Reflection by Jeff Koch
Scripture Readings: Acts 1:12-14; Psalm 27; 1 Peter 413-16; John 17: 1-11
“O Lord, hear my voice, for I have called to you; of you my heart has spoken; seek his face; hide not your face from me, alleluia.”
I have difficulty imagining what it was like for those first followers of Jesus. They had watched the most horrendous things happen to their Rabbi, Jesus. They watched him die and be taken down from the cross and placed in the tomb. Then on the third day, they were overjoyed at the reality of his resurrection. They walked with him for 40 days, then as they asked, “Is now the time you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” Jesus said, No, I am going to leave and go back to the Father, and you will be my witnesses to this world! Wait, what?! You just got you back, you were dead and now you are alive; and now you are leaving again. What will we do? How will we make it? But ascending into heaven, again, he was gone. So, as they were instructed, they returned to the city and, remained there until the Spirit came to them. I wonder if they remembered how Jesus said, it is better for you that I go away, for is I do not go away, the Spirit will not come.” (John16:7) That when the Spirit came, the Spirit would be their helper, their advocate. (More on that next week, on the Day of Pentecost.)
So, they went back to the Upper room with a promise to wait. But even though it was a few days away that they would receive the Holy Spirit, Jesus did not leave them without something to keep them and help them. Can we, who have the Holy Spirit dwelling within, learn from this how to wait for the fulfilling of that which was promised? In the in-between, between the promise and the fulfillment, Jesus gave them the realities that can also help us between the promise and the fulfilling. What were they?
· Jesus had given them a proper understanding and picture of God, the Father. He had given them the name, the identity of God, in the things he did and said about God. Jesus comes to give us an accurate picture of God. Jesus is the exact representation of the Father. (Col. 2:9) When Phillip said, “just show us the Father and we will be satisfied.” Jesus said, Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. (John 14:9) The religious leaders and many Jewish people had a strange picture of who God really was. Jesus shined the light on God, to give him glory. Sometimes we ourselves do not have an accurate picture of who God is and how He works, especially when we are going through difficult times, between the promise and the fulfillment. Jesus gave them and us a proper picture of God, who is the one who has promised. God is love! God is for us! God is working all things together for our good!
· Jesus had given them the words of God. Not only was Jesus the Word of God made flesh, but he also told them what the Father was saying. Not just the words of God, but in his actions, from his identity as the Word of God made flesh. His very life gave them the words of God. When we go through difficult times, between the promise and the fulfillment, we hear so many opinions about what is real and what must happen, it can be confusing, even our own thoughts can cause us to fear. I wonder how many conversations they had trying to remember what Jesus said, and the things he did, to help them in the time in the Upper Room.
· He gave them eternal life. Jesus said, knowing the Father and the Son is eternal life. John, who laid his head on Jesus’ chest, heard His heartbeat, said they had seen and touched the word of Life, the love of God. While they may not have understood the full ramifications of eternal life, they had experienced it. And that helps us make it from the promise to the fulfillment
· Finally, they had each other. They “were together with one accord, devoting themselves to prayer.” They were faithful to the prayers they knew, and the prayers that Jesus taught them to pray and in prayer together, they made it to Pentecost. I have heard it said, “when you don’t know what to pray, at least say THE prayers.” When we are struggling with things, in the in-between time; we need each other, we need each other’s prayers.
Psalm 27 says, I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living. They had! Jesus was and is, THE good thing that they/we can see in the land of the living. Doing the things above in the in-between, in this land of the living, IS living in the house of the Lord. We can make it if we hold onto Jesus; what he showed us about God, what he told us about God, what he gave us in knowing about God, and the support we have from one another and through prayer. Now we are in the in-between time of the promise of His return and the fulfillment, and things can be very troubling, but we can make it, we can find refuge in God and in that reality, we do not fear! Just what till Pentecost, something wonderful will also help us make it. God’s very presence, within. Come Holy Spirit!
Graciously hear our supplications, O Lord, so that we who believe that the Savior of the human race is with you in your glory, may experience, as he promised, until the end of the world, his abiding presence among us. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, fore ever and ever. Amen!