Tag Archives: what Jesus did after the Resurrection

Passover to Pentecost – Pray

Posted on by
3

Passover to Pentecost – Pray        Week 7 Day 2

“Lord, teach us to pray.” Luke 11: 1 (NIV)

These five words in Luke 11 are nestled in between two powerful pieces of information and are at the beginning of thirteen verses about prayer.  This example of how to pray is also found in Matthew 6: 5 – 15 that gives us another layer of facts about prayer.  The fact that the disciples choose to spend their time of waiting in Jerusalem in prayer is the natural extension of what they saw Jesus doing as He ministered.  The first fact in verse one is Jesus had finished praying when He was asked to teach them.  The second one is that these ex-disciples of John saw the need for teaching on this subject.

Many of the references in Luke to Jesus praying mention a quiet place or Him being alone or with a small group; Matthew records Him telling people to pray in private.  So when we read that the disciples are “hidden” in the Upper Room praying that makes sense.

What were they praying about?  A possible topic of pray for the 120 saints in the Upper Room may have been forgiveness.  I might guess that the period of ten days may have been pretty intense.  Jesus was killed, and then He was alive just too ascended, and be gone one more time.  He promised them to send a Counselor to them to walk with them as they spread His message.  Okay, why forgiveness?  Matthew records in 6:15 as Jesus taught about pray that if you do not forgive the Father will not forgive you; then John in 20: 22 + 23 that as Jesus breathed on them the Holy Spirit He mentioned about the forgiving sins.  These verses do make forgiving people a priority.

I will jump to Paul as he is teaching the Corinthians about things of the Spirit, chapter 12 is on spiritual gifts and how the Body is joined and related.  He ends that chapter by saying here is the most “excellent way.”  (For those you dismiss 1 Corinthians chapters 12 and 14 as not for this time.  Why would Paul/ the Holy Spirit bother to include it at all?)  Paul knew that you needed to use spiritual things in love in order to fulfill the Great Commission.

Forgiveness is something that we have to choose to do.  I am finding out that many times it is more important to the one doing the forgiving than the offending party.  In that highly charged atmosphere that they had just been in for two months forgiveness may have been on their minds; because to spread the message of the kingdom effectively you should not be harboring forgiveness.

Passover to Pentecost – The Second Coming

Posted on by
3

Passover to Pentecost – The Second Coming         Week 6 Day 7

At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Luke 21:27 (NIV)

Acts 1:6, the disciples are asking when Israel will get the kingdom back.  They are talking earthly kingdom, but Jesus answers with two things that went way past their question.  His first answer is about the spiritual kingdom and His second coming.  The second answer goes outside of Israel and carries them to the whole world.  It seems that the disciples were not ready to preach to the Gentiles, maybe that is why He had to blind Paul and get his attention.

Jesus spoke about His second coming many times.  I will use Luke 21 because it is in the Passover time frame and because it covers the major topics.  The day here is Tuesday of Holy Week and the Jews should have been tending the lambs for the sacrifice/meal.  Jesus replies to the disciples’ amazement about the Temple.  As with most prophecies, there is a “soon” part and an “in the future” part.  Some of what He tells them will happen when Rome destroys Jerusalem in about forty years.  But infused into His teaching is information about His second coming.

If you join Jesus’ last words to His disciples with the warnings and signs in Luke 21 you can see what He thought was important.  Luke 21 starts with the widow and her two pennies, the giving heart is more important than money.  From verse 8 to 28 it is pretty easy to see that it will be a time of darkness.  The Old Testament prophets starting with Isaiah refer to “the day.” (See the post The Day)  Jesus paints a somber picture in these verses, but the parable from verse 29 to 36 again pulls us back to what is important for Jesus: that we know He is coming again and that the kingdom of God is near, that His words and promises will not pass away, and that we need to live a life that will allow us to stand before Him.

In the Old Testament, many of the prophets connect “the Day” with valleys.  I did a study on the valleys in the Book of Joel.  There are different types of them and they refer to our attitudes and the judgment that is coming, please go to that post.

One thing for sure that will happen at His coming – every knee will bow.  The references in the New Testament are Romans 14:11 and Philippians 2: 10.  These come from the thoughts and warnings in Isaiah 45: 23 and one that connects back to the Counting of the Omer time period in Exodus – Psalms 95: 6 -8.  Again, in this Psalm, the important thing is your life and how you live it before Him.  See Him for the great God He is, acknowledge His working in your life, and do not harden your heart.

Passover to Pentecost – After the Cloud!

Posted on by
11

Passover to Pentecost – After the Cloud!         Week 6 Day 6

When he ascended on high, he lead captives in his train and gave gifts to men.  Ephesians 4: 8, Psalms 68: 18 (NIV)

(Warning- some of this may not exactly be in the Bible, but I am pretty sure this is how it happened.)

