End (SA)

We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name . . . 

  - From Acts 5

Jesus had been killed, and then he came back to life after three days. He visited with the Apostles for another forty days, and then ascended into Heaven, or . . . He elevated through the air, up into the sky, until He disappeared from sight. As He soared overhead, a cloud encircled Him, like the exhaust of rocket thrusters. 

The whole area around Jerusalem, and in fact, throughout all of Judea was trying to get back to normal. It was like a college town, three hours after a big home football game, when the stadium is back to being empty; traffic has gotten back to normal, students are out tossing Frisbees, and the libraries are filled with students. 

The Scribes and Pharisees, and Romans, liked the settled nature of things. People were just tired of the tension that had been tightening over the past few years, and especially, few weeks. Even the followers of Christ seemed to be wanting just to launch a routine of meeting with one another, and follow His directives, to spread the Kingdom of God, through acts of kindness and charity. It seemed like a slam dunk.

It felt like that whole awkward chapter had finally wrapped up. 

"Good, I'm glad that's over."

Everybody knew that a lot had ended, and not just the life of Christ on Earth. Whatever had been the case before, would never be repeated. 

It was The End. And the world breathed a sigh of relief.

But good times seem to bring out the worst in the worse kinds of people. For the Scribes and Pharisees, a return to normalcy meant never having to hear about Jesus ever again. They established rules of politically correct language. They would make it criminal even to talk about Jesus. This was just the little detail that would bring the whole affair to a sufficient and final ending. 

They would rid the world of this Jesus message of love, selflessness, humility, and purity. Let me live my life as I see fit! Let me be who I really am! Don't judge me!! And so, their continuing ignorance of what Christ was all about made them willing to extricate even the good parts of Christ's message, if it meant never having to hear about Him. His very Name was too convicting, too challenging! 

But the world has never been able to annihilate God's Plan. Even one person, out of a population of billions, is all it takes to keep the Gospel alive.