The disciples and other followers of Jesus stand on the hilltop and stare into the clouds where Jesus has just disappeared. They’re befuddled, disappointed, and even a touch angry.
Jesus is gone, and this time for good. It had been hard enough to lose him when he died on the cross—but then he’d come back! After his resurrection, it seemed like everything was possible.
Now it seems like everything is falling apart.
Matthew, remembering what Jesus told them moments earlier, mutters, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” He follows that up with an insightful, “Huh.”
John, standing next to him, says, “At least there was that part about receiving power from the Holy Spirit, whoever that is.”
Before they can discuss this, two men blink into existence right in the middle of the group. The dudes are wearing the whitest, brightest suits imaginable, complete with matching sunglasses. The disciples are dumbstruck, though later James would brag that Moses and Elijah were even brighter at the transfiguration.
“Hey. Hey!” says the first dude, waving a hand in front of the nearest disciple. “We’re not gonna zap you with lightning or anything.”
“But we do have a few things to tell you,” says the second dude. “First, quit looking at the sky. Second, Jesus is coming back.”
At this news, everyone begins to talk.
“Coming back eventually,” the first dude clarifies, loudly. “And lastly, you all got some work to do, right? So … get to it!”
The two messengers disappear, and Thomas blurts out, “Did that really happen?” Peter reacts next. “I knew it! I knew it!” he exclaims. “Okay, let’s get back to Jerusalem and figure out what’s next.”
With no other plan (besides the whole tell-the-world-about-Jesus command), everyone heads back down the hill in small groups. Jesus’s mom, Mary, walks sadly with the donkey, Sully, by her side. Mary Magdalene keeps an eye on her but gives her privacy. Andrew, Philip, and a few other disciples talk excitedly as they walk, while Bartholomew, Nathaniel, and a few others have a more measured conversation.
John and Matthew walk together in thoughtful silence. Eventually John asks, “What are you thinking?”
“I don’t know. It’s just—how exactly are we supposed to be witnesses around the world? We’re a bunch of out-of-work, undertrained guys who just lost our leader.”
“And it wasn’t the first time he told us that,” adds John.
“Right, but we all figured we’d be doing it with him,” says Matthew, trailing off.
They walk in silence for a bit. Then John, twenty years younger than Matthew, suddenly says, “Podcast!”
Matthew stares at him and shakes his head.
“Then how about a documentary we shoot on our phones?”
Matthew stops walking and faces him. “John, I barely know my password. And Simon the Zealot just destroyed his phone so Rome couldn’t track him.”
John looks deflated, so Matthew tries to cheer him up. “I think you’re right, though. We need to share stories about Jesus that people can connect with. I just think we need to do something more permanent. More lasting.”
“What’s more permanent than a podcast?” asks John.
“A book,” answers Matthew. “You know, with ink and parchment and all that? Wait, have you ever actually read a book?”
“Does an audiobook count, or—”
“Writing a book is the perfect idea, and it’s about time you two figured that out,” interrupts Mary Magdalene. She’s drifted closer so she can listen in on their conversation. “It’ll be the best way to pass on stories that help people understand who Jesus really is. Pops and I have been talking about this ever since Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead.”
Before John or Matthew can say anything, Mary adds, “Listen, just come by Pop’s Pool Hall tonight. We’ve got a couple of guys you should meet.”
Until tomorrow, when we meet everyone at Pop’s Pool Hall.