We’ve just celebrated Easter, and my body is still processing too many bags of Cadbury’s Chocolate Mini Eggs that found their way into my shopping cart at Target, CVS, and all other good stores I’ve visited in the past few weeks. While they tasted delicious, they’re not exactly the healthiest, and I seem to lack the willpower to consume only a handful.
As I hiked this morning, trying to address my consumption of the past few days, I realized two things. Firstly, it was going to take a lot more than a four-mile hike to walk off every single one of those eggs. And secondly, I’d never deeply considered what happens after Easter. I’d taken the coming of the holy spirit with the simple acceptance of the gift that it is. But as I walked and prayed this morning, these verses hit me as they’d never done before.
After he [Jesus] had suffered, he also presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While he was with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. Acts 1:3-4 CSB
As I paced up the muddy trail, I churned this verse over and over in my mind. Why was it jarring? Then I thought about the preceding events. Not only had we seen Jesus rise from the dead, at the end of all four gospels, we saw him appear to his family, friends, and of course, his disciples.
Surely, their first reaction would be to go tell as many people as possible about this gift, about this amazing truth, and that the savior was real! Can you imagine it today? The viral Instagram or TikTok post: It’s true … The man who came back to life … Photos, reels, and journalists would spread the miraculous news within seconds of him being spotted after rising from the dead. Yet, Jesus didn’t ask them to stay, he commanded the disciples not to leave Jerusalem.
I find it interesting that instead of saying “Go!,” Jesus led them into a period of waiting. We know, because the book of Acts tells us, that this waiting was a period of forty days. But they wouldn’t have known that. They found themselves being commanded to wait, and surely, they must have been asking themselves What Next? I know I would have been.
We do know that he spoke to them about the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). But it doesn’t go into details. Oh, to have been a fly on those walls! What wisdom Jesus must have shared!
But these two verses got me thinking about our lives. Sometimes we have these huge life-changing events that affect us, and we try to resolve them as quickly as possible. Yet, as we see in this verse, God is often into marinating, not microwaving. He wants us to take time to process the events that happen in our lives.
What was the benefit of commanding them to stay in Jerusalem? It provided the opportunity for additional teaching, but I also think it gave time for the emotions of shock, disbelief, wonder, awe, and surprise to wear off. Emotions are not permanent. They change direction and speed like the wind.
Have you ever been influenced by emotion? I have, and it’s an instant red flag. Why? Because, while extremes of emotions create a response in me, decisions based on feelings (a.k.a emotions) are not always reliable for the simple reason that emotions associated with feelings will always dissipate over time.
I think Jesus not only wanted to give his disciples time to process everything they’d seen and learned in this period, but he also provided a safer platform to introduce the world to the truth of the resurrection. Because the disciples emotions had time to be filtered through their conversations with Jesus during that forty-day period. What a gift!
Do you find yourself in a place of asking, “What next?” Maybe you’re tempted to make a quick decision about a situation you face, or to start fresh because you’ve been betrayed. But, just maybe, you need to take some time to wait … to make decisions based on discussions with Jesus, rather than the emotions of the moment.
Wherever you find yourself, I love that Jesus provided his disciples with time with him after what were the biggest and most life-changing moments of history, and before he gave them the gift of his holy spirit. And he gives you the same gift … time with him.
A love letter from God …
Dear lovely one,
Be reassured, I know what is next. I know those moments in your life that leave you stunned, and I know when you need time to process. When life happens, get into the habit of pressing pause and taking time to sit with me and learn about the kingdom of God. The disciples did that in Jerusalem after my son rose from the grave. Jesus taught them, he spoke with them, and he gave them the same gift I offer you, a space to learn about the kingdom of God in your life.
I see you, my beloved; I love you. And I am with you always.
Love, God