LAST THINGS BEFORE HE LEFT
Luke 24:44-50 NKJV
44 Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” 45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. 46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And you are witnesses of these things. 49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” 50 And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them.
Final words and actions are always important. These are the last things Jesus said and did before ascending up to heaven.
He called the disciples' attention to the fact that His life was the fulfillment of Scripture. Jesus did not come and act randomly. He discovered who He was from the Scriptures and used the Scriptures as His guide throughout His time here on earth. Jesus knew from the scriptures what was to transpire regarding His life. He reminded the disciples that He told them these things.
Then Jesus opened their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures. Even though these disciples were eyewitnesses of the amazing things Jesus said and did, He continued to emphasize the importance of Scripture. Jesus wanted these disciples to know the Scriptures because they would preach Jesus as the fulfillment of the Scriptures to the Jews. And here is a great phase, 'thus it was written and thus it was necessary." This is a great principle to apply to our own lives.
Jesus gave them an assignment to preach repentance and the remission of sins to all nations. They were to begin in Jerusalem but not to stop there. All nations may have been something the disciples did not quite catch on to. It would take years and supernatural visitations to get the disciples to reach out beyond the borders of Israel. Because none of us can claim that we have been perfectly obedient, we can be merciful to the disciples. They eventually obeyed this command and took the gospel all over the world. It's not how you start; it's how you finish that matters most.
Jesus commanded them to wait in Jerusalem until they received the Promise of the Father that He was sending. Jesus was referring to the experience of being baptized with the Holy Spirit that took place in Acts chapter two. Jesus said these disciples needed to be endued with power from on high. The word endued means to be clothed with power. Jesus knew that the disciples needed Heavenly ability to carry out their assignment even though they had been eyewitness to all Jesus said and did. Even though they had received Him as their Lord and Savior. Even though they had gained an understanding of the Scriptures, they still needed the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives. If the ones who walked with Jesus for three-plus years needed power, how much more do we need that power today?
Jesus blessed them. He led them out as far as Bethany, and before He was taken up into heaven, He raised His hands and proclaimed a blessing on His followers. I love that. He did not threaten them with the consequences of not obeying His commands. He did not chastise them for their failures to believe. He did not remind them of how often they messed up. He blessed them
APPLICATION
We can still look to the last acts of Jesus for direction in our own lives today. We still need the power of the Scriptures to guide our lives. We still need to place a major emphasis on what is written.
We still need an understanding of the Scriptures. No one has complete knowledge of Scripture. We are still learning and still seeking God for revelation. God's Word is still alive, and powerful, and still active today. The Scriptures are still being fulfilled in the world as a whole and in our individual lives.
We still have a directive to be involved with taking the gospel to the nations. The majority of us will not go in person, but we can be a part of sending and equipping those who do. And with the advances in technology, it has become easier to see how the gospel can reach every corner of the earth.
We still need to be clothed with power from on high. The promise of being baptized in the Holy Spirit is still available today. Even though our capacity and knowledge have grown, we still need to be an expression of the living God in a world that is hurting and looking for answers.
We still need the blessings of the Lord in our lives. Man is limited; God is not. His blessings can do what no one else can.
PRAYER
Thank You, Lord, that Your last words and actions are still viable today some 2000 years later.