Pentecost

Jesus directed his apostles to be witnesses of his life, death, resurrection, and ascension (Acts 1:8). These men ate, drank, slept, and lived with Jesus for three or so years. They experienced the miracles of Jesus. They witnessed his crucifixion. Most importantly, they were first hand witnesses of his resurrection from the dead (Acts 2:22-24, 32).

The word witness, is translated from the Greek word martys. Jesus said that the day will come when people will be deceived into believing that they are serving God by killing Jesus' disciples (John 16:2). 

"And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore witness to Jesus. When I saw her I was greatly astounded" (Rev. 17:6 MOUNCE). 

When Jesus was taken by the chief priests, what did his apostles do? They were fearful and ran (Mark 14:50)! Afterward, Peter denied Jesus three times (Mark 14:66-72). Jesus' apostles (those sent by Jesus with a mission) were timid, weak, and unbelieving (Luke 24:36-38, 41). But through the Holy Spirit, Jesus began to live his resurrected, ascended, and cruciform life within them. 

The sending of the Holy Spirit was promised by Jesus (Luke 24:49; John 16:5-11, 13-15; Acts 1:1-8). Jesus said that he would ask the Father, and the Father would send another (Comforter, Helper, Counselor, Teacher, Advocate, Holy Spirit,) to his apostles (John 14:16-17, 26). Jesus followed up on his promise (Acts 2:1-4, 14-18, 32-33). The apostles were witnesses, and enabled to speak with power through the Spirit (Luke 24:48; Acts 1:8; 2:4, 32, 36). 

The Holy Spirit was sent to "en-courage," or to supply courage for Jesus' martyrs! Tradition tells us that all of the apostles, aside from John, were murdered. They proclaimed the good news of Jesus to their death, and therefore we believe! 

What about for us today? 

The Holy Spirit is not a payment, it's a gift from God (Acts 2:38; 10:45; Rom. 6:23). The Spirit is referred to as the power of God, (note - “power from on high,”) and the fire of God (Luke 24:49; Acts 2:1-4). The writer of Hebrews tells us that "God is a consuming fire" (Heb. 12:29). 

The Holy Spirit was sent not only to the church but upon all flesh (Joel 2:28; Acts 2:16-17). The Apostle Peter preached: 

"but this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: 'And it shall be in the last days,' God says, 'that I will pour forth my spirit on all mankind;" (Acts 2:16-17 first part, emphasis is mine). 

We're called to have a change of mind, turn to God, and receive the gospel (Acts 2:38, 41; 3:19; 26:19-20). We're not witnesses in the same way as Jesus' apostles. However, by the Holy Spirit we share in the life of God, and we can share our faith and experience of God with others. When Jesus lives his resurrected, ascended, and cruciform life within us (1 Cor. 3:16, 6:19-20; Gal. 2:20), he does so by the Holy Spirit. To non-believers in Athens, the Apostle Paul proclaimed what Stephen had also proclaimed - that God does not dwell in temples made by human hands (Acts 7:48; 17:24). We are the temple of the Consuming Fire God (Heb. 12:29). When we yield to the Spirit, we bear fruit to God (Gal. 5:22-23). 

Pentecost represents something incredibly wonderful - new creation, and new life! God didn't come to change us, or to help us live. He came in the person of Christ Jesus to give us new life (John 10:10; 2 Cor. 5:16-21). The gospel is a great mystery. Somehow we are united to God in Christ Jesus, and somehow we live out of his life (John 14:20). He is a life giving Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45).

Watch my video on Pentecost: 

The Ascension of Jesus Christ

Happy Ascension Day, friends! 

Many people actually celebrate this day without fully realizing what the day means. The good news of Jesus is in his life, death, resurrection, ascension, and sending of the Spirit.

When Joshua took the children of Israel into the Promised Land in the fortieth year after the Exodus (Josh 4:19), he foreshadowed what Jesus was to do. In the forty days after his resurrection, he appeared to his disciples, then he entered bodily into the holy of holies, the Promised Land, and we too entered in him. Jesus himself is our Promised Land. He is our salvation! 

Jesus didn't just float up into the sky, he was raised bodily, and ascended bodily into heaven. Luke tells us that the resurrected Lord Jesus appeared to his disciples with many convincing proofs over a period of forty days. After blessing them, he was taken up into heaven (Acts 1:1-3, 9). In Luke 24 we read that his disciples: did not find the body of the Lord Jesus (vs. 3, 22-23); he had risen [from the dead, bodily] (vs. 6); Peter entered the tomb where Jesus was buried and saw only the burial clothing that was placed on Jesus’ body after he had died, but did not see Jesus (vs. 12, 24); [Jesus] entered into his glory [in a glorified human body] (vs. 26); he vanished from their sight (vs. 31); [Jesus said] see my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; touch me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have (vs. 39); he showed them his hands and his feet (vs. 40); he ate a piece of broiled fish [to convince his disciples that he was still the same Jesus - still human] (vs. 42-43). Jesus fulfilled (filled to the full) the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms and he opened their minds to understand the scriptures (vs. 44-45). Jesus appeared to the women, to Peter, to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, and to five hundred believers at one time. He appeared to James, and lastly he appeared to the Apostle Paul. The Apostle Paul tells us that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Jesus entered another dimension in a transformed body (imperishable, glorified, in power, spiritual body, bearing the likeness of the man from heaven, immortal – yet still human) (1 Cor. 15:42-44, 49-54). 

Jesus entered into the holy of holies once for all, not with the blood of goats and calves but with his own precious blood, having obtained eternal redemption (see Hebrews 9:11-12, 26; 10:4, 10-12, 14). He is both the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29), and our High Priest (Heb. 7). He made purification of sins, and then sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high (Heb 1:1-3; 8:1). 

Jesus ascension pictures what is already reality. Jesus is the head over every power and authority - God is King over heaven and all the kingdoms of this world (Eph. 1:21-22; Col. 2:10). Ascension pictures Reality. Jesus is in his rightful position of authority in the heavenly realm, on his heavenly throne, above all power and authority as King of kings, and Lord of lords. 

The great theologian, Thomas F. Torrance says, the ascension means man has been exalted into the life of God, and onto the throne of God. 

The apostle Paul tells us that the Pioneer, Jesus Christ, has brought us with him into the heavenly realm. Even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together in Christ [two early manuscripts have in Christ, not with Christ] (by grace you have been saved),  and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:5-6 NASB). 

God has decided not to live without us. In the transformed and ascended Lord we are united with him forever. We share in his resurrected, ascended, and cruciform life. 

Watch my latest video on the ascension: