Source: http://montreal.anglican.org/comments/archive/aeas7m.shtml
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 21:46:23+00:00

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he is sending upon them “what my Father promised”.
He has implied that this gift will come to them in Jerusalem (as Acts 1:4 says clearly). He has led them to Bethany (near Jerusalem) and “was carried up into heaven”; then they “returned to Jerusalem”.
not only in Israel but “to the ends of the earth”.
Vv. 9-10 tell of Jesus’ ascension, a clearly visible event set in a historical context. (Note the five words about seeing.) The “cloud” in Elijah’s ascension and in Jesus’ is a sign of God’s presence. But the event goes beyond the physical; it needs interpretation by “two men ...”, messengers from God: Jesus’ return will be a divine intervention in human affairs. Bethany and the Mount of Olives (“Olivet”, v. 12) are adjacent and close to Jerusalem. The eleven disciples possibly return to the site of the Last Supper, “the room upstairs” (v. 13). The band devoted to Jesus now includes “certain women” (v. 14) and Jesus’ brothers. (“Judas”, v. 13, is not Iscariot.) They meet for liturgical prayer on a regular basis, probably following Temple practices.
Difficult to interpret, this psalm seems to have accompanied a liturgy (drama) in the Temple depicting the movement of the Israelites from before “Sinai” (v. 8) to Jerusalem (where God dwells, v. 17). It consists of snippets, each a few verses long, commemorating God’s championship of Israel. V. 1 echoes Moses’ words whenever the Ark was moved (see Numbers 10:35). “As wax melts ...” (v. 2) is the language of God’s presence. In Canaanite culture, the storm god, Baal, “rides upon the clouds” (v. 4); here God does so (see also v. 33). He is saviour of the needy and persecutor of the ungodly (vv. 5-6). Judges 5:4-5 also associates earthquakes and deluges with Sinai; water was (and is) valuable in Palestine (vv. 8-10). God’s “voice” (v. 33) is probably thunder, a sign of his “power” (vv. 34, 35). May all people everywhere (“kingdoms of the earth”, v. 32) praise God! To the early church, this psalm foretold the ascension of Christ.
In the final verses of the letter, the author exhorts his readers (who are being persecuted at least to the extent of being made to feel inferior) to accept their “ordeal” as something to be expected and as testing their mettle. Christ is not just an example of suffering-for-doing-good; they are to rejoice that in suffering they actually share in his sufferings. This is preparation for union with him when he comes again (“when his glory is revealed”, 4:13). They are indeed fortunate (“blessed”, 4:14) that the Spirit, the source of oneness with God (“glory”) is with them. For a Christian, to suffer for doing good is not a “disgrace” ( 4:16). Their suffering is in fact the start of end-time judgement. How much worse off will be those who do not “obey” ( 4:17) Christ’s message! So entrust yourselves to God.
All the faithful must make effort to “humble yourselves” ( 5:6) before God, who is always the great deliverer and to whom you owe obedience (“mighty hand”), so that in God’s time (“due time”) you will be brought into full union with him. Trust in God ( 5:7). Remain “alert” ( 5:8) for evil is always trying to divert you from God’s ways! Others also suffer as you do ( 5:9b). Your suffering will be brief; then God who has called you to eternal life will give you strength and the status due to you (“establish”, 5:10).
the Father sent him into the world.
Looking forward to the time after his departure, Jesus asks the Father to “protect” (v. 11) the disciples from evil influences in the alien “world”, that they may have a unity modelled on that of the Father and the Son.

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