What will you do now?

     What do you think? Is it time that I move on and write on Sundays about something other than the message of Easter? I thought I would close out this year’s Lenten series with some of the last things that Jesus did and said before He ascended into heaven, according to each of the Gospel writers.

Still later he appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating together. He rebuked them for their stubborn unbelief because they refused to believe those who had seen him after he had been raised from the dead.

And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:14-16, NLT)

     It seems that right up to the very end, Jesus had to keep reminding them who He was, but Jesus also had faith in them, that they would carry His message out into the world.

Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted!

Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:16-20, New Living Translation)

     Even though there were those among them who continued to have doubts, Jesus expected them to spread the words of the Gospel, to carry out the Great Commission.

It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ You are witnesses of all these things.

“And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.”

Then Jesus led them to Bethany, and lifting his hands to heaven, he blessed them.  While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up to heaven. (Luke 24:47-51, NLT)

     Then suddenly, Jesus was gone again, this time taken to heaven where He will reign for all eternity. And where He will be waiting for us.  

There are so many other things Jesus did. If they were all written down, each of them, one by one, I can’t imagine a world big enough to hold such a library of books. (John 21:25, The Message)

     The stories of Jesus will be told until the end of time. And it’s up to each of us to carry out the Great Commission and keep sharing those stories. Will you?