The Vine: May 13, 2024
“Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the Vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing”
This is a weekly reflection on the previous week’s sermon text. Each week there will be a devotional related to the scripture for the week, along with questions for reflection/discussion, as well as prayer. Feel free to make this a part of your individual spiritual growth throughout the week or utilize in small group settings (growth groups, Sunday school, etc.)
“So, when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set 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, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” When he said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
Luke wrote the Gospel of Luke as well as Acts. It was an intentional two-volume body of work. The Gospel of Luke told the story of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, while Acts told the story of the work of the Holy Spirit in the early Church. The first chapter of Acts is a bridge between Luke and Acts and answers the question, “So where do we go from here now that Jesus Christ has been resurrected?”
It’s interesting to note that Luke reported the ascension of Jesus twice – once at the end of Luke and the other time in our text today from Acts. In Luke Jesus ascends to heaven from Bethany on the evening of the same day of the Resurrection. In Acts Jesus ascended after a forty-day period of presenting himself to his followers. So, the obvious question we might ask is, “So which is it? Did he ascend on the day of his Resurrection in Bethany or much later as reported in Acts?”
In his commentary on the book of Acts from the Interpretation series, Will Willimon wrote:
“Luke was an artist, not a newspaper reporter. The contradictions in the accounts of the ascension are clues to the author’s intentions. In Luke 24 the ascension is a conclusion, a dramatic finale to Jesus’ earthly ministry. The one whom Pilate and Caiphas sought to entomb is taken up in glory. In Acts 1, the ascension is the beginning presupposition the church is based on. The end becomes the beginning as the story continues. Luke is looking at the same ascension from different points of view, drawing from its different implications for the community.”
“In Acts two languages are used to describe what has happened in Christ. One, the language of resurrection victory over death; the other, the language of ascension, sitting at the right hand of God and empowerment. These two motifs shall meet in Acts 2 at Pentecost when the life and power of Christ shall be given to disciples through the Spirit.”
The lesson for us as followers of Christ is that death has indeed been defeated, while at the same time God is still present with us through the Holy Spirit. Jesus knew that his early followers and future followers (us) would need the Holy Spirit to accomplish all that he asked. After all, before Jesus ascended, he left some instructions, “But you 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.” The good news for you and me is that the Holy Spirit walks alongside us as we seek to be faithful witnesses for Jesus Christ in and through our lives.
Questions for Reflection:
How does Jesus’ command to be witnesses connect with his parting words to his disciples in Matthew 28:18-20 (The Great Commission)?
What is the meaning and significance of the ascension of Jesus in our day to day lives?
We need assistance to accomplish what Christ asks of us. When in your life have you experienced the empowerment of the Holy Spirit? In addition to empowering us and calling us out of our comfort zones, the Holy Spirit also functions as a comforting presence. When and how have you experienced the comfort of the Holy Spirit?
The disciples were gazing toward the clouds when Jesus ascended and were asked the question, “Why do you stand looking up toward heaven?” The question redirected the disciples’ focus from Jesus’ ascending to the mission that he had called them to live out. In what ways do we need some “redirection” towards the same mission Christ has called us to as witnesses?
prayer:
Gracious God, we thank you that you have not abandoned us. Through the work of your Holy Spirit, Christ still walks among us, and we are grateful to be included in your works of grace in this world. May we be faithful witnesses for Christ today. Amen.
In Christ,
Brad
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