I am sure that most of you can relate to this. You purchase something that needs to be assembled. It might be a swing set for the kids. It might be a certain piece of furniture. There are so many things now that you can get and assemble yourself in order to save money. Now I have to ask, ”When you start putting one of these things together, do you see it as something exciting? Or do you see it as just another chore?” I guess it depends upon how big the project is and how many hundreds of little pieces have to be put together.
But now I want you to think about evangelism - sharing God's word or sharing the gospel story with someone. Do you see that as an exciting opportunity, or do you see it as a chore?
For the past few weeks we have been talking about Jesus's mission and His ministry. I hope that you saw Good Friday, Palm Sunday, and Easter Sunday as an opportunity for Jesus to continue His mission, His ministry. I hope also that we all know and understand that Jesus' crucifixion was not the end of His ministry. Jesus’ crucifixion, death, and burial were not the end of Jesus' mission. It's not the end of our mission or ministry either. Jesus invited His disciples to join Him in His mission, and He wants us to join too.
Being involved in the mission and the ministry of Jesus should be exciting for us. We shouldn't think of it as a chore, something that burdens us. Let's take a closer look at this today as we look at sharing Jesus' ministry. Prayer.
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We're back in the Gospel of Luke as we close out the subject of Jesus' ministry and mission. As we look back, we remember that Luke opened his account of Jesus' life with how people prayed and worshiped at the temple. Last week, we saw the disciples in hiding, full of doubts. But as this 24th chapter of Luke closes, the disciples are so full of joy that they're back at the temple, praising God.
We have to wonder how they went from panicking in private to praising in public. We saw how Jesus appealed to their physical senses to take away any doubts they may have had. Today, we're going to see how Jesus opened their minds to understand the Scripture and to see their own role, and ours in the mission.
Luke 24: 44-45 – “He told them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.”
The entire Bible from start to finish, the OT and the NT, all of history, is about Jesus. God's world, God's rule, God's plan. It's always been about Jesus. When Jesus referred to everything written in the law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms, He was referring to the entire OT. Jesus is the One who fulfilled all of God's promises. Paul said it this way:
2 Corinthians 1:20 – “For every one of God’s promises is “Yes” in him. Therefore, through him we also say “Amen” to the glory of God.”
It is Jesus that helps us to understand His word. The time has finally come for the disciples to truly understand. Jesus knew that He was about to leave them, and He was commissioning them to take over His work. He knew the disciples still didn't fully understand how His death and Resurrection fit into God's plan, so He opened their minds to understand the Scripture. He showed them how all of Scripture pointed toward Him.
The disciples were never going to be able to figure this out on their own. This type of understanding came as a gift from God. But that doesn't mean that they instantaneously knew what it was saying. It looks like Luke, in his writing, meant that Jesus opened their minds by explaining the Scripture.
Remember the two disciples that left to go to their hometown in Emmaus on Easter day? I mentioned that last week. Luke recorded that same type of Revelation encounter when the resurrected Jesus met those two disciples. We are told that Jesus spoke to them about how it was necessary for Him to suffer and die. Luke says it this way:
Luke 24:27 – “Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures.”
So Jesus started the same day of His resurrection to explain that all Scripture pointed to Him. Talk about show & tell.
Paul tried to explain the same thing in his letter to the Ephesians. The Holy Spirit led Paul to teach the people of his day as well as us today that an understanding of Scripture is given to us by the Holy Spirit. Do you realize that? We might think that we're smart and very studious as we study God's word. But a true understanding of Scripture is opened up to us by the Holy Spirit. To remind us all of that it might be a good idea to take a sticky note and write down Psalm 119:18 and stick it in the front of our Bible. Each time we open our Bible to read or study, maybe we should pray that verse before we begin studying.
Psalm 119:18 – “Open my eyes so that I may contemplate wondrous things from your instruction.”
God wants to know that as we try to better understand His word and His plans, we need the Holy Spirit's guidance. But our understanding also grows as we study the Bible individually and with others. (Mention the Wednesday Bible study in the gospel of John.)
