Aristotle was on to something with the phrase, “well-begun is nearly done.” He was emphasizing the importance of not only getting a project started, but starting it in a strong or favorable way. The theory is that the rest of the work comes much easier from that point on, significantly increasing the likelihood of completion.
The expression also applied to Jesus’ words at his ascension. Well-begun is nearly done. Jesus got the mission of the church rolling, and he got it off on the right foot: he suffered, died, and he rose. That’s a great start! When on the cross Jesus cried, “It is finished,” he was speaking of your salvation. That part is done. There is no unfinished business or requirement that needs to be met in order to restore a perfect relationship with God that had previously been ripped apart by our sin. It’s all done. We’re all good with God.
But just as surely as Jesus stated, “it is finished,” from the cross on Good Friday, from the clouds at the Ascension, Jesus might as well have said, “It isn’t finished.” Because it isn’t – that is, his mission. No, Jesus’ mission – your mission, our mission, the church’s mission, is why we’re here – because that job is not yet finished. We’re here – living, breathing, alive – because that mission has not yet been completed. You’ll know when it is completed because that will be the day Jesus returns to put a permanent end to suffering and sin.
Until then, though, our mission continues. After beginning the mission and completing the backbone of it in order for us to continue carrying it out, Jesus spelled out our mission. Before returning to the right hand of the Father, he said, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things” (v. 46-48).
Jesus did the heavy lifting to solidify our salvation. In truth, Jesus is still every bit as much the one who does the heavy lifting today. His disciples are the ones who bring that mission to completion by witnessing to others that Jesus has already done the heavy lifting. Let’s be a little clearer: you are the ones who bring that mission to completion by witnessing to others that Jesus has already done the heavy lifting.
You get to tell others to put down their heavy burdens. You get to tell others to set down their work righteousness. You get to tell others they can let go of their guilt. You get to tell others they do not need to keep carrying their past record of wrongs. You get to tell others their sentence of an eternity of community service has been commuted. You get to tell others there is rest in Jesus, forgiveness from the Faithful One and salvation in the Savior.
That is your mission, my mission, our mission. Is it clear? Do you need more explanation? Is something fuzzy? Good news: Jesus stands by ready to clarify, just as he did with the first disciples. “Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures” (v.45).
Consider how the phrase “open-minded” is used today. It is not usually a compliment when someone tells you that you need to be more open-minded about something. It implies you’re stuck in your ways, that you can only see a matter one way, that you are incapable of viewing it any other way. So here, Luke uses the phrase to indicate that Jesus’ disciples had a very limited understanding of Scripture. The very purpose of opening their minds was for them to gain a better grasp of Scripture. Why did they need a better grasp of Scripture? So they could understand the mission better, not just in terms of what to do, but why to do it.
Much is made of this in the way of leadership development these days, and rightly so. If people are only given a “what” – the nuts and bolts and ABCs of carrying out some task, they lack the drive to carry it out. They need to know the “why” – “why does this matter? why is this important?” Jesus covered the “why” by reviewing his suffering, death, and resurrection, thereby setting the tone for rolling out the mission: “repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things” (v.47-48).
When a believer or a group of believers has lost sight of the mission, minds need to be opened to understand the Scriptures and get back to the “why” of our mission: the good news of Jesus’ perfect life, willing suffering, innocent death, powerful resurrection, and glorious ascension. These are the bedrock of our very being. These remind us of where we stand with God and why – we are at peace with him – sins paid for in full – because Jesus did it all. That news is for us to soak up for ourselves!
That news is also for us to share with others! Nothing has changed in the 2,000 years since Jesus ascended; the mission remains the same. We soak up that message; we share that message.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, located in Arlington National Cemetary in Virginia, is a monument dedicated to all of the unidentified military service members who have died fighting in our nation’s wars. It is guarded by soldiers of the United States Army, and it is considered one of the highest honors to be selected to serve as a sentinel (fewer than 20 percent of volunteers are accepted). Visitors can watch the ceremony that takes place as the guard is changed at various times. When that takes place, the guard being relieved will state to the oncoming guard, “Post and orders remain as directed.” The other then responds, “Orders acknowledged.” In other words, the mission to stand guard at the tomb is the same today as it was on the day it was first given, to stand guard at the tomb.
We need to hear the same reminder today, “post and orders remain as directed.” The mission that Jesus gave to his church at his ascension is the same mission of his church today. Nothing has changed. “Repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things” (v.47-48). Nothing has changed. That is our mission.
In addition to speaking of opening the disciples’ minds, there is another term that Jesus used that includes the idea of changing one’s mind. That is essentially the meaning of the word, “repentance,” which Jesus stated was a part of our mission. As disciples today witness, the Holy Spirit changes minds through the Word. Repentance takes place as others are led to see their sin and rejoice in their Savior and his forgiveness. Minds – and eternities along with them! – are changed as the mission is carried out. Repentance changes minds about Jesus.
Do our minds “need to be changed?” Does repentance need to take place where we have lost sight of the mission? Do we need to confess that the reason we’re not carrying out the mission is that we’re not caring about the mission? Do we need to acknowledge that we’ve too readily admitted to failing at the mission but have not been very quick to make any changes and resume carrying out the mission we’ve been given? Have we too often told ourselves the “I’m too _______ to carry out the mission” – too timid, too inexperienced, too young, too old, too tired, too… etc.?
The truth is that we’re “too” forgiven not to carry on the mission. Jesus takes the least qualified, and sends them – sends us – to carry out his mission. That was who he sent at his Ascension, and that is who he sends today. And those he sends, he equips, just as he did ten days after his Ascension through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. That was what Jesus was promising in verse 49: “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
To those willing to carry on the mission today, Jesus promises the same powerful Spirit. He equips us with the Word of God, he has dressed us properly in our baptism, and he feeds us regularly through the Sacrament. We lack nothing for carrying out the mission. Jesus needs only hearts stirred by the gospel and lips willing to speak. That’s really all he is looking for, and he can work with that wherever he finds it. Will he find those two things when he looks to you for them?
We live in a culture that clamors for fame. Influencers hope their social media accounts blow up and lead to fame. YouTube offers the hope of a viral video that might pave the way to fame. Sadly, the prevalence of shootings can be tied to a desire for fame – even from such tragedy. In a fame-focused culture, let’s commit to the same pursuit; let’s chase after fame.
But not for you and me. Let’s make Jesus famous. Let’s recapture for a world disenfranchised by the Christian Church what Christianity is all about: Jesus. Let’s stop praying small and start playing big. Let’s stop tearing down the world and focus more on lifting up Christ. Less of digging in our heels and more of digging into the Word. Let’s worry less about making Christianity unpopular and focus more on making Jesus famous.
After all, he got it all started – “well begun is nearly done.” Let’s faithfully finish what he started. Let’s let him bring to completion through us what he brought to completion on the cross. At his Ascension, he spelled out his mission clearly for us. Let’s recommit to carrying it out by making our lives less about us and more about Jesus as we carry out his purposes. Jesus’ resurrection – and ascension – have given your life meaning – let’s let our lives mean as much as possible in pursuit of winning as many souls as we possibly can together!