This week “The Pew” will be about the path ahead.
What do I do now? I feel sure that all of the disciples were asking that question, following Jesus was everything.They had given up much, had seen and heard the things that Jesus did during his ministry and now Jesus would be speaking to them for one last time… He would soon ascend to Heaven and be with the Father. They were gathered in a 2nd floor room, hiding there because of the anger of many in the Jewish community along with the Jewish Council’s hostility toward Jesus and his disciples continued to incite the Romans to take a harder line to this new movement.
19 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, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Scripture tells us that after Jesus rose from the dead he presented Himself alive to the women who had come to the tomb.
Matthew 28:9-10… And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”
There are also other writings…Acts 1:3…During the forty days after he suffered and died, he appeared to the apostles from time to time, and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive. And he talked to them about the Kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 15:6…Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.
From further scripture I present this for your consideration… This is from a great web site, Got Questions…“Forty days after the resurrection, Jesus and His disciples went to Mount Olivet, near Jerusalem. There, Jesus promised His followers that they would soon receive the Holy Spirit, and He instructed them to remain in Jerusalem until the Spirit had come.” Then Jesus blessed them, and as He gave the blessing, He began to ascend into heaven. The sequence here is important and I find sometimes timelines confuse me but this one is short and to the point. After Jesus had rose the next events were compelling, profound and a lot more adjectives could be added but few would truly due justice to “The Great Commission”. What is Next? Many of us over the years have sought the answer to that question. The answer to that question was given to us by Jesus… Matthew 28:19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. (NLT)…
These are not instructions, wishes or requests from our Savior but a command. Jesus said I will send the Holy Spirit to enable you to do this thing. This command is to include all People, in every city and every country, to the ends of the earth. We are to make disciples…“go,” “baptize,” and “teach” this being the main command of the great commission. The “Going,” “baptizing,” and “teaching” are the means by which we do this, the basic of which means to teach or train people to follow and obey Christ. It is God’s desire that all people be saved…
… “who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.) 1 Timothy 2:4
Nothing difficult to understand. Repentance, Forgiveness, Obedience and Salvation. We know what to do and God’s people have been doing it at great costs throughout the world…Remember the Call…The Great Commission… Obey, Go and Tell.
Life is Good
Jk