Luke 24:46-47 – “He also said to them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead the third day, 47 and repentance for forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”
I mentioned several times on Easter Sunday and here it is again. Jesus emphasizes the necessity of His suffering, death, and Resurrection - all part of God's plan. But that wasn't all. His plan also included telling all the nations. And here is where Jesus's mission is going to be handed over to Jesus's followers. Guess who that is? Us!
But we need to focus on the phrase in verse 47, “in his name.” Even though the disciples would be taking over the mission, everything would still be all about Jesus. Luke later emphasized this again in: Peter said it, Luke wrote it down:
Acts 4:12 – “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.”
We can clearly see from all of this that we have a role in God's plan. God is always at work in the world. There's never been a moment when He stopped caring about His creation. Jesus laid out some of the key aspects of God's plan for us when He said that He will suffer, He will rise from the dead. But then He says that God's plan is for the repentance for forgiveness of sins and that it will be proclaimed to all the nations.
So Jesus reminds the disciples in verse 46 that is what is written. He is emphasizing how necessary all of these things are. This wasn't God's new plan or God's plan b. This was and always has been God's plan. Jesus completed the first two items, but the plan is ongoing. So, Jesus invited His followers to become co-workers with Him because proclaiming the gospel is an integral part of the mission.
I think that we can all agree that Jesus died and rose so that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But Paul reminded his readers that for people to call on the name of Jesus, they must believe in him, which means someone needs to tell them about Jesus. Now that Jesus had finished his work of suffering, death, and resurrection, we get to tell everyone about Him, and the hope that they, too, will believe in Him.
So when we tell people about Jesus, we tell them who He is and what He has done. That's not difficult to do. But we also need to let people know what this means for them. Jesus suffered and died because of our sins, but He defeated sin and death and rose from the dead, this means we're completely forgiven when we turn away from sin and turn to Jesus. I want you to notice in verse 47 that Jesus used the phrase “will be proclaimed.” That should tell us that Jesus is saying this is going to happen. God's plans will come to fruition. We have to decide if we want to join the mission.
So here we go. Now we know what to say, who to tell the story to, and how it will affect people's lives. But how will we ever do that? Some say, “I'm just not cut out for that. That's not my personality. I wouldn't be good at sharing the gospel with anyone.” Let's look at the next verses.
Luke 24:48-49 – “You are witnesses of these things. 49 And look, I am sending you what my Father promised. As for you, stay in the city until you are empowered from on high.”
We don't have to be a pro at this. We don't have to rely on our own intellect to be effective in sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the Holy Spirit that changes people's hearts. The disciples had just come face to face with the risen Jesus. They had seen Him killed. His body was buried. Now, He was alive! Jesus wanted them to go tell everyone, but not quite yet.
Jesus had already given them and us the who, what, and where of the mission. Who was to do it? Jesus followers, us. What are we to tell? Tell people about Him. Where are we to go? Everywhere, starting in Jerusalem.
Then Jesus gave the why, when, and, most importantly, the how. Why? Because they knew he had died and risen from the dead. When? After they received power? How are they going to do this? By the power of the Holy Spirit.
The disciples could tell the people about Jesus because they had seen and touched the risen Jesus. They even had a meal with Him. They could share their new understanding of Scripture. By the time this passage ends, the disciples are overflowing with joy. But Jesus told them to wait. He told them to stay in the city until they were empowered from on high. Who or what is that? That is the Holy Spirit.
I need to tell you that any stories that we tell, any information that we give, any actions that we refer to, any emotions that we exhibit aren't the key to people turning to Jesus. People turn to Jesus because of a change in their hearts, a change that comes from God through the Holy Spirit. Jesus was leaving the disciples, but they would be empowered by Jesus' Spirit. 7 weeks later, during the Jewish festival of Pentecost, the disciples were then filled with the Holy Spirit.
So Jesus told them to wait in Jerusalem, but this time He didn't warn them to keep quiet. Once the disciples returned to Jerusalem, they were continually in the temple praising God.
How do you witness? How do you go about telling others about Jesus without stumbling? Even though we weren't eyewitnesses during Jesus's earthly ministry, we are witnesses of the ways Jesus continues to work in the world and change people's lives. This is reason enough for great joy! Think of it this way. The disciples were eyewitnesses of Jesus's life, death, and resurrection.
