Originally published on The Electric Gospel on June 1, 2014.
Forty days after his resurrection from death to life, Jesus ascended again from earth up to heaven. The following message was written when I had opportunity to serve as guest preacher for an ascension-themed service.
Don’t Stand Around Waiting for Heaven to Happen
— Jesus Left Us Here for a Purpose
by David Sellnow
On the day of his ascension, Jesus was on the Mount of Olives with his disciples, and “he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight” (Acts 1:9). His disciples “were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go’” (Acts 1:10-11).
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I wonder: Like Jesus’ first group of disciples who stood staring into the sky after Jesus had ascended from their view, do we spend much of our time as Christians simply standing and staring up at heaven? We have a tendency to see Christianity as a waiting process … waiting for the end of time, waiting for Jesus to return, waiting for heaven to become our home. That is the end goal of our faith, but let’s not overlook what comes before that. If Jesus had nothing else in his plans for us except heaven in the end, he could take us to heaven right now. He could have taken his original disciples along with him up to heaven on the very day he ascended above the Mount of Olives. But our Lord had something else in mind for them, and for us. He wants us to be his witnesses in this world. While we wait for the future glory of being with our Lord there, above, we have something important to do here, below. We have a mission to our neighbor. We have a mission to the world.
Let’s look at what was said and seen when Jesus ascended back to heaven and learn some lessons about our lives in the here and now. First, Jesus said to his disciples, “Wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:4-5). Now, of course, the disciples already had the Holy Spirit – and indeed the Holy Spirit was very much involved in the baptizing that John the Baptist had done at the River Jordan. But to these men, his apostles, Jesus had promised an additional, special outpouring of the Holy Spirit – giving them supernatural abilities. They would speak in foreign languages (without needing language training) and would even perform miracles. God’s purpose was to accentuate and punctuate the message they were speaking in his name, to call attention to their message with special demonstrations of his out-of-this-world power. But the main aim of the Spirit was always in the message itself (not merely in the miracles). Still today and every day we have the main power of the Holy Spirit with us – the power to change hearts when we share the word of Jesus. When we go out in our day to day lives as witnesses for Jesus, we do so with confidence knowing we’re not on our own. Jesus promised, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20), and also that “all Scripture is breathed out by God” (2 Timothy 3:16 CEV) – given to us by the Holy Spirit. As we live our lives and speak about Jesus, we have the power of the Holy Spirit empowering us. We can be bold and outgoing. We need not be shy or afraid.
But even as Jesus was speaking to his disciples about the power they would have from the Holy Spirit to go out into the community, out into the world, they were thinking of something else. They asked Jesus, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6) The disciples of Jesus were still somewhat stuck in a view that was common to their culture. They thought that the Messiah would establish Israel as his nation on earth and the people of God would live in peace and power there in Israel, separate from the other nations of the world. We can be like that too. We like to cloister ourselves in our small circles with one another as a Christian citadel, somewhere where we can feel safe. But is that what Jesus has in mind for us as his disciples? No. We will find safety in his eternal kingdom at the end of time, but in the meantime Jesus wants us living our lives in the world, acting as influences on our neighbors in the world, reaching out and speaking out in his name.
Jesus said to his disciples, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Notice the pattern which Jesus established. First they would be his witnesses in Jerusalem – right where they were at that time. Then their efforts would spread throughout their region – Judea. Then to the next regional area – Samaria. And eventually their message would be spread – not just by them but by word of mouth from person to person after starting with them – all the way to the ends of the earth.
So it is with us today too. Jesus would say to us, “You will be my witnesses in your town or city, and in your state or region, and in the neighboring region, and to the ends of the earth.” That doesn’t mean God expects each individual to become a world missionary and go to every place on the globe. But he is commissioning each of us to be a witness to tell about Jesus’ love and forgiveness wherever we are living, all through our lives. And through us one person after another will be influenced. So every single Christian is a witness for Jesus in a constant, ongoing pattern of witness.
What will our lives look like if we are witnesses for Jesus? I think sometimes we think about that in too complicated a way, as if you have to have a whole bunch of training or an official position as a pastor or teacher. Certainly pastors and teachers do much outreach in the name of Jesus. But when Jesus speaks of “witnesses” he means anyone who has seen, heard, experienced what the message of Jesus means and relates that meaning to someone else. A good example would be a man whom Jesus had rescued from a plague of many demons. He didn’t know much more about Jesus than that – that Jesus was the one who had saved his life. Jesus told him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you” (Mark 5:19 CEV).
Being a witness for Jesus doesn’t have to be complicated. You need not be an expert on every biblical doctrine. You need not be a champion at Bible Trivia or know all the who’s who and what’s what of Bible history. Certainly it’s good for you to read your Bible and become more familiar with the people and events detailed in the Bible. But as a witness for Jesus the main thing is simply that you know Jesus himself. You know that you are a sinner who so very much needed Jesus and needs Jesus, and that Jesus is so very much the Savior who has done for you everything you need. And you simply live your life in acknowledgement of him, in confession of him.
On another occasion, Jesus said to his disciples, “All people will know that you are my disciples if you love one another” (John 13:35). A compelling way we can give a witness to others about the kindness and love of Jesus is to be kind and loving toward the people around us. People won’t want to know about our doctrine if it seems we care about doctrine more than we care about them. People won’t inquire about our faith and religion if we don’t seem inquiring or interested in them as people. But when faith in Jesus makes our lives come alive, when the hope of Jesus is evident in our lives, when the love of Jesus is overflowing from our hearts, we open paths to connect with others with the message of faith and hope and love.
Jesus’ apostle Peter urged us, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15). If our lives express hope, others will have a reason to ask us why we are so hopeful, and we will have opportunity to speak about Jesus. If our lives display peace and contentment, someone may ask us, “How do you stay so calm and positive?” and we will have opportunity to speak about Jesus. If our lives show love—unfailing love, unflinching love, love that keeps loving even when people are unlovable—people will wonder, “Why?” And we will credit Jesus, for only he can fill us with such love.
My friends, disciples of Jesus, you are witnesses of the life and love and power of Jesus. His life is what gives your life meaning. His love is what moves your heart to love. And his mission – to bring people to know about love and forgiveness in his name – is your mission. So as his disciples, let’s not just stand around waiting for heaven to happen. Don’t think of your faith life as something that happens just in church when you’re saying prayers and singing hymns. You are a witness for Jesus wherever you are, whomever you’re with. Live your life as someone knows and trusts Jesus. Simply let others see “how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you” (Mark 5:19). And your Lord Jesus—who is in heaven but holds all power on earth and in heaven in his hands—will be with you always, in all you say and do.
