At some point between Jesus’ resurrection and Pentecost the Ascension happens. At the beginning of Acts we find Jesus talking to the disciples. Jesus says they won’t know when but they “will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the Earth.” Once he said that he was “lifted up and a cloud took him out of their sight.” (Acts 1: 8-9)
It's important we don’t try to cement the ascension into the ground too much. It’s supposed to be a wondrous and wild kind of thing. But amid the mystery of it all, there is one thing that is clear … Jesus’ earthly mission has come to an end, but our role in it has not. The Holy Spirit has arrived on the scene to fuel us into action.
We are now to live with the Holy Spirit in us. Peter says we are now living stones building up a spiritual temple. The apostle Paul says our bodies are now a living sacrifice. The followers of Jesus are now called to work with the Spirit to continue the mission (bring about the kingdom of heaven on earth).
Last week we talked a lot about what the Spirit was, what it sounded like, the breath of the Spirit. We continue that conversation this week as we explore what it means to to work with the Spirit, to be led by the Spirit, to use our very selves to pursue Christ’s mission here on earth.
How exciting!
See you Sunday,
Julie.