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?