Hide and Seek (Ascension Sunday)
(Acts 1:1-11)
Hodgdon UMC – June
1, 2025
<Hide and Seek>
“Peek-a-boo!”
It’s a game we play with babies and toddlers. We hide our faces with our hands,
then open them and say, “Peek-a-boo!” It’s simple, but it helps children grow.
It teaches them that things still exist even when they can’t see them. It
builds trust and gives them a sense of safety. It prepares them for future
times of separation.
Children
love to play “Hide and Seek.” This game is like peek-a-boo but helps them to
grow even more. It teaches them emotional and social skills. Also it helps them
manage their feelings about being separated and coming back together. It
teaches independence.
I think God likes to play hide and seek too—especially through the seasons. I’ve been amazed by how spring flowers hide in the winter and then appear at the right time. First, we see green leaves, then daffodils, dandelions, tulips, hyacinths, apple trees, cherry trees, and lilacs. Every season, we see God’s handiwork in nature.
I
think Jesus loves to play hide and seek, too. He was hidden in the Old Testament
times. For 400 years between the Old and New Testaments, there was silence.
Then, on Christmas, Jesus appeared! We found Him!
But
then, He hid again in the tomb for three days. That was a painful time for the
disciples. No joy. Just grief. But after three days, He came back—He is risen!
He stayed with them for 40 days.
And
today, on Ascension Day, He hides again—this time in heaven. But He promised:
He will come back. One day, this game of hide and seek will end with His
return.
Have
you ever felt like you were playing hide and seek with Jesus? Sometimes it
feels like God is hiding. We feel lost, abandoned. But when God shows up, we
are so relieved. And sometimes, we are the ones hiding! Like Jonah, we run from
God. But God always finds us and rescues us from deep waters, from dark places,
even from the grave.
<Three gifts from Jesus’ Ascension>
1. 1. The Holy Spirit
Right
now, we are in between the Ascension and the Second Coming. This time of hide
and seek with Jesus started with Jesus’s ascension. Yes, there was sadness when
Jesus left. But God’s grace covers the sorrow. I believe suffering and grace
always walk together. We can see three gifts from His ascension.
The
first gift is the Holy Spirit. Jesus told them not to leave Jerusalem. That was
the place where He died and rose again. It was also a place of danger. But He
told them to stay there and wait for the gift God promised. “John
baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
Ascension
is not just about Jesus going away. It’s also about the Spirit coming to stay.
It’s not just about loss. It’s about receiving a great gift.
Jesus
had already told them in John 16:7—“It is to your advantage that I go
away. If I don’t go, the Advocate (the Holy Spirit) will not come to you.”
I
remember when Victor had to leave to study for his M.Div. in the U.S. We had
only dated for five months. I cried so hard. I even looked up to the sky as his
plane left, like the disciples watched Jesus go to heaven. At that moment, God
gave me this verse. I didn’t understand then how his leaving could be a gift.
But during the one year and seven months we were apart, we called each other
four times a day! Morning calls and bedtime calls. It helped us build strong communication.
When we met again, we couldn’t hide our joy and gratitude. His departure leads to a strong relationship built on deep communication.
Before
any new journey, Jesus gives us power and authority. When He sent His
disciples to preach, He gave them authority to heal and to cast out demons.
When He gave the Great Commission, He gave authority to make disciples,
baptize, and teach. Now again, He makes the same promise. Jesus would give them
the Holy Spirit to be able to live as witnesses.
“But
you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be
my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the
earth.” (v.8)
Jesus
couldn’t be with all His followers at once. But the Holy Spirit could. The
Spirit gave them power to preach boldly. The word of Power means dynamis
in Greek, meaning to preach the gospel effectively with miracles. It is used at
least 7 times in Acts.[1]
The same disciples who hid in fear became brave witnesses—even to death. To
receive a gift, we must open our hands. What have you lost recently? What are
you losing now? May God comfort you and open your eyes to the gifts that are
coming. The first gift of the Ascension is the Holy Spirit.
2. The Church
The
second gift is the Church. When Jesus went up, His mission on earth was
done—but ours began. The early church started from that moment. Jesus’ leaving
brought the disciples’ new calling. I believe God always gives us the best thing
at the best time. God is good all the time—all the time, God is good!
Think
of Stephen. His death led to the gospel spreading. Believers scattered to Judea
and Samaria, just as Jesus said.
Think
of Paul. He planted churches, stayed for a while, then left. His leaving gave
space for local leaders to grow. He raised up leaders like Timothy.
I’ve
seen this too. When one leader leaves, God raises another. Because the church
belongs to Jesus. He is the head. We are His body. The ministry is His
business, not ours.
The
second gift of Ascension is the Church.
3.
The Kingdom of God
The
third gift is the Kingdom of God. Luke wrote about it in both the Gospel of
Luke and the book of Acts. He tells us how Jesus went from Bethlehem to the
Mount of Olives, where He was taken up to heaven. For 40 days after Easter,
Jesus stayed with His followers. He gave them many proofs that He was alive and
spoke to them about the Kingdom of God.
Still,
the disciples hoped Jesus would bring political freedom. They asked,
“Lord, is this the time you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” But Jesus
answered, “It’s not for you to know the times. That’s the Father’s business.”
(Message)
Jesus
always talked about the Kingdom. Before the cross and after the resurrection.
Even in the 40 days before ascension, He spoke about the Kingdom (Acts 1:3).
When
the Pharisees asked when the Kingdom would come, Jesus said, “The Kingdom
of God is among you.” (Luke 17:21) That means—God is King in our lives.
Now,
through the Holy Spirit, we live in that Kingdom even here on earth. Jesus’
Spirit helps us live under God’s rule. We live as Kingdom people.
But
He also promised a future Kingdom in heaven. As He left, two angels said, “Jesus
will come back the same way you saw Him go.” (Acts 1:11)
In
Revelation, Jesus showed John how He would return—on the clouds, just like He
left. He promised to prepare a place for us. Until then, we play hide and seek
with Him. But we know how the story ends. The third gift of Ascension is the
Kingdom of God, now and forever.
<Blessing from Leaving>
As a
church, we are facing another change. Change is not easy. We will feel some
loss. I will miss you. I will miss Quiche, monkey bread, and all kinds of
goodies. I will miss worshiping together with you like this.
When
we first embraced Mars Hill, I felt the same way. I lost something. But looking
back over the past two and a half years, I see not just loss, but gain. Not
just suffering, but grace.
Especially
on May 24, during the Aldersgate service—when we had the pick-up choir, worship
dance, and the children’s handbell choir with kids from six churches—I felt
great joy. God made us one.
Lately,
I’ve felt fear. I asked, “Lord, how can we do ministry with four churches? Are
we ready? Am I ready as a senior pastor? What is your plan?”
And God answered me through today’s scripture:
“I will give you power through the Holy Spirit.
I will build my church.
I will give you the Kingdom of God.”
So I answered back:
“Lord, You know us best.
You give us the best thing at the best time.
You send us to preach the gospel in Houlton, Hodgdon, Mars Hill, Patten, and
all across Aroostook County.
You are the head of the Church. You are in charge of this ministry.
You let us live in Your Kingdom on earth and in heaven.”
A few weeks ago, my three girls ran barefoot in the rain
after all three Sunday services—including the one at the nursing home. It
reminded me of the song:
“I’ll Fly Away.”
Just like Jesus flew into heaven, I will fly away one day. Until
then, I thank God for these gifts:
The Holy Spirit. The Church. The Kingdom of God.
When leaving leads to receiving—
I will fly away.
Amen.
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