Acts 1:8-11. 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
Today we return to the actual story of Jesus’ ascension, this time from the book of Acts.
As we’ve seen, for the Christian, the ascension is a very big deal. Without the ascension, we cannot live with Jesus in our hearts. Without the ascension, Jesus is not on his throne ruling over everything and defeating his enemies. And without the ascension, we don’t know our purpose.
What is our purpose, you ask? To be witnesses of Jesus – and you will be my witnesses…
Often this is called the Great Commission. Have you ever heard of the Great Commission before? To be commissioned is to be sent to do a job, or fulfill a purpose. Christians are sent out by Jesus to tell others about him. Jesus called it “making disciples.”
In today’s scripture the original Disciples are staring up into Heaven even after Jesus is gone. That’s when the angels (men in white robes) tell them to stop looking into Heaven. You can’t be a witness for Jesus if you are standing still staring at the sky. You have to get to work.
But notice that Jesus doesn’t just tell the Disciples to witness; he tells them that they ARE witnesses. Witness is not just something we DO; it is who we ARE. Every Christian is a living witness. Every single part of our life should point people to Jesus.
Jesus also tells the Disciples where to witness – Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. Obviously you don’t live in these places. But you do live somewhere. Jesus is teaching us to be a witness for him right where we are – at school, at little league, in the neighborhood, and everywhere else you go.
Does this all sound too hard? Don’ worry, we have power! By the ascension, Jesus is seated in power over all things. And because Jesus lives in us, we have his power in us. That’s what Jesus meant when he said you will receive power from the Holy Spirit.
Power over all our enemies – the devil is defeated.
Power over all our guilt – Jesus’ sacrifice for our failures was fully accepted by God.
Power over all our fear – Jesus’ ascension means we are protected by God.
Power over our weakness – Jesus turns all our weaknesses and failures into his strengths and successes. We don’t witness by our strengths; we witness in spite of our weaknesses.
With Jesus we live in all the power of the ascended Christ. We have received the Holy Spirit into our hearts, giving us the power of love that will never leave, no matter what. So stop standing there, looking into heaven, and start sharing the greatest story ever told with our Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and even the ends of the earth.
You: Does it excite you or scare you to think that you are a witness for Jesus?
You with Jesus: How can you be a witness for Jesus today?
Prayer: Father, witness is what I am, it’s not just what I do. Help me to stop standing still and start telling others about Jesus with my words and my deeds. Amen.
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