We are close to moving to the sixth month of the year and these past five months have been busy months for the Christian faith.  The question The Pew asks you today is “what’s next”. If everything goes as it normally does within the church calendar, we’ll pack these particular occasions away until again next year. Let’s take a few moments to look at what we’ve covered in the Christian faith. We know that on the third day after Jesus was crucified he rose from the dead, and according to the New Testament, the Ascension of Christ occurred 40 days after his resurrection. We are told his resurrection took place on the third day following the crucifixion. The ascension happened approximately 43 days after his crucifixion so here’s the fact we want to take from that…the 40 day post Resurrection Is explicitly detailed in the book of acts chapter 1:3. Jesus remained on earth to teach the apostles and give them the final instructions before ascending to heaven. Now I need to kind of go a little bit slow here because I too get confused at times about the chronology of these events. So I suppose what we need to do here is to be sure that we make note of the fact of the Great Commission, now bear with me here so we don’t get lost, but the Great commission was given before Pentecost and Jesus issued the command after his resurrection, but before the ascension. So we need to define at this point exactly what was the Great Commission? That can be found in Matthew 28:19–20 and is Jesus’s final command to his followers. It instructed them to go to all nations, make disciples, baptize them, and teach them his commandments with the reassuring promise of his continual presence and authority. Now this is important because the core mission is not to just get converts, but to train devoted followers. In a sense, it underlines the fact that God’s message is for everyone, regardless of cultural or ethnic background. They are instructed to baptize these people in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit – a public declaration of faith and a symbol of a believer’s new identity, uniting them with the trinity. There is still  another part of this that needs to be said and understood. They are to teach them to observe all that Jesus has commanded – it must be made known to them that a discipleship requires active learning and obedience, and that believers follow Jesus’s ethical teachings and lifestyle. That’s quite a bit to digest, but there is a little caveat there at the end … “behold, I am with you always even to the end of the age”. It’s a comforting assurance that Jesus remains present to guide, empower and protect His followers as they carry out this mission. And now to the last thing. Pentecost, it is at Pentecost that these disciples and people within that room and others that would come behind them were empowered with the Holy Spirit that would enable them to actually carry out the mission that lay ahead. This is the point that I would like to make there is never any end to the Christian mission. The death of Christ on the cross, the resurrection, the ascension and Pentecost are not the end of the story. 

Ever wonder where these people went after Pentecost? This is one of the better responses I came across. This is an AI summary  of those events. I want to be clear that it has been fact checked, it is not my writings and is an accumulation of information from many sources. 

After Pentecost, the twelve apostles dispersed from Jerusalem to spread the Gospel. While the specific locations varied, some notable destinations and individuals include Peter traveling to Palestine, Asia Minor, and eventually Rome; Thomas going to India;Andrew going to Greece and the regions of the Black Sea; and James the Greater potentially going to Spain.  

Here’s a more detailed look at some of the apostles and their potential destinations: 

• Peter: Known for his leadership after Pentecost, Peter traveled extensively, including to Palestine, Asia Minor, and eventually Rome where he became the first bishop and was crucified upside down.  
• Andrew: Tradition holds that Andrew went to Scythia, then to Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) and Greece, where he is said to have been crucified.     
• Thomas: Thomas is traditionally believed to have evangelized in Osroene (eastern Turkey) and then went to India, where his tomb is located. 
• James the Greater: While his exact route to Spain is not explicitly mentioned in scripture, the tradition is that he eventually traveled to Spain and was martyred. 
• Philip: Philip is said to have traveled to Scythia (near the Black Sea) and then to Phrygia (in modern-day Turkey). 
• Bartholomew: Bartholomew is linked to Armenia and India, and some accounts say he may have also traveled to Mesopotamia, Persia, and Egypt.   
• Matthew: Matthew is said to have ministered to Jewish communities in Palestine and later traveled to Syria, Media, Persia, Parthia, and Ethiopia.  

They were followed by a group of converts and redeemed believers. In the weeks ahead we will get to know the people who went forth at great risk to their personal well being…and carried out the Great Commission. 

 

Matthew 28:19-20, to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.

Are you as it is sometimes said, are you willing to walk the walk? See you next week 

Life is Good

jk