“Before the Lord Disappears from Our Line of Sight”
By Rev. Anthony L. Trufant
Scripture: Luke 24:50-53
NRSV: 50 Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; 53 and they were continually in the temple blessing God.
MSG: 50 He then led them out of the city over to Bethany. Raising his hands he blessed them, 51 and while blessing them, took his leave, being carried up to heaven. 52 And they were on their knees, worshiping him. They returned to Jerusalem bursting with joy. 53 They spent all their time in the Temple praising God. Yes.
When it’s all said and done, the question is: What can we expect from the resurrected Christ? That is, when we are on the verge of entering into the next stage of our journey with him, what can we expect him to do to give us a greater sense of confidence and competence? The answers are right there in Luke 24:50-53:
- Even when we can’t see him, he’ll still lead us, so we need to listen and follow the sound of his voice.
- He’ll still bless us daily – and at times dramatically – with uplifted hands.
- He’ll still be above us, ahead of us, behind us, and walking with and amongst us — all at the same time.
- He’ll still gladly receive our worship and praise.
That’s what we can count on him for today.
Question: Today, what can he count on you to do to show your faithfulness?
