any longer, but He has still promised to be with each of us “to the end of the age.”

 

THINK ABOUT IT:
Who did God use in your own life to make you a disciple?
How can you take steps in fulfilling Jesus’ mission for your life?
What comfort and encouragement do you receive by knowing Jesus is with you all the time?

DAY 8: THE RESURRECTION
Scripture Passage: Mark 16:1-8

 

HOLY WEEK TIMELINE:

ON EASTER SUNDAY:
• JESUS ROSE FROM THE DEAD (MATTHEW 28:1-8).
• HE APPEARED TO MARY MAGDALENE (JOHN 20:11-18).
• HE JOURNEYED WITH SOME FOLLOWERS ON THE ROAD TO EMMAUS (LUKE 24:13-35).
• HE APPEARED TO HIS DISCIPLES (JOHN 20:19-23)

 

There’s a trend on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram of making prank videos. You’ll find people pulling pranks on their friends, parents, spouses, and even their children. You’ve probably seen some of these. A guy dressed up as a plant out on the street jumps out at people as they walk by. A girl who keeps throwing ping pong balls off her boyfriend’s head, trying to make them bounce into a cup until she finally throws an egg, which breaks all over his face. A dad who shaves off his beard and jumps out at his daughter, who’s never seen him without it before. A husband who fills his house with clowns knowing those are his wife’s greatest fear. The list could go on.

 

While the style of the videos and the pranks themselves are different in each one, there’s one thing they all have in common. That’s the reaction of the person being pranked. Usually, there’s an initial shock, which includes a physical jump as they react in surprise. They often clutch their chest and sometimes even scream. Then they usually devolve into a fit of nervous laughter once they realize there’s no real danger, and everything’s meant to be one big joke.

 

If you’ve ever been the subject of a prank yourself, then you most likely have experienced that same shock and surprise for yourself. Now, imagine you go to visit a loved one at the graveyard only to find them up and walking around as if nothing ever happened.

 

Read Mark 16:1-8. Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome had been followers of Jesus for some time. They had come with Him and His disciples when they came to Jerusalem. They were present at the crucifixion. They witnessed Jesus’ death on the cross, and at least two of them, the two Mary’s, saw where Jesus’ body was laid in the tomb and that a stone had been rolled against the entrance.

 

So, on Sunday, the third day after Jesus’ death, they came back to His tomb with spices to anoint His body. This was something that Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus had already done. So, why would they come to do it themselves? Perhaps they were so lost in their grief they didn’t know what else to do. After all, that’s the only reason they had come, to grieve. They weren’t expecting anything else. They certainly weren’t expecting the resurrection.

 

However, when they arrived, they found the stone over the entrance rolled away and soon went inside to find that Jesus’ body was no longer there. Mark wrote that they were “alarmed.” The Greek word used to describe the women’s reaction is used by Mark two other times in his Gospel. The first is when Jesus returned from His transfiguration (Mark 9:15). When the people saw Him following Mark wrote they were “overwhelmed with wonder.” The second time Mark used the word was when Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. Mark described Him as being “deeply distressed and troubled.” These other two instances help give us a better idea of what these women were feeling. There was a sense of wonder and amazement, but also trouble and distress. That’s what it meant for them to be “alarmed.” In other words, they were shocked and surprised.

 

Adding to their alarm, the angel not only told them that Jesus wasn’t there because He had risen, but he also told them to go and tell Peter and the other disciples. Yet when they left, Mark wrote they didn’t say anything to anyone because of how afraid they were.

 

Well, they certainly had reason to be afraid. After all, it was fear that had caused the other disciples to flee or deny Jesus. Just a couple of days before this, the whole city was chanting to crucify Jesus. Who knew what they might want to do to His followers now? But that wasn’t the only reason for their shock and surprise. You see, in the resurrection, they were witnesses to possibly the greatest display of God’s overwhelming power. If we’re not careful, we can miss that. We’ve all heard this story so many times that we unintentionally sanitize the awesome display of God’s complete dominion that is shown in His raising of Jesus from the dead.

 

It was this power, God’s power, that produced the trembling, astonishment, and fear in these women. But they didn’t stay afraid. Eventually, their shock gave way to joy, and we know from the other Gospels that they did go and tell the disciples, and their telling of this good news spread throughout Jesus’ followers. But it didn’t stop there. The good news spread through them throughout the world and on down through the ages to us. And now that good news continues today as we tell of it to others!

 

THINK ABOUT IT:
What is so shocking and surprising about Jesus’ resurrection?
Why do you think it produced fear in both the Mary’s and Salome?
How can we work to stay more aware of God’s power at work in the world around us and our own lives?