Then Jesus led them to Bethany, and lifting his hands to heaven, he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up to heaven. So they worshiped him and then returned to Jerusalem filled with great joy. Luke 24:50-52
Today is known as Ascension Day, when Jesus gave His last instructions to His disciples and returned to heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father. It’s also the beginning of ten days of waiting for the gift of Holy Spirit. Over the past 40 days the disciples learned to trust Jesus in a whole new way. He was with them in body, sometimes. But yet they could feel His presence and He would appear by entering locked rooms and disappear without a word. He was teaching them to trust Him and know He was with them even when He couldn’t be seen. They also learned to trust His word and that He was true to His promises. Because of this they followed the instructions He gave to return to Jerusalem and remain there and He would appear to them but as His unseen but felt Spirit. Why did they do that?
For 3 1/2 years the disciples spent most of their lives with Jesusand although He was constantly teaching them, they weren’t truly understanding the lessons or the preparation for His torture, crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection. But during the 40 days between His resurrection and ascension, something changed. They began to remember things He had told them, events that had happened, now seemed to have a deeper meaning. A better understanding was being revealed and a deep trust was developing in their hearts. A trust they would need now that Jesus would be leaving this world. A trust that would take them even deeper into their relationship with Him, that would eventually overflow into the community and to the ends of the earth as Jesus had told them they would do.
What about you? How’s your relationship with Jesus? Is your relationship with Him growing deeper and stronger as you seek His heart and want Him to reveal more and more about Himself? Or is it at the same place as when you first entered into a relationship with Him? As with the disciples, it’s never too late to begin to trust Him more, and He is patient. Take these next 10 days to deepen your trust in Him and watch your relationship grow, and overflow into the lives of others.
Leave a Reply