Think about the ways that you have witnessed Jesus. Think about how He has changed your life. Think about the prayers that He is answered for you. Think about how He has changed the lives of your friends and family. And then simply ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in sharing this with someone. It's your story. It happened to you. You experienced it personally. That should make it very easy to be excited and be willing to share that with someone else.
Luke 24:50-51 – “Then he led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. 51 And while he was blessing them, he left them and was carried up into heaven.”
These verses highlight the Ascension of Jesus. He was leaving the disciples, but He didn't just disappear, nor did His soul or His Spirit leave His body behind. His resurrected body went up to heaven. But what we need to remember is that He will come back at the end of time, in His resurrected body.
His Ascension took place near Bethany. The city of Bethany is on the Eastern slope of the Mount of Olives. As I was studying this, I began thinking about all of the key events in Jesus's life that occurred on the Mount of Olives. The last week of Jesus's earthly ministry began with His triumphal entry into Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives.
Jesus taught the disciples about the end times while sitting on the Mount of Olives. Jesus prayed on the Mount of Olives in the garden of Gethsemane before being betrayed by Judas Iscariot. Old testament prophecy indicates that the Lord will return to the Mount of Olives to rule at the end of the age.
It was important for the disciples to physically see Jesus' Ascension because it would solidify the disciples understanding of Jesus as Lord and King so He led them out to this place. Peter is definitely one of the disciples that Jesus’ Ascension left a lasting impression. On Pentecost, after being filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter preached to the crowds. He proclaimed that Jesus had been raised from the dead and then ascended to heaven where He'd been exalted to the right hand of God. Because what Peter had seen in Jesus' Ascension, he was certain that Jesus was both Lord and Messiah.
Luke 24:52-53 – “After worshiping him, they returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they were continually in the temple praising God.”
So the disciples had just watched Jesus ascend into heaven. But before rushing back to Jerusalem to tell everyone, they stopped and worshiped. Then they returned to Jerusalem with great joy. What a contrast this is to the doubting and fearful disciples from Easter day. Their doubts and fears have been replaced with joy.
The disciples were obedient to what Jesus commanded. They waited in Jerusalem. They waited for 7 weeks until the day of Pentecost which was 50 days after Jesus had risen. Parts of the NT record what they did while they waited. In the book of Acts, we read that the disciples and the women, spent time praying together in private. We see that they spent much of their time praising God in the temple. This praise alone would be a public witness to the people of Jerusalem.
I don't know if you realize it or not, but your friends and family watch you more than you realize. When we join with other believers in praising God, we encourage and edify one another. Our friends and family see that. Our words speak truth about God to others and to ourselves. Our joy encourages one another. We're able to help each other see where God is at work around us. We're edified as we hear truths about God spoken, sung, and prayed. That is why it is so vital that we join together in person each week to worship, pray, study, and praise God together.
Praise in the Bible often included a recounting of God's past faithfulness to His people. After Jesus ascended to heaven, the disciples begin recounting Jesus's life, death, and Resurrection to proclaim God's goodness in delivering His people from slavery to sin and death.
And as we recognize God's greatness, His goodness, and His love, we should have a joy that springs from within us. Many times we experience that joy through our worship and praise. When we praise God in front of non-believers, the truth they hear and the joy they see in us can help them begin to recognize who Christ is.
Praising God is one way we can tell others about Jesus. You see, you didn't think you were a witness. But simply by being here and praising God in front of others you are a witness. Praise can include music, but it can also mean just talking about the good things that God is doing.
With that comment, I encourage you to worship and praise God with other believers. Make attending weekly worship services a priority. Invite someone that you know who needs to encounter Jesus.
Please let me give you one last word of instruction. Jesus left us with a mission to share the gospel with the nations. Having an idea of what you want to say can help you feel more ready when the opportunity arises. Maybe you want to just take a sheet of paper and jot down a few basic ideas that you can share in a few minutes or less. Maybe this formula will help you. Ask yourself, where was I before I met Christ? Then ask, what happened when I met Christ? And finally ask where am I now because of Christ? Believe it or not, you can share your entire testimony in 90 seconds or less.
That is our challenge as Jesus invites us all to continue His mission.
