2 Kings 2:9-12. 9When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.” 10And he said, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you, but if you do not see me, it shall not be so.” 11And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 12And Elisha saw it and he cried, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw him no more.
There are two stories in the Old Testament of someone who went up (ascended) to God without dying. The first is Enoch. Have you heard of him? The Bible says that Enoch walked with God and “was not,” for he was taken up into Heaven. The second is Elijah. Elijah was a great prophet of God. Elijah did some really amazing things: he raised the dead, made a river part in two, and he called down fire from Heaven. But despite all the amazing things he did for God, Elijah was still afraid that he was never doing enough. He felt all alone and rejected, even by God. Have you ever felt that way?
With Jesus we never have to feel that way. With Jesus we don’t ever have to be afraid that we have not done enough for God. Why not? Because God doesn’t need us to do anything for him – he’s God! And because we don’t ever really die when we have Jesus. Like Elijah we are taken to Heaven when we die – And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. There in eternity we will do everything God ever wants from us and we will have all of time to do it.
Elijah had a student named Elisha; he’s also in today’s story. Elisha was afraid of living a life that did not count for God. That’s why he asked for a double portion of the Holy Spirit – And Elisha said, “Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.”
This sounds like Elisha is asking for twice as much of the Holy Spirit’s power than Elijah had. But Elisha is actually asking to receive Elijah’s same spiritual inheritance. You see, the double portion was the inheritance of the oldest son. Back then, when the father died, the oldest son received more than all their brothers and sisters, a double portion. Elisha is requesting the same amount of the Holy Spirit that Elijah had, not more, not less, just the same.
When Jesus was taken up into Heaven, he promised his disciples (and us) that his Spirit would come to them. He promised that we, his younger brothers and sisters, would receive his same life, his same inheritance, his same power, his same love. Christ is the “oldest son” who has shared the double portion of his Spirit with us. Not more. Not less. Just the same.
Now, with Jesus’ same double portion of the Holy Spirit, we don’t have to be afraid. We have the same amount of love, peace, and joy that Jesus has. In fact, everything that is his is ours. The same power that rose Jesus from the dead lives in us. The same blessings of Heaven that are his, are ours in him. The same Holy Spirit that guided the life of Jesus guides our life. The same Father that showered his love on the Son, now showers his love on all of Christ’s brothers and sisters.
With Jesus, fearless living is possible.
Because we have been given everything by Jesus, now we can do everything through Jesus. We can live and love like him. We can live without the fear of losing anything because everything is ours in him.
You: Do you ever feel alone and forgotten?
You with Jesus: How does knowing that Jesus (by the Holy Spirit) is always with you help you to not be afraid?
Prayer: Father, sometimes I get discouraged. Doing the right thing and living for you can be really hard. But I want you to know that I believe that one day you will take me to Heaven, and until that day I have the Holy Spirit to take care of me. Amen.
TLICfamily 