He was taken up to Heaven - Now what?

…then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them…

What would it have been like for the apostles who were present at this event? Think about what these folks have been through in just a few weeks:

> They came into Jerusalem with their Rabbi for the Passover feast, as all faithful Jews as required to do, and He got a hero’s welcome in the city streets.

> Later that week, at the Passover dinner, He told them that He was going to die soon, and He knew that one of them would betray Him.

> At the same dinner, He washed their feet and told them to follow His example for the whole world.

> During the dinner, He took the loaf of bread and told them this was His body, and said  the cup was filled with His blood. He commanded them to eat and drink, and to “do this in remembrance of me”.

> Then He got arrested, and tried, and a crowd called for Him to die. (Do you ever wonder whether any of the same people were in the crowd on the street a few days ago?)

> Then He died on the cross and was buried.

> Then He came back to them several times and showed them that He was alive.

>He stayed around for 40 days, continuing to teach them, but making sure to say that He would be leaving them.

> Then He called them together one last time and He left them.

These men just have to be wondering how strange life is going to get for them! They can’t get it clear in their minds. Everyone tells the story with different details.

In the reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we find that an angel came to them and asked them why they were standing there looking up at the clouds in the sky. It took the words of that angel to get them moving – back Jerusalem, back to the Room – first to pray, and to wait.

Then, when the time was right, after the promised Holy Spirit did appear, they did get moving; they “went forth and preached everywhere”.

If we would let ourselves join that scene on the hill, we would probably stay there for a while, too. We might spend some time looking up at Heaven, maybe we would pray about what just happened.

Can we really do that? Who? Me? I can’t do that; I’m too … (whatever) or I’m not (whatever) enough.

Somewhere there is someone who needs to know that we are Christians, living the truth of our redemption through the Gospel. Words aren’t the only way to “preach”. Remember that “the Lord worked with them.” He can work with us, too!

As a way to get started, we could make this little prayer:

“Lord Jesus, work with me. I don’t always know how to work with you.  I trust that you will send Your Spirit to guide me, so I can do what You ask me to do.”