My focus has been the Ascension this week. This is odd in itself since I have never really had a need to go to those scriptures in Acts. I have studied them but I have never been an
"Acts" person. It was never one of my "go to" books of the Bible. Kind of dry, I guess.
Our pastor, however, is doing a sermon series on the beautiful stain glass of our church and the Ascension is by far one of the most beautiful. Jesus is showcased in a billowing, white cloud. So since my class is more or less a discussion forum of the sermon text, to those scriptures I had to go.
I was really surprised to realize there were some nuggets of gold there. Looking back, I think I felt less than qualified to dig into such a divine and mysterious part of the Bible. But isn't that exactly what God wishes us to do. To delve into His divinity so that we might understand more and more this divine/human partnership our Savior died to create?
The part that drew my interest in this story focused on Jesus sitting, eating with his disciples minutes away from his Ascension. It was not unlike the meal he took with them prior to Passover, other than he was dead and he bore the nail marks from his crucifixion. That would be a little disconcerting to say the least. But after this much time had passed, I am sure they were more or less at ease with it.
The disciples ask him, "Lord are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" Now the phrasing here is not the same as another meal when James and John were trying to get one-up on the other disciples, feuding about the heavenly seating arrangements. the one-upmanship of James and John. The wording here indicates that they had all discussed this previously and collectively wanted to know what was going to happen.
"Acts" person. It was never one of my "go to" books of the Bible. Kind of dry, I guess.
Our pastor, however, is doing a sermon series on the beautiful stain glass of our church and the Ascension is by far one of the most beautiful. Jesus is showcased in a billowing, white cloud. So since my class is more or less a discussion forum of the sermon text, to those scriptures I had to go.
I was really surprised to realize there were some nuggets of gold there. Looking back, I think I felt less than qualified to dig into such a divine and mysterious part of the Bible. But isn't that exactly what God wishes us to do. To delve into His divinity so that we might understand more and more this divine/human partnership our Savior died to create?
The part that drew my interest in this story focused on Jesus sitting, eating with his disciples minutes away from his Ascension. It was not unlike the meal he took with them prior to Passover, other than he was dead and he bore the nail marks from his crucifixion. That would be a little disconcerting to say the least. But after this much time had passed, I am sure they were more or less at ease with it.
The disciples ask him, "Lord are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" Now the phrasing here is not the same as another meal when James and John were trying to get one-up on the other disciples, feuding about the heavenly seating arrangements. the one-upmanship of James and John. The wording here indicates that they had all discussed this previously and collectively wanted to know what was going to happen.
I have thought about the disciples during the trial and death of Jesus, even at the cross. I had even tried to put myself in their places, sitting around in the upper room, fearful and guilty. But after Jesus appears, I have never given them another thought. Just 50 days to Pentecost - Hurrah!
What was going through their mind? Our leader is so invincible, he conquered death! He is sitting here, evidence of the world's worst marked on his hands and feet, and we are his posse. Remember his words? We would go on to greater things, performing even greater miracles than he? Jesus raised the dead - what in the world tops that! We are going to get some kind of supernatural power with our own ghostly superhero as our leader. Wow! What a head trip!
I wonder what Jesus thought as he heard the question. Did they yet again not grasp that his kingdom was not of this world? That they would be martyrs not minions. Did they not realize the scourgings, imprisonments, grisly torture and deaths that awaited them.
How sad it must have made God to realize the centuries invested in a people, the people of Israel, would end like this. He loved the people of Israel, He always would. But He would now place His very essence in these clay vessels. Not so far removed from His flawed Israel. And the word would not be contained within a people, but in a soul.
These rag-tag group of men would soon hold His unquenchable flame. Their feet would carry them to places not defined by boundaries, nor color, nor sex, nor even faith. The Spirit would speak, love, act, and baptize in His Name. And nothing could stop it. Because as one vessel died, another would pick up the flame, and another, and another because the flame would not be extinguished. It could not.
Praise be to God!
These rag-tag group of men would soon hold His unquenchable flame. Their feet would carry them to places not defined by boundaries, nor color, nor sex, nor even faith. The Spirit would speak, love, act, and baptize in His Name. And nothing could stop it. Because as one vessel died, another would pick up the flame, and another, and another because the flame would not be extinguished. It could not.
Praise be to God!
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