Monday Meditation: He’s Alive! Part 6: Waiting was what they needed
This post-resurrection appearance of Jesus, the sixth in our series ending today, is important for at least two reasons.
It’s a convicting account.
It shows the living Jesus speaking with his disciples before miraculously returning to Heaven. If Jesus had simply vanished in secret, some would doubt he had risen or that he’s still alive. And if only one or two had seen his ascension, some might wonder whether it actually happened.
But look at the long list of those who were there, at least a couple dozen who would bear witness to the miracle. It’s hard to believe so many would stick to such a fantastic story for the rest of their lives if it weren’t really true.
It’s a compelling account. We notice how it illustrates an important principle: Sometimes the best thing we can do is just wait and watch for God to act.
“Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised,” Jesus told them. And after Jesus “was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight,” they did exactly what Jesus had commanded.
They returned to their room in Jerusalem and waited. For 10 days they waited until they experienced another miracle, this one recorded in the next chapter of Acts.
But this was not a useless or an idle wait. They did what they knew to do; they replaced Judas who had committed suicide. They stayed “all together in one place.” They were “constantly in prayer.” Perhaps they sang. It seems certain they were watching for the power Jesus had promised them. Everything else he had said had come true. Why should they doubt him this time?
Sometimes it seems useless or unproductive to wait, but Scripture assures us that those who wait on the Lord will not wait in vain. The key is to wait with anticipation, with the faith God will act.
Those who wait on the Lord will not wait in vain.
They could have wandered away, each to his own devices. Perhaps they didn’t because two angels told them to quit gawking at the sky. “Jesus . . . will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” They could not be satisfied with ordinary self-pursuits after hearing that.
As we begin our week, we might thank God for our opportunities to wait.
Some of us have prayed with the psalmist, “How long, O Lord, must our current trial continue?” And we’ve been amazed at the peace we’ve experienced after we prayed. Some of us have rushed ahead with caregiving decisions without pausing to receive God’s wisdom for what’s next. And then things didn’t go that well.
Some of us have prayed, “How long, O Lord, must our current trial continue?”
The disciples were not wrong to act immediately. It was good to replace Judas. But they would have been ineffective at best if they had begun teaching and preaching about Jesus without the power he promised.
There is much we must do this week in the care of our loved ones. But maybe God has more for us than we’ve yet imagined. Praying expectantly to understand what God is doing might give us the will to keep going until he makes next steps clear.
Read: Acts 1:1-14
Pray: As I go about my necessary duties today, Lord, I will watch and wait to see what you have for me next.
Illustration copyright Classic Bible Art. For information about securing beautiful art like this in books to read and cherish, click here. Click here to find a list of places to see many pieces of this art free, framed, and ready for you to enjoy. Some art in this series is available for license at Goodsalt.com.