Jesus Taken Up into Heaven

PRAYER PRACTICE

Spoken Prayer – Out loud, pray for God to speak to you through your reading. Praise God for giving us His word. Ask the Spirit to help you read with faith, and to live out what you hear from God through the passage.

DAILY READING

Acts 1:1-12    

 

DEVOTION / REFLECTION

Our Final Journey

by Diane Ward

Forty days, (Jesus led of the Holy Spirit) walked into the desert to be tempted by the enemy. Forty days the resurrected Jesus appeared to his disciples and many others to be seen, touched, and worshipped. Luke the historian writes, “In my former book, Theophilus, I

wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.” (Acts 1:1-2)

The disciples and followers of Jesus were heartbroken, hiding, and hopeless following the three o’clock hour of Jesus’ words, “it is finished.” (John 28:30). Now, Jesus “unrecognized”, came along side two men on the road to Emmaus as they discussed all that happened over the past hours. Opening to them the prophesies of scripture as they walked, Jesus said to them; “how foolish you are and slow to believe all the prophets have spoken about the Messiah, that he would suffer and then enter his glory.” (Luke 24:25). Then came an explosion of joy! They recognized Jesus their invited dinner quest as he gave thanks and broke bread.

If we are privileged to be with one on the journey home, (if we truly are listening,) we know what to expect. Jesus had prepared his disciples for his death and resurrection, they had been with him at Lazarus tomb, heard his words echo off the canyon walls, “I am the resurrection of the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” (John 11:25). When we stand at the open grave of a loved one Jesus’ question to Martha is for us also, “Do you believe this?”

Consider this: Jesus is walking with us all the way home, even in our darkest moments when hope seems gone, and we may not recognize him.