(As published in Clarion)
THE ASCENDED LORD GATHERS HIS CHURCH
After Jesus ascended into heaven, the apostles returned to Jerusalem. They gathered in the upper room along with the women, Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. (Acts 1:12-14)
The
ascended Lord was gathering his church.
Just
six weeks earlier, things had looked bleak. The crowds had abandoned him. Even
his closest disciples had fled. Mark records those bitter words when the
soldiers seized Jesus: “And they all forsook him and fled.” The Shepherd
was left with no sheep. He died alone—a leader without followers.
After
his resurrection, he sought out his scattered flock. Two had left for Emmaus.
Mary was weeping in the garden. Judas had taken his own life. Ten disciples
cowered behind locked doors. Thomas had disappeared, convinced all hope was
lost.
But
Christ gathered them again. He sent the two back from Emmaus to Jerusalem to
report that they had seen him. He sent Mary to tell the disciples that he had
arisen. He appeared to the Eleven. Now, in Acts 1, we see the fruit of his
labour. His church is together again, gathered in the upper room, united in
prayer.
Luke
names them. Peter, who had denied his Lord three times, was there. John and
James, the sons of Zebedee, who once vied for the best seats in the kingdom,
were there. Thomas, who had doubted that Christ had arisen, was now worshipping
his Lord and his God. Matthew, the tax collector, had not returned to his old
ways of exploiting his people. Simon the Zealot, once part of a violent
revolutionary movement, had come to see that Jesus would establish his kingdom
not by the sword, but by the power of God. The other five disciples, of whom we
know little, were also there.
Then
there were “the women”—the wives of the apostles who were married, as well as
Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna, and others who had supported Jesus from their
own means. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was also there. She, too, had been
gathered in—now worshipping her son as her Lord and God.
Even
his own brothers, who had once thought him mad, were there—James, Judas, and
Simon. They now believed, and all three would become leaders in the church.
And
there were more. Verse 15 tells us that soon the number grew to about 120—men,
women, and children.
The
ascended Lord had gathered his church.
And
he is still gathering today. Across the nations, he continues to build, defend,
and preserve his people—his church, chosen for everlasting life. And we believe
that we are, and forever shall remain, living members of that church.
For
personal reflection
- How does Jesus’ gathering of
his scattered disciples after his resurrection encourage you in your own
faith journey?
- Many of those gathered in the
upper room had past failures, doubts, or misconceptions about Jesus. How
does this challenge the way we view ourselves and others in the church
today?
- The early church was united in
prayer as they waited for the coming of the Holy Spirit. How can we foster
that same spirit of prayer and unity in our own churches and communities?
