Farewell is usually bitter, and tearful. Yet Jesus’ farewell to his disciples was joyful, for they realized that he was living and will never die. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. The aim of the universe is not death, but Christ who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Jesus led his disciples in the midst of the Kidron valley, and passed by the garden of betrayal, where they fell asleep while he was praying. He climbed with them the Mount of Olives toward Bethany. Jesus did not stop and look back at the city, which refused him, but lifted up his hands, as the high priest did when he blessed the people, and blessed his disciples. He blessed as one having authority, commanded the blessing which he had purchased. We read only once about Jesus’ blessing in the whole New Testament. Until now, blessing in the New Testament was a privilege of the high priest, who sought God’s blessing on the repentant people that lived before the Holy One under the sprinkling of the blood of sacrifices. Yet, in his blessing, Jesus revealed that he was the true High Priest in all his authority and glory, who leads his people (his church) to repentance, sprinkle it with his precious blood, and put his Father’s power on it. As blessing was put in the past as a token of outpouring divine power on the believers, so Jesus put his own power in his disciples, and gave them his life, his love, his firmly-established peace, and his certain joy. Even today, Jesus is the blessing High Priest, for he sits at the right hand of his Father, substitutes and intercedes for us, and sanctifies us.
As he completed his blessing, he finished his business on earth. Then God lifted him up to him, and returned to his glory which he had before he came down to the world for our redemption. Jesus did not disappear when he ascended from the Mount of Olives to heaven, as he did after his appearances to his disciples in their meetings, while he was still on earth during the forty days between his resurrection and his ascension, but was openly carried up into heaven before his disciples’ eyes, as a token of his return to God, his Father. Today, he sits with him, blessing his church continuously, for he lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God forever.
The disciples perceived something of the joy of heaven, which became greater as the Son approached his Father and was received by him. The creatures worshiped, and the angels greatly praised the one God in his Holy Trinity. The disciples on earth participated in this joy of heaven, for the whole Christianity is established on this pure joy. Did you know that the Lord’s joy is our encouraging strength, and his continuous pleasure is our comfort?
The disciples returned joyfully to the murderous Jerusalem, praising and blessing God. They returned from the same way, which they had followed on foot when entering Jerusalem with Christ who was riding an ass in his triumphant entry into the capital.
In their last return, those witnesses of Christ’s resurrection and ascension glorified the great things of him who was raised from the dead, who redeemed the whole world on the cross. A new age began in Jerusalem spreading peace throughout the whole nations.
The apostles did not go back to their houses, but went immediately to the temple. They prayed silently altogether, glorified God, praised his love, and declared his salvation. The true Christian is a prayer, thankful, and praiseful, for salvation had been finished. Do you meet with your friends to thank and praise for the new life gifted to you? Do you rejoice together at the glorious hope prepared for us in Christ? Seek the fellowship of the grateful that your soul may wing through praise and worship.
You may ask: "Why do we have to thank him?" We wish to refer you to the last name, which appears in Luke’s gospel that is "God". Thank him for his being and his presence, and commit yourself to him once and forever, for Jesus revealed to us who God is. This name is like a transparent paper, which hides the truth of the glory of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. The natural man does not know who God is. He feels his presence as a great, creative, and all-securing power. But did you know through reading Luke’s Gospel who God is? Did you get to know his essence? Christ revealed to us his Father’s love, gave us his grace, and established us in the communion of the Holy Spirit. He who knows God confesses the unity of the Holy Trinity, and worships him throughout his life forever.
Do you know what the word "Amen" signifies? It says to you that all what you read, prayed, recognized, believed, and testified of from this gospel is true and certain, for God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit guarantees to practice all his promises completely to the maximum extent. Do you say: "Amen", believing in the message of Luke’s gospel, and live forever preserved and safe? He who lives praises the Lord Jesus, and he who glorifies him waits for his return with expectation that his kingdom may overcome those who oppose him. His kingdom began today in the believers who bear his cross and walk in all the ways and parts of the peoples, bringing salvation and peace freely, at this short time that remained for men, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.