Once Jesus was hidden by the cloud and out of sight, the party started.  Gabriel had rolled out the rainbow carpet made of pure gemstones.  The heavenly choir was filling the air with Jesus’ favorite songs and those joyous strains were bouncing off of the clouds causing everything to tremble with excitement. The captives that had come up with Him were slowly walking towards the City.  They were wide-eyed and excited as they joined the angels and saints that lined the road.  Twelve legions of angels were at His right and left hand awaiting His commands.

The Son had been away and now was ready to start His journey into the City.  The first thing He needed to do was put on His robes.  The angelic band was leading the parade.  The choir changed their tune to match the music of When the Saints Go Marching In.  Moses, Elijah, David, and all of the prophets were right behind the band.  They were dancing and whirling around while shouting the glories of God.  The Seven Spirits from before the throne were leading in the victorious Jesus.  The angelic army filed in behind Him making a mighty column with Jesus grandly leading.

It was hard to tell if it was a white charger Jesus was riding or a cloud shaped like a horse.  He had on His gold sash, and it was shining like the sun.  Stars were glowing as they moved about Him, and He had His sword in His left hand.  Resting carefully on the saddle and being held by His right hand was an earthen cruse filled with liquid.  It must have been precious because Jesus was taking special care of it.

The city had been buzzing for forty days as preparations were being made for the return of the King.  As the procession entered the Gate of Pearl the eruption of joy started.  As Jesus passed the shining portal the streets of gold and every stone of every building broke out in unrestrained hallelujahs.  The hallelujahs continued to ripple through the crowds of angels and saints.  The waters of the River of Life were resonating into waves and the waves were clapping their hands to rhythm of the hallelujahs.   The praise lasted until Jesus reached the true Holy of Holies.

Before He entered to meet His Father and God, Jesus removed the stopper from the earthen cruse and began to sprinkle its contents on the Altar.  It was His blood from Calvary, that had trickled down that wooden post to be collected and bottled by the earth it touched.  Once emptied the plain earthen bottle became a chalice of the purest gold.  Jesus left it on the Altar.

Jesus bowed before His Father, who rose to hug His Son.  He then pointed to His right where there was an empty throne.  Jesus had just sat down when two angels carried in a footstool and carefully placed Jesus’ feet on it.  From inside His robe Jesus pulled out a ring with two keys on it and placed them on the footstool.  With that done the Father smiled and the party really started.

The feasting, singing, and merrymaking continued for ten days.  About nine in the morning of the tenth day, Jesus stood up from His throne and everyone became silent.  There was a twinkle in His eye as He asked the Holy Spirit to go earth, especially Jerusalem, and fulfill the prayers that the disciples had been praying.  Off the Spirit rushed, He was in such a hurry it sounded like a mighty wind or a trumpet blast.  What party would be complete if there were no gifts?  The Holy Spirit had them with Him and He was going to give them out as He saw fit.

Heaven was silent as Peter preached the sermon that morning, Jesus smiled.  The partying started again as three thousand people accepted Peter’s invitation to follow Jesus.  We have had reasons to rejoice every day because people are still being added to the Church.

Has Heaven been able to celebrate over you?  If not read the post entitled – Following Jesus?  Give the angels something to shout about.

http://clipart.christiansunite.com

Passover to Pentecost – The Ascension

Posted on by
8

Passover to Pentecost – The Ascension         Week 6 Day 5

(Jesus) who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand. 1 Peter 3:22 (NIV)

It is forty days since Passover the wheat harvest is underway, and we have a “rest day” coming at the sacrifice of the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost.  The group has left Galilee and they are near Bethany probably on the Mount of Olives.  Doctor Luke records the most about His ascension in his Gospel and Acts.

Why just be lifted into the air?  God took Enoch and Elijah got a fiery chariot, why just lift into the air and disappear into a cloud?  Okay, I have no clue, but the “going up to God” part is very important in the whole context of the Feast and the typology from the first Passover to Pentecost and “out of Egypt” theme.

Moses went up the mountain so he could be given the Law.  Jesus went up into heaven so He could give the Holy Spirit.  The Hebrew word for “ascend” has a lot of different aspects, but some of them are associated with the idea of a journey where you are “going up” to a different place.  The whole “out of Egypt” journey to the Promised Land is a going up or ascending to a new land.   A way of looking at Jesus’ life as a whole is it was a journey of Him from birth going back to the Father.

http://www.freebibleimages.org

Passover to Pentecost – The Ascension Foretold

Posted on by
1

Passover to Pentecost – The Ascension Foretold         Week 6 Day 4

I am with you for only a short time, and then I go to the one who sent me. John 7: 33 (NIV)

This verse was spoken by Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles the year before His Passion.  At the same Feast He spoke John 8: 21, it was clear that He was preparing His disciples for His leaving earth.  John 8 started a controversy that was meant to shake and disturb those following Him.

Most of the verses about Jesus predicting His ascension were said at the Last Supper. They are John 13: 1 + 33, 14:28, 16: 5, and 17:11.  You have to wonder if they understood any of these at the time Jesus said them.  Some of these verses could also be considered to predict His death, which we know they were not expecting.  Jesus in John 14: 29 said that He has told them so they will believe when they see it happening.