GOOD-BYE
FOR NOW
Third
of three in Ascension Series
Luke
24:50-51
“When
He [Jesus] had led them [disciples] out to the vicinity of Bethany, He lifted
up His hands and blessed them. While He
was blessing them, He left them and was taken up into heaven.”
Saying good-bye to people is hard. People cling to loved ones who’re
leaving. We throw “Going Away”
parties. We invite them to dinner. We give people gifts when they leave us. Why do we do this?
Loved ones make us feel valued.
Loved ones make us glad to be alive.
We never want them to forget us. Throwing
parties and eating one last meal together seals our bond before parting
ways. Sometimes life circumstances
demand people relocate to a different city.
Sometimes college separates hometown friends. However people walk away from our lives, it’s
never easy to say, “Good-bye.”
One question that’s never answered
to one’s satisfaction: Will we meet
again? One day believers will meet again—and
meet Jesus, too. We can imagine the
disciples’ anguish watching Jesus disappear into the sky. What now?
Luke 24:52-53 says that “they worshipped Jesus and remained in Jerusalem
with great joy. And they stayed
continually at the temple praising God.”
Jesus promised His disciples power
from on high (the Holy Spirit in Acts 1:8).
He also comforted them when He said that He’d not leave them as orphans;
He’d come to them in John 14:18. He
surely had their attention now after they watched Him ascend beyond their
sight! Believers today have these same
promises.
The book of Acts tells how the
disciples received this power, and what He enabled them to do. Matthew 28:16-20 tells Jesus last command
(that’s for you and me) that we call “The Great Commission.” (See Take Home Nugget).
Jesus tells all His siblings in
God’s family that He will never leave nor forsake us. We never had to say, “Good-bye” to
Jesus. But won’t it be so great when we
get to meet Him face-to-face and say, “Hello?"
We know how hard it is to say,
“Good-bye.” (See the lesson linked below
for Jesus comforting promises for all His disciples).
Take Home Nugget
Matthew
28:18: “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All
authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.” This is one of the most awesome power
statements in the Bible! Jesus told us
that He’s boss…before He continues with verses 19-20a: “Therefore, go and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.’”
“And surely I am with you to
the very end of the age.” Matthew
28:20b
J.D.
Griffith
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