Week 4 — The Enthroned King
Welcome to week four - we have walked carefully through the story so far.
Week 1 showed us that resurrection is not simply proof of life after death; it is the beginning of new creation.
Week 2 reminded us that reconciliation is not sentimental language but something accomplished through the cross.
Week 3 reframed the kingdom so that we no longer confuse God’s reign with national restoration or political dominance.
Now what... glad you asked.
Now we come to the ascension.
If resurrection is victory, ascension is coronation. The risen Christ does not simply return to heaven; He is enthroned. He takes His place at the right hand of the Father. Authority is not theoretical. It is established. The crucified one now reigns.
And yet the way this reign unfolds is surprising. There is no immediate visible upheaval in Rome. No dramatic overthrow of empires. Instead, the King gathers a small group of followers and shapes them into a people who understand that power comes from above, not from themselves.
This week we will look at what happens between ascension and Pentecost.
We will see obedience before action, patience before harvest, prayer before power, unity before expansion, and promise before fulfillment. Ahh - the good ol days of not trying to second guess everything.
The best part is - the reign of Christ begins not with spectacle, but with formation.
Monday — Obedience Before Action
New Testament Scripture - Acts 1:4
“While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father…”
Old Testament Scripture - Psalm 27:14
“Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”
A Strange First Move
Now that Jesus has risen, you might expect movement - i would!
Momentum is finally on their side. The cross is behind them. The tomb is empty. If ever there were a moment to organize, mobilize, and make some noise in Jerusalem, this would be it.
Instead, Jesus gives a command that feels almost anticlimactic.
Acts tells us He ordered them not to leave Jerusalem. This was not suggested. Not even recommended. It was ordered.
If resurrection is victory and ascension is coronation, then this is the first directive from the enthroned King. And it is not “Go.” It is “Remain.”
That matters. The first act of the church under the reign of Christ is not expansion. It is obedience.
Waiting Takes Strength
Psalm 27 says, “Wait for the Lord; be strong.” We do not usually connect those two ideas. Waiting feels passive. Strength feels active. But Scripture refuses to separate them.
Waiting takes strength because it requires trust.
The disciples could not manufacture what was coming next. They could not engineer the Spirit. They could not create momentum through enthusiasm. They had been promised power, but promise does not mean control.
They had to believe that what Jesus said would actually happen. (I know - doubting Thomas's the lot of them!)
Yet - that kind of waiting looks like us - doesn't it? It reveals how quickly we prefer action over dependence. We like progress we can measure. We like outcomes we can manage.
The enthroned Christ begins His reign by teaching His followers that obedience is more important than urgency.
Before they will preach boldly, (not that they were in a hurry to do that) they must learn to stay faithfully.
Living Under a Reigning King
What I think most people do not understand about this moment is that the ascension means Jesus reigns now. Not later. Not symbolically. Now.
But - His reign does not advance through frantic effort. It advances through aligned people. The disciples’ willingness to remain in Jerusalem was not inactivity; it was submission to the authority of the King.
That pattern has not changed.
There are seasons when faithfulness looks less like doing and more like trusting. Less like launching something new and more like remaining where God has placed you. That does not feel impressive. It rarely feels strategic. But it is often where formation happens.
Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is exactly what Jesus told you to do — even when it feels small.
Ahh, the good old days when obedience was simpler and we were not trying to second guess everything.
Prayer
Lord Jesus,
You reign at the right hand of the Father.
Teach us to obey You before we rush ahead of You.
Give us strength to wait without anxiety.
Form in us the kind of trust that reflects Your kingship.
Amen.
Trying to make these a bit longer this week.
New Testament Scripture - Acts 1:4
“While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father…”
Old Testament Scripture - Psalm 27:14
“Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”
A Strange First Move
Now that Jesus has risen, you might expect movement - i would!
Momentum is finally on their side. The cross is behind them. The tomb is empty. If ever there were a moment to organize, mobilize, and make some noise in Jerusalem, this would be it.
Instead, Jesus gives a command that feels almost anticlimactic.
Acts tells us He ordered them not to leave Jerusalem. This was not suggested. Not even recommended. It was ordered.
If resurrection is victory and ascension is coronation, then this is the first directive from the enthroned King. And it is not “Go.” It is “Remain.”
That matters. The first act of the church under the reign of Christ is not expansion. It is obedience.
Waiting Takes Strength
Psalm 27 says, “Wait for the Lord; be strong.” We do not usually connect those two ideas. Waiting feels passive. Strength feels active. But Scripture refuses to separate them.
Waiting takes strength because it requires trust.
The disciples could not manufacture what was coming next. They could not engineer the Spirit. They could not create momentum through enthusiasm. They had been promised power, but promise does not mean control.
They had to believe that what Jesus said would actually happen. (I know - doubting Thomas's the lot of them!)
Yet - that kind of waiting looks like us - doesn't it? It reveals how quickly we prefer action over dependence. We like progress we can measure. We like outcomes we can manage.
The enthroned Christ begins His reign by teaching His followers that obedience is more important than urgency.
Before they will preach boldly, (not that they were in a hurry to do that) they must learn to stay faithfully.
Living Under a Reigning King
What I think most people do not understand about this moment is that the ascension means Jesus reigns now. Not later. Not symbolically. Now.
But - His reign does not advance through frantic effort. It advances through aligned people. The disciples’ willingness to remain in Jerusalem was not inactivity; it was submission to the authority of the King.
That pattern has not changed.
There are seasons when faithfulness looks less like doing and more like trusting. Less like launching something new and more like remaining where God has placed you. That does not feel impressive. It rarely feels strategic. But it is often where formation happens.
Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is exactly what Jesus told you to do — even when it feels small.
Ahh, the good old days when obedience was simpler and we were not trying to second guess everything.
Prayer
Lord Jesus,
You reign at the right hand of the Father.
Teach us to obey You before we rush ahead of You.
Give us strength to wait without anxiety.
Form in us the kind of trust that reflects Your kingship.
Amen.
Trying to make these a bit longer this week.
Posted in Easter Season 2026
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