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What happens when a formerly dead man shows up behind locked doors, then floats up into the sky with a promise to return? In the final moments of Luke's Gospel, we find Jesus preparing his followers for a mission that would transform the world—a mission that continues through us today.

The story begins with an unexpected surprise, much like the Uber driver who previously drove hearses and wasn't prepared for a tap on the shoulder. Jesus' disciples weren't expecting resurrection either, yet here they stood, receiving final instructions from their risen Lord before his dramatic ascension.

Rather than basing their confidence on miraculous experiences, Jesus anchors them to Scripture, emphasizing that everything written about him "in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms" had been fulfilled. This foundation remains our bedrock today—not emotional experiences but God's unchanging Word.

His message centers on two elements many modern churches avoid: repentance and forgiveness of sins. This isn't a suggestion or optional philosophy but an ultimatum that demands decision. Jesus then expands this proclamation globally, entrusting the mission to ordinary, flawed individuals. The Lord doesn't choose the equipped; he equips the chosen.

The mission becomes possible only through Christ's ascension, which triggers several vital promises: the Holy Spirit's descent to empower believers, the preparation of our heavenly home, Christ's ongoing intercession as our High Priest, and the guarantee of his return. When he ascended, Jesus didn't shed his humanity—there is now "a human being on the throne of the universe," forever both God and man.

Through the Spirit's power, we're transformed from the inside out. Like the testimony of Josh McDowell, who found himself able to love his abusive father through the Spirit's work, we discover resources beyond our natural capacity when we surrender to God's indwelling presence.

Where is your Jerusalem? What's your witness? The mission continues through us, ordinary believers living extraordinary lives as evidence of an extraordinary Savior who went up but promised to come back down.

Have you embraced both his message of repentance and forgiveness? Are you living as his witness? The world's jury is still deliberating—what verdict will your life help them reach?

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