“Jesus left us?” What do you mean? If you were a disciple who walked and talked with Jesus for three years – experienced the anguish of his death, the elation of his resurrection, what were your long-range plans? Go on a speaking tour around the world with God? Set up his kingdom in every major city and cure every disease? That’s not such a bad thought, but then he left. What do you mean he left? I always wonder what a new Christian or unbeliever thinks when they read the Gospel of Luke and then get to the last few verses? He left?! Why?
Do you ever feel like Jesus has left you? In our final sermon from our series we’ll ask What do you do when it feels like Jesus left us? Do you feel alone right now? I pray not. Whether you’re all alone in a new school or job or city – surrounded by complete strangers who don’t seem to pay you a moment of attention. It’s easy to feel small. Or maybe, you’ve been locked down for two months and you need to get out – I’ve never experienced this, there are seven people and a dog in my house – but if you’re alone, I’ve been told, it can feel like the walls are coming at you after a while and you need to get out.
First off you’re not alone. Jesus has promised to be with us wherever we go. It’s a true statement that Jesus can’t go to lunch with you after Sunday worship – there are a few restaurants open! The place we find Jesus is in his word. Go back to the first Easter Sunday – for us it was the 3rd Sunday of the Easter season. Jesus was walking with two disciples on the road to Emmaus, but they didn’t know it was Jesus. He walked with them and talked with them and opened up the Scriptures. Then as soon as they understood what had happened – that he was alive. He lives! He left them. Jesus was pointing them, pointing all of us to grab hold of him in the Bible. This is what he did on the day that he left them! The Gospel of Luke says, “Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.”
Want to hear more including what our life as a witness looks like? Remember, Jesus didn’t come to make bad people good. He came to make dead people live.
This is our final sermon from our Easter series What do you do when your plans fall through?
Book(s): Luke
Series: Plans Fall Through
Tag(s): Ascension
Speaker(s): Fred Guldberg