He told them, “These are My words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. He also said to them, “This is what is written: the Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead the third day, and repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And look, I am sending you what My Father promised. As for you, stay in the city until you are empowered from on high.”

Then He led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up His hands He blessed them. And while He was blessing them, He left them and was carried up into heaven. After worshiping Him, they returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they were continually in the temple complex blessing God. (Luke 24:44–53)

Just before Jesus returned to his Father in Heaven, he carefully reviewed what the scriptures had to say about him. He took them from the beginning in Genesis and traced himself all the way through until the end. Then he left them with final instructions about what they should be doing while he was gone.

He explained to his disciples that they wouldn’t on their own. Instead, they’d be “empowered from on high” when the Holy Spirit arrived during Pentecost, a festival also called the “Feast of Weeks” or Shavuot. In Exodus 23:16 it was called “the Feast of Harvest” during which the community was to show gratitude to God for the “first fruits,” that is, the early harvest. The holiday followed Passover by fifty days.

Jesus did not ask his disciples to take up arms against the Romans. He did not tell them to go into politics. Instead, he told them to proclaim the Good News that Jesus had died and risen and that forgiveness was available to all. It was not a complicated or difficult task.

Both young and old are concerned with discovering the will of God for their lives. But much of God’s will for our lives is obvious. For all of us, one of our primary purposes in life, whatever else we might do, is to bear witness to the people we know and meet of what Jesus has done for us and for our lives.

Send to Kindle