“You Shall Be My Witnesses” Acts 1: 1-14

For the past several years, every Sunday we have gathered and affirmed what we believe as Christians by reciting the Apostle’s Creed. One of the statements that we make, week in and week out about Jesus is - On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead. 

This Sunday we celebrate a very particular part of that statement - that he ascended into heaven. Last week we celebrated Easter, the day when Jesus was raised from the dead. For the next forty days he spent time with his disciples, teaching them, which brings us to this weeks text  - when Jesus was brought back into heaven to sit at the right hand of God. 

For the past several months we have been studying the Gospel of Mark together. We now make what may seem like an odd jump to the Book Acts. Acts continues the story of what happened to the early church after Jesus’s resurrection, starting right off in chapter 1 with his ascension. But what makes this a bit odd is that Acts is linked to the Gospel of Luke, not the Gospel of Mark. Yet, it is a continuation in a lot of ways of all of the Gospel texts, as we move from the first disciples to the first church. 

But I’m getting a little ahead of myself. Last week, following Jesus’s resurrection, he starts to appear to the disciples. Some Gospel accounts have him appearing to individuals, like Mary Magdaline. Others have him showing to most of the disciples in the upper room. Then he comes back to show himself to Thomas at another occasion so he could show him his wounds to prove that yes, he was Jesus and yes, he was alive. He also appeared to the disciples when they were fishing. And during those times when Jesus showed up, he talked to them about the Kingdom of God. 

Its hard to put into words how scared the disciples were when Jesus was killed on Good Friday. They knew that they could be next. So they ran and hid. In Jesus’s reappearing he was able to remind them what all of this was about - not an earthly Kingdom, but the very Kingdom of God. Over those forty days he tried to prepare them for this moment - what was coming next. 

On this particular day, Jesus was breaking bread with the disciples, and started to give them very, very clear directions. Don’t leave Jerusalem. Stay here until you receive the gift that I promised you - the gift of the Advocate, the Holy Spirit. You will be baptized in that Holy Spirit. 

But just like the disciples we saw again and again in the Gospel of Mark, they seemed to miss the point. They didn’t mention at all this baptism of the Holy Spirit or the directions to stay in this place. No, instead, they were drawn back to not understanding the role of the Messiah as they asked Jesus if he is now going to restore the kingdom to Israel. 

Every time I read this scripture passage I am struck by the thought that Jesus is so much kinder than I am. If it was me, I can imagine that I would have had to take a deep sigh. Maybe ask “Really?!… I’ve just spent the last forty days telling you about the Kingdom of God. I’ve showed up and I am instructing you about this mighty act of the Holy Spirit that is about to take place and you are back to asking this question.” It sounds so much like the question they asked in Mark 13, does it not? 

But Jesus doesn’t sigh. He doesn’t call them out. Instead, he just gently reminds them that there are things for them to know and there are things that only God knows. This falls firmly into the second category. 

And Jesus circles right back to what he was trying to tell them in the first place - you are going to receive the power of the Holy Spirit and you will be my witnesses in places that you know, in places you may not know, to the very ends of the earth. 

Then Jesus was exalted by God and taken up into heaven right before their eyes. 

You would think after three years seeing Jesus teach and heal and perform miracles, and certainly after seeing Jesus appear to them after the resurrection, the disciples wouldn’t be amazed by the power of God anymore. But they are dumbfounded. All they can do is keep looking up at the sky. That is until two angels show up and ask them why in the world they are looking up 

With that the disciples went forth to live into the instructions that Jesus had given them - staying in Jerusalem and waiting for the coming of the Holy Spirit - though that is a different Bible story for a different day. What is important for today is what they did as they waited, they gathered together and they prayed. Constantly. 

The joy that we experienced last week with Easter is not the end of the story. It wasn’t the end of the story for Jesus and his disciples. And it was just the beginning of the story of the early Church that has a direct line to us being gathered in this place today. But that doesn’t make today’s text about the Ascension any easier to understand. But the resurrection and the ascension are deeply connected because they both proclaim the power of God. 

And they both contain Good News for you and for me and for all people. The Good News that Jesus came from God, but also the Good News that Jesus returns to God and sits at his right hand! Why is that Good News? Because Jesus has went to prepare a place for us. The question for us, here and now is what are we going to do in the meantime? How are we going to spend our precious time here on earth?

Jesus told his disciples long ago that they were going to be his witnesses to the very ends of the earth. And so much of the Book of Acts tells the story of how that took place. But brothers and sisters, that is still the work of the church here and now today. Not just pastors. Not just missionaries. Every single one of us who bears the name of Christian in our lives. 

It seems so incredibly daunting, that we like the disciples could spend a lot of time looking up at the sky, just waiting for Jesus to come back, because that seems so much easier. But Jesus tells us to look out - to see the world with his eyes of compassion and then to go forth and be witnesses to the Good News. 

Whenever someone joins a local United Methodist Church a vow is made to support the church with your prayers, presence, gifts, and service. Then, not too long ago, something was added to the vow - to support the church with your witness. Being a witness is a vital part of who we are as disciples.

But in order to be bearers of that witness in the world, in order to spread the Word, we need to be prepared. Jesus told the disciples to go to Jerusalem and wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit, but they did not wait by ideally. They gathered and they prayed. 

Friends, what would happen if we, as disciples, as Easter-people, truly prayed. What would happen if we gathered, realizing this time and call of Christ in our lives in a gift. What power of the Spirit is just waiting to be unleashed if God’s people prayed? 

The truth is that we are called to be people of power and purpose. Only that power isn’t ours, its that Holy Spirit. And that purpose isn’t our personal agenda - its the work that Christ has given us. How are we going to live in this present moment to be people who witness for Christ? How are we going to carry forth the work of Christ? Amen.