If you only had 40 days left to spend with your family and closest friends, how would you spend them? Infused with a sense of urgency, would you not seek to make the most of every minute and do all you could to leave a lasting impact and legacy? As we continue to explore some of the last words that Luke records from Jesus’ life here on earth, they prove to be lasting words, and indeed you and I are here today because of how Jesus’ disciples obeyed His final words before He ascended into heaven.

Picking up in Luke 24:46-47, it is vital to remember that because Jesus has been raised from the dead, prophecy is fulfilled and we have been given the interpretive key of all the Scriptures. Christians often say the Bible is “all about Jesus,” but what does that mean in our practical day-to-day life? While much could be said about this crucial truth, this passage in Luke reveals that the storyline of Scripture is not only about Jesus’ death and resurrection, but also about His plan to reach the nations with the gospel. This leads us to our next pathway of the resurrection’s impact on our daily lives.

Because Jesus has risen from the dead…

We are commissioned to PROCLAIM

Since Jesus has risen from the dead, forgiveness and eternal life are secured, and if you have received it, you are commissioned to be a part of proclaiming it to the entire world! God’s gracious gifts of repentance and forgiveness of sin are not just meant to be enjoyed within the safe confines of our church community; they are meant to be extended and shared to those in our own city and out to the uttermost parts of the world! Think about it — you are a Christian today because someone, going somewhere, shared the good news of the kingdom with you.

Since Jesus has risen from the dead, forgiveness and eternal life are secured, and if you have received it, you are commissioned to be a part of proclaiming it to the entire world!

Jesus says in verse 48, “You are witnesses of these things.” A witness is one who bears testimony about personal knowledge of something. This is the same word that is used in Acts 1:8 (Acts being Luke’s sequel), which again states that we are to be witnesses unto the ends of the world. This is a command that is a blend of human responsibility and divine sovereignty. As my pastor recently observed from this text, “God doesn’t custom make a mission for you, He custom makes you for His mission.” Every one of God’s people has a part in God’s global mission.

God doesn’t custom make a mission for you, He custom makes you for His mission. Every one of God’s people has a part in God’s global mission.

As of today, there are approximately 7,000 unreached people groups in the world, which totals approximately 2.9 billion people who have never heard the message of Jesus!^[1] Beloved, this means that there is A LOT of work to be done! But before we go and proclaim, let’s see what is next in the story.

Because Jesus has risen from the dead…

We have been given a PROMISE

Jesus next declares in verse 49,  ^“And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you.” Oh, this beloved promise of the Father! The Holy Spirit! Jesus said, I will not leave you as orphans, but I am going away to the Father, and in fact it is to your benefit that I go, because then I will send to you another just like me, the Holy Spirit. He will be with you, and He will be in you! The same power that conquered the grave lives in you, Christian!

But notice that this promise has a near future fulfillment, “I am sending…” The disciples had heard about this promise before, but here Jesus gives them a command to prepare them to receive the promise.

Because Jesus has risen from the dead…

We have been given POWER

What Jesus says next is astounding: “But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Here is the command — STAY! Wait a second, Jesus had just told them to go and proclaim His name to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem. Why stay? They were to stay in the city (Jerusalem) until they were clothed with power from on high. Again, this sets the stage for Luke’s sequel, where Jesus proclaims in Acts 1:8, “You will receive power when the HOLY SPIRIT comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses…”

They were given the Great Commission, but they did not yet have the ability to carry it out. They were to stay and wait until the promise of the Father came. It’s been said that if God is making you wait, He is making you ready. And what were they to do while they were waiting? Here is the last and the most important truth of what we are to do because Jesus has risen from the dead:

Because Jesus has risen from the dead…

We can and are commanded to PRAY together

Luke is the only Gospel author who includes Jesus’ ascension, perhaps because he also gives more detail in his sequel book, Acts. As we briefly explore these last two verses of Luke’s gospel, seek to enter into the disciples’ shoes.

Jesus led them out as far as Bethany, which was about a Sabbath day’s journey away. Jesus is still their leader and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. Jesus is their priest and mediator, and He is praying for them to His heavenly Father. Then while He is blessing them, He is suddenly taken up into heaven. How would you have responded? How did the disciples respond?

It says that they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem (as they were commanded), with great joy. Wow, quite a difference of heart and attitude from the beginning of this whole passage where they were afraid, confused, and doubtful. What happens next? It says that they were continually in the temple blessing God.

As we conclude, let’s follow this scene into the first chapter of the book of Acts.

In Acts 1:12-14 we are told that the disciples returned to the upper room (where the Passover meal was shared) and that “all these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer…” Again, how long were they to do this? “Until they were clothed with power from on high.” This is amazing. The disciples had encountered the risen Lord, they had the right message, they were filled with great joy as they worshiped Jesus, yet they weren’t ready to go proclaim the message. They needed to wait and pray for the Spirit to come. This is so counter-intuitive to how humanity tends to function, especially in our day. Today, we have so many other options for how to fill a room and advance the message of Jesus other than prayer. We have forgotten that just as the first disciples had no other option, neither do we. They were commanded to wait and pray…and ten days later, everything changed.

Today, we have so many other options for how to fill a room and advance the message of Jesus other than prayer. We have forgotten that just as the first disciples had no other option, neither do we.

As we approach Pentecost Sunday on June 5th, we will be devoting the next four Mondays to key teachings about the person and work of the Holy Spirit in and through our lives. We pray that it will help ignite a fresh dependency upon the Spirit in prayer!

Copyright © 2022 Justin Jeppesen. All rights reserved.

^[1] Cited from: https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/statistics on May 7, 2022.