Easter - Ascension/Return
Last week, we examined the Resurrection, and this week, we will examine Jesus's ascension.
Luke 24:36-53 (NLT2)
And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. 37 But the whole group was startled and frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost! 38 “Why are you frightened?” he asked. “Why are your hearts filled with doubt? 39 Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it’s really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don’t have bodies, as you see that I do.” 40 As he spoke, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 Still they stood there in disbelief, filled with joy and wonder. Then he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he ate it as they watched. 44 Then he said, “When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. 46 And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. 47 It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ 48 You are witnesses of all these things. 49 “And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.” 50 Then Jesus led them to Bethany, and lifting his hands to heaven, he blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up to heaven. 52 So they worshiped him and then returned to Jerusalem filled with great joy. 53 And they spent all of their time in the Temple, praising God.
If you are a follower of Jesus, at some point, you understood that Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sin, you asked him to forgive you, and you accepted him as your Savior and surrendered your life to him.
As we see in verse 45, that only happened because:
GOD HAS OPENED YOUR MIND TO UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE
The only reason you are a follower of Jesus today is because God has opened your mind to understand the bible. The disciples already had a lot of head knowledge about the Bible. By the time a Jewish boy turned ten, they were required to have the first five books of the Old Testament memorized. Genesis. Exodus. Leviticus. Numbers. Deuteronomy. In the Jewish language, that was roughly 80,000 words!
Yet even though they had memorized 80,000 words. Even though they attended the synagogue for worship every week of their lives. Even though they spent roughly three years with Jesus. They still needed God to open their minds to understand scripture.
They knew God created them. They knew that Adam and Eve chose to sin, and sin entered the world. They knew that all descendants of Adam and Eve sinned. They knew THEY were sinners…and they knew they were separated from God…But they did not UNDERSTAND why JESUS died on the cross and rose from the dead.
I grew up Catholic. I understood that God created me.I understood Jesus paid the price for sin on the cross. I understood he rose from the dead. But I wasn’t changed on the inside until God opened my mind to understand how to surrender my life to Jesus.
And, if you have surrendered your life to Jesus, it is only because God has opened your mind to understand the hope found in the Bible. That means God loves you and has chosen to open your mind to HIS TRUTH about your life. You have been FORGIVEN.
FORGIVEN PEOPLE LIVE DIFFERENTLY
When you repent and surrender your life to Jesus, everything changes. You do not just stop doing certain things. You start doing new things. You stop lying. You start telling the truth. You stop stealing. You start working and giving. You stop tearing people down. You start building others up. The change in your life is not behavior modification, it is transformation. You live differently because you have been transformed.
Jesus described these believers as witnesses that prove to the world they saw Jesus alive. Paul described how forgiven people live differently:
Ephesians 4:24-32 (NLT2)
Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. 25 So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. 26 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil. 28 If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. 29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. 30 And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
Paul does not say, “Try harder.”He says, “Put on your new nature.” That means we stop living like we used to. And we begin to live like Jesus.
When you are forgiven for your sin, your life changes. Here is what it looks like:
You stop lying. You tell the truth.
You stop letting anger control you. You deal with it quickly.
You stop stealing. You work hard. You give to others.
You stop using harmful words. You say what is helpful.
You stop holding onto bitterness. You choose to forgive.
Paul is clear, if Jesus has changed your life, your life should look different. There has been an inward change because you have been forgiven.
Now, some of us stopped doing the obvious things, but we never started doing the right things. We stopped stealing, but we never started giving. We stopped lying, but we aren’t really speaking the truth. We stopped using foul language, but we never started building people up. Have you stopped the obvious things but never started doing what is right?
If we truly have surrendered our lives to Jesus, then we understand we live differently. So, embrace the freedom that God has given to you through Jesus. Demonstrate the freedom of forgiveness through a visible change in your life. So, since God opened your mind, you have been changed, and you are being changed to become more like Jesus…
JESUS BLESSED OTHERS, AND SO CAN YOU
Luke 24:50 (NLT2)
Then Jesus led them to Bethany, and lifting his hands to heaven, he blessed them.
The word BLESSED can be hard to understand. I was an altar boy. I remember the Priest taking Holy Water and flicking it on people in the church – and they considered that a blessing. In the movie Rocky…right before his big fight, Rocky asks Father Carmine for a blessing. Father Carmine says a prayer in Italian and makes the sign of the cross. We say God Bless you when somebody sneezes. A biblical blessing means to speak life, give thanks, or ask for God’s favor over someone.
So, as Jesus was leaving, he wasn’t telling his disciples what a bunch of miserable sinners they were…He did not threaten to punish them if they did something wrong while he was gone. Before he ascended into Heaven, Jesus spoke well of his disciples, thanked them, and asked God’s favor upon them. He BLESSED them through ENCOURAGEMENT. He spoke words of LIFE over them. He did not point out all their flaws; he focused on using his words to cause their hearts to swell with joy…not just joy – GREAT JOY.
51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up to heaven. 52 So they worshiped him and then returned to Jerusalem filled with great joy.
The words Jesus said to them filled their hearts with GREAT JOY. He blessed them, and you can bless others, too. You can encourage others with words of life and hope. Your words can bless others. Rather than finding the flaws and pointing out the failures of people around you, use your words to bless them and point out their good.
I am reminded of the Seinfeld episode in which Frank Costanza creates a holiday called Festivus, and at the Festivus dinner, he goes around the table and tells everybody why he is sick of them! The sad truth is that while many people may not have a Festivus tradition like that, many choose to live every day like that. They use their words to criticize, tear down, and destroy others. But, WORDS of BLESSING can bring great JOY to others.
Don’t you feel good when others speak well of you? Don’t you feel good when somebody goes out of their way to say THANK YOU to you and appreciate and value you?
So here is your challenge: find one person to bless with your words. Encourage them. Speak life. Show the change that Jesus has made in you.