Does God's Power Actually Live In Us?

⁴⁹And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised;

Jesus tells his disciples, in Luke 24: 44-53, What has been and what will be. 

What is clear, from this ascension story, is that we are being told about transition.  A movement from what was, now and before, to what will come from now into the future.

There are two key components to this faith story.  

One is the tension between Jesus’ radical values while he was physically with his followers.  When they were carefully taught the ways they were to live.  And about God’s never ending presence with them

The second is the wisdom to know — discern — God’s activity through them now; as it has lived through Jesus himself.

Once the disciples had been given all of the information they needed

And believed that Jesus was indeed the promise Messiah.

And that he did indeed come back to life after his crucifixion.

Then it was time for Jesus to leave them to the task of carrying on his work; as he had instructed and modeled.

The point is then made clear that he wouldn’t leave them without help.  He would leave the same power he himself was guided by while he was here on earth  — God’s unfailing presence in the Spirit. 

God never left Jesus to his human inabilities..

God does no less for the disciples.

The circle of faith still works the very same today.

Jesus came,

         Jesus left,

                 God stayed,

                          God stays, 

                                          though it all.

From before Jesus, God has been consistent.  Always and forever present and active in the world.

And we are all apart of the story.

44 Then he said to them, ‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.’ ⁴⁵Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, ⁴⁶and he said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, ⁴⁷and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. ⁴⁸You are witnesses of these things. ⁴⁹And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.  50 Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. ⁵¹While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. ⁵²And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; ⁵³and they were continually in the temple blessing God.(Luke 24)