The last scene…the beginning of a new…

  The last scene…the beginning of a new…

Over the years I have taken pictures of our leave taking from friends and family…it is fun to see the growth from year to year of my children…I also took for granted that there would be a return to visit them again…until there wasn’t…those parting times were filled with hugs, kisses, tears and a final goodbye…then on the road…it was good to get home, sleep in my own bed, back to routine…but the sweetness of the visiting time was precious…

Jesus, went back to his home, his throne after saying his goodbyes as well…after his “visit “ to earth…how he loved and why He came is infinite…immeasurable to each human…his promises, his teaching , his giving of his life so that others might live…unfathomable…but, He did…

The end of each of the gospels and the beginning of the book of Acts tell of the scene of Jesus here before ascending to sit at the right hand of God…

He gives them a reminder, a command, a promise, an encouragement…then he was lifted up…to return again some day…

The disciples worshipped, they were filled with great joy…and they blessed God …

Thank YOU….

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matt.28.16-20

 Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” 

So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.]]

Mark.16.14-20

 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” 

And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. 

While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. 

And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God.

Luke.24.44-53

 This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true. Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

John.21.24-25

 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 

And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But 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.” And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 

And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and 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.”

Acts.1.3-11

The commission…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMt-SpULKGQ