And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God. (Luke 24:52–53)
With this Bible passage, the Gospel of Luke draws to a close. Unfortunately, after reading about all the miracles and events in the life of Jesus, it’s easy to skim over these final two verses and move on to John’s gospel. Not so fast! There’s a reason I decided to include this passage in my book and it has to do with power – the kind of power that you need to give up worry and place your trust in God.
Here’s what I wrote in Give Up Worry For Good…
Forty days earlier, Jesus’ disciples had been trying to save their lives by hiding from the authorities. As the gospel closes, they are rejoicing and seemingly unafraid to die. What caused this radical transformation? It’s hard to believe that this is the same group of men. They went from being cowardly to courageous in a very short amount of time. Obviously, something happened to cause this change. Let’s explore it more deeply. If we begin to understand what took place in their lives, we can better put it to work in our own.
The transformation of the cowardly apostles can be attributed to many things – their relationship with Jesus, His Resurrection, the initial outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the blessing they received before He ascended into Heaven. Ultimately, however, it comes down to power. Because of the supernatural power they received, these men were filled with joy at a time when they should have been terrified. You and I have access to that same power in the Holy Spirit. If you’re not already doing so, start tapping into that power by inviting the Spirit to work in you on a daily basis. It can be done in three simple words – “Come, Holy Spirit!”
