The final few verses of the gospel of Luke are exciting to read! Jesus rose from the dead, presented himself to his disciples, and then led them out of Jerusalem to Bethany where he BLESSED THEM. Today, as his followers, we have experienced a similar journey. Jesus has taken us on a path of joy! Just to walk with Jesus gives us inexpressible joy! He is alive! He has conquered sin, death, and hell! He is who he said he was! All power is in his hands and great days are ahead!
Can you imagine the Risen King, God the Creator, lifting his hands up to bless the disciples? This was not just a nice little act. It was deity imparting great joy upon man. Blessing is an action that brings joy to the recipient.
As the song goes, “Oh I feel like dancing”!
What was the response of the disciples as Jesus ascended into heaven? They worshiped! That’s right! Jesus had instructed them to return to Jerusalem, where they would be indued with the power to be witnesses in this world for him. This they eventually did, but first Jesus led them to Bethany to be blessed. Jesus has never done anything meaningless. He knew this was important for them to experience. They needed time to worship Him, to adore Him, to “love on Him”. And I believe that that worship continued as they gathered together, waiting for the outpouring of the Spirit. Luke 24:52 says that they worshiped and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. Worship was the precursor for all the blessings they poured out on others in Christ’s name.
What significance does this have for us today? Maybe we are apprehensive about God’s call of service on our lives. Maybe we have become “weary in well-doing”. If so, it is time to go back into the presence of God for a while until we are truly full of the joy that those disciples felt at the blessings of Christ. We appreciate your Comments