Acts 1:1-11 From
Endings to Beginnings
Since Easter, we have been
talking about new beginnings here at Peachtree Corners Christian Church.
New beginnings often include
the end of one thing as well as the beginning of something new.
Those who are graduating from
high school – like Jessica and Jennifer
– know that although high school is ending, there is a whole new world of
opportunity beginning for them.
Today, we’ll continue
exploring this idea of new beginnings from our scripture and in a testimony
you’re going to hear a little later from Sheila Boggs. I’ll begin with a little
teaching on the scripture, and then Sheila will share some of her story.
There’s a lot to unpack in
this scripture. This is the account of
Jesus being taken up into heaven. This
day is known as Ascension Day and it is traditionally celebrated 40 days after
Easter. That would have put it last Thursday.
American Protestants don’t pay much attention to this church day. But in
This story of Jesus’
ascension is told here in Acts, but it also occurs in the gospel of Luke. Scholars know that the same author wrote both
of these books. He’s already told the
story of Jesus being taken up to heaven at the end of Luke’s gospel but he
tells it again because Jesus’ leaving is not the ending - it’s a new beginning - and he wants to make
sure we get that.
It must not have seemed like
a new beginning for the apostles. Think
about where they’ve been in the last forty days or so. Their leader, their teacher, their Lord,
arrested, accused, beaten and crucified. But then, after God raised Jesus from
the dead, Jesus appeared to them, reminding them of the power of God’s
possibilities.
But even then, even with the
risen Christ among them as a reminder, these apostles too often slip into the
smallness of their own thinking. They
want to limit God with their own expectations.
That’s what is going on in
today’s reading. Jesus is with the
apostles, reminding them of his Father’s promise of the Holy Spirit. He is promising them something mysterious. Something powerful. And the only thing they can think to ask is
this question: “Is this the time you’re
going to restore the kingdom to
The only thing that makes
sense to them is getting
Jesus is not so much
concerned with the Roman kingdom. His
concern is and always has been the
So he says, Guys, that’s not
the point. The point is this: You will
receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses
in
Witnesses to the ends of the
earth! 2000 years later, our particular
denomination thinks that goal is so important
that it’s part of our mission
statement. We are called “to be and
share the Good News of Jesus Christ,
witnessing, loving and
serving from our doorsteps “to the ends of the earth.” That’s directly from this verse in Acts. That’s why Disciples are taking the goal of
starting new churches so seriously. So much so that we’ve started 500 in the
last 7 years. But any new beginnings,
including starting new churches, or transforming existing ones, requires us to
think and act in new ways. We’re not
always ready for that. Neither were
Jesus’ first disciples.
As Jesus is lifted up into
the heavens, the apostles can’t seem to do much more than stand there and try
to make sense out of what just happened.
“Men of
Because today’s scripture
points us towards the purpose of our Christian faith. We are not to stand around wondering “huh?”
about our purpose in life. We are not
to stand around gawking while we let somebody else do it.
There is a very old legend
and all legends that persist speak truth, concerning the return of the Lord
Jesus Christ to heaven after his Ascension.
It is said that the angel Gabriel met him at the gates of the city.
‘Lord, this is a great
salvation that thou has wrought,’ said the angel. But the Lord Jesus only said, ‘Yes.’
‘What plans has thou made for
carrying on the work? How are all to know what thou has done?’ said Gabriel.
‘I left Peter and James and
John and Martha and Mary to tell their friends, their friends to tell their
friends, till all the world should know.’
‘But Lord Jesus,’ said
Gabriel, ‘suppose Peter is too busy with the nets, or Martha with the
housework, or the friend they tell are too occupied, and forget to tell their
friends – what then?’
The Lord Jesus did not answer
at once; then he said in his quiet wonderful voice: ‘I have not made any other
plans. I am counting on them.’[1]
The story of Jesus ascending into heaven looked like
an ending,
but it was really a beginning. The beginning of the church.
The beginning of power through the Holy Spirit.
This new beginning required the apostles to think and
act in new ways.
But as they did, they made Christ real in the
word.
This new beginning wasn’t just for those first
apostles.
It is an invitation for all of us.
Sheila is going to tell you
part of her story about her own new beginning as a Christian and how she got
there.
Testimony
by Sheila Boggs.
[1] Hannah
Ward and Jennifer Wild, ed., Resources
for Preaching and Worship Year C: Quotations, Meditations, Poetry and Prayers
(