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What’s next?! For the Apostles? For the Church? For us?

February 24, 2023

Acts 1:15-26  |  Psalm 15  |  Philippians 3:13-21  |  John 15:1,6-16

These scriptures look ahead to how Jesus wants us to behave as God’s people. They also speak to the spreading of the “Good News” then and in our own time. Lent is another waiting period for us like Advent, but there is an added element of tragedy.

Judas has sinned by betraying Jesus and his wickedness is punished in the most graphic terms. Matthias is chosen to replace him among the symbolic 12. Matthias is not mentioned in the Bible again, but it appears he has willingly gone out into the world to “afflict the comfortable” while spreading the Gospel. He is eventually martyred, as are most of the other Apostles. This era is also a time of great upheaval in the Roman world — a huge fire in Rome and the chaotic reign of Emperor Nero, among other things. They all have to get through it and Psalm 15 provides great guidance.

Meanwhile Paul is “straining forward to what lies ahead” and “pressing toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ.” Paul encourages others to join him in his quest to be a more godly person. He has by now stopped persecuting Christians. He reminds the Philippians that “if you are an enemy of the cross of Christ, your end is destruction.”  (Like Judas).

The epitome of being a good Christian is to follow the Great Commandment and “love  one another as I have loved you.” Jesus appoints us all to “go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that we may have from God whatever we ask in Jesus’ name.” For the early believers that may have meant losing their lives, but they were focused on the rewards in heaven. Out of their willingness to sacrifice and spread the word came our own Christian Church. However, we must be constantly working to really live into what God wants us to do in our imperfect world of today. The work is never done.

Carol Stevens