After I left college I went to study audio engineering at the School of Sound Recording. I was able to use a world class studio, equipment that had been used by amazing musicians in the past, and learn from top engineers and producers. I’ll always remember the first time I got to sit in on a session in the Neve studio, which was the top level studio that only the very highest calibre students were allowed in. The equipment in there was the kind that was used on albums like Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’, Metallica’s ‘Black album’, Muse, Led Zeppelin, all the greats. This was top class equipment. I was assisting the college manager on some sessions for project he was working on, getting to record amazing musicians and songs, watching everything he did like a hawk. I felt like the luckiest person on my course, being able to see this. But I never for a moment thought I’d be able to use this kind of equipment.
Then one day we had an intensive recording day where 4 students, 2 intermediate (me and my friend) and 2 expert level were each given a band, an hour in one of the studios to record and then an hour to mix. That’s quite a push and would have been extremely challenging. So me and my friend turned up and we started working out what equipment we would reserve for the intermediate studio, the expert students hadn’t turned up yet but we cracked on. About half an hour later there was still no sign of these expert students and the bands were getting slightly worried, so I offered to set up in the other studio for them, I’d seen it enough times I knew roughly what to do.
Half an hour turned into an hour turned into 2 hours and still no sign of them and my friend had already started recording in the other studio. It looked like I was going to have to step in and run this session. One of the lecturers helped me set up and showed me quickly how things ran, and then said to me “over to you”, and I was in control. After a rocky start I managed to complete both sessions in time, and produce some really nice sounding songs. I made a few mistakes, but I think if I hadn’t been given that permission by my teacher I never would have had the confidence to do any of it myself.
Like me, the disciples watched and studied everything their teacher, Jesus, did. They had seen him preach, teach, do signs and wonders, but never for a moment did they think they’d ever be able to do it. However, that’s exactly what Jesus wanted them to do…
In the book of Acts, we read about Jesus ascending to heaven after the resurrection, and this was his way of saying to them, “over to you”, his work on earth was done. Here’s what it says:
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“In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.’ And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’”
Jesus said to his disciples, “over to you” he told them to continue the work he had started, and he tells us to do the same thing.
Have you ever wondered what happened to Jesus after he ascended into heaven? Well in the Gospel according to Google we find this:
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“He is met by the angel Gabriel who asks him, “Now that your work is finished, what plans have you made to ensure that the truth that you brought to earth will spread throughout the world?” Jesus answered, “I have called some fishermen and tax-collectors to walk along with me as I did my Father’s will.” “Yes, I know about them,” said Gabriel, “but what other plans have you made?” Jesus replied, “I taught Peter, James and John about the kingdom of God; I taught Thomas about faith; and all of them were with me as I healed and preached to the multitudes.” Gabriel replied. “But you know how unreliable that lot was. Surely you must have other plans to make sure your work was not in vain.” Jesus quietly replied to Gabriel “I have no other plans. I am depending on them!!”
So when Jesus said “over to you”, he left us with a task; to continue his work on earth. But he also left us with 3 promises to encourage and spur us on.
Firstly he gives us the promise of a Resource.
Jesus promises us a resource for the work that he has given us, he says he will provide the tools and power we need in the form of the Holy Spirit. Verse 8 says we will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes. Jesus has given us all we need to continue his work in the world. Right at the start of Jesus’ ministry he received the Holy Spirit to resource his ministry, and at Pentecost that gift became available to all of us, we have all the resources we need in the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The second promise Jesus gives us is the promise of his Return.
In verse 11, the angels say to the disciples, “This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” Jesus is coming back! What an encouragement to carry on Jesus’ work, he’s not gone forever. He’s entrusted us with the task of bringing his Kingdom to Earth, and telling people about him, and we have the promise that he will return to seal the deal.
So we have the promise of Resource, the promise of Return and finally we have the promise of Restoration.
In verses 6-7, the disciples ask Jesus if he is going to restore the Kingdom to Israel, and Jesus says not yet, but again and again we see him talking about the Kingdom of God as an astonishing reality. Throughout the New Testament, we are called to bring the Kingdom of God to earth, and in the ascension we get the promise that when he returns Jesus will seal the deal and restore creation.
In Jesus’ lifetime he probably travelled and ministered in about a 200 mile radius, and spoke pretty much entirely to Jews and a few Romans. He did nothing for the rest of the Roman Empire, nothing for America, not even anything for England. Instead he said “over to you” to the disciples, to me, to you. The message of Jesus’ ascension was “over to you” because Jesus knew that while he was still physically on earth we’d never step up to the job.
So what does acting out the promises of resource, return and restoration look like today?
For the last few years at Soul Survivor I’ve been on the Fringe team, which is essentially going around and talking to and loving the people there who don’t yet know Jesus. This year we worked with the prophecy team, and would pray for young people and see God reveal and heal things in amazing ways. We prayed for one girl and a couple of people had some words for her, and after a couple of days she decided she wanted to give her life to Jesus. She prayed and accepted Jesus into her life, and immediately she started to join in as we prayed for her friend. A couple of us had words for the friend and then this girl, just given her life to Jesus, starts to prophecy to her friend. Somehow, having only just become a Christian, she understood the message of the ascension, that it is “over to you”.
