Forty Days to the Ascension - Pt. 6

 

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:16-20 ESV).

 

As we continue along the path of Jesus and His ascension, we must expect there were other on-going appearances with the disciples. Luke indicates this in Acts when he writes: To them he presented himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days, and speaking of the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). However, there is one appearance that we must visit more specifically. Our reading tells us it takes place on “a mountaintop in Galilee.” It is here that he gives the Great Commission.

 

Along with this commission to tell others the message of hope and eternal life, “making disciples of all men,” Jesus also gives them this incredible foundation of hope: And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (v. 20). This is the promise Jesus makes to be with us to the very end of our lives. He knows the nearly impossible task of shaking worry and disappointment from our lives and He provides us the answer to those times. Knowing this unshakable promise of Jesus enables us to reframe our disappointments as merely a part of the great story of triumph and rescue. The real meaning of our lives then emerges to overcome the shadows of doubt and fear that we somehow are not enough, betraying our inner hopes and dreams. It is the presence with saving grace that makes all the difference between joy and sadness, victory and defeat.

 

And, Jesus will soon prove this in their lives. Jesus summons them back to Jerusalem at least toward the end of the period of the forty days. There they would be present for the feast of Pentecost. We can imagine frequent appearances with on-going instruction for Luke records that Jesus “stayed with them.” Most of these appearances and discourses are not recorded. Luke writes in Acts: And while staying with them he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me, for John baptized with water, but before many days you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:4). I’ll write more about this later; but, for now, understand the presence of the Holy Spirit, God Himself, residing in us is no small thing. It is the tangible proof of our victory in eternity. Allow that to sit deeply in your heart and mind. Jesus won! And, we win with Him!