"it's About Us"

1. Ascension is all about Us Luke 24:44-53 “Its about Us”

• I have heard people say it not about us at all, it’s all about Jesus I am curious about that.

• I think it’s all about Us, Jesus died for us, Jesus resurrected for us, By His stripes we are healed,

• Jesus died to bring us to God, “Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. (1 Pet. 3:18) God changes us! renews us and strengthen us for the work of ministry.

2. Jesus Opens Us so we may understand the Scriptures I did not know Gods plan for me but he opened

• Jesus “opens the minds” of his followers to understand their mission.

• He Opens our minds that “in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled” (v. 44).

• He Opens our minds to know Jesus is, the one who completes everything that God began to say through the law, the prophets and the psalms. 44 He said Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”

3. Jesus knows all this stuff is a lot to understand or absorb so He opens our Minds

• So Jesus “opens their minds and opens our minds” (v. 45). 45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures

• Jesus gives them the gift of understanding, so they can better comprehend what God has been doing, from ancient times through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

• We need to have our minds opened as well to the words of the Law, Prophets, and Palms

• When Christians were arguing over biblical understandings in the 1500s, a group of Scottish leaders discovered that the interpretation of Scripture “does not belong to any private or public person,” nor to any church. Instead, they encouraged Christians to trust the Holy Spirit to guide them, and to focus on “what Christ Jesus himself did and commanded.”

• The Scottish Leaders in their Book of Confession said “We dare not receive or admit any interpretation that is contrary” to the Christian faith, “or to the rule of love,”

• For Proper understanding focus interpretation on Jesus’s teachings

4. Jesus shares in this text what He desires not from us but for us.

• For us His followers will be “clothed with power from on high” (v. 49).

• For Us He will Equip Us 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

5. Finally Jesus has something for each of us, ,

• Jesus disciples out as far as Bethany, lifts up his hands, and blesses them. it’s a blessing on us

• Take note when Jesus is gone, the disciples do not feel a sense of loss or abandonment. Instead, they worship him and return to Jerusalem with great joy.

• It’s a mission for us Each of us is a part of God’s ongoing mission.

• Each of us have a job which is not to stand around watching for Jesus

• Each of us open ourselves to the power of the Holy Spirit and continue Christ’s work in the

• its opening us and emptying us so He can fill us with faith and love and joy.

• Each of us should continue in the Temple 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God. Jesus is gone but they continue to do what Jesus told them will we do likewise do what Jesus tells us.