in God’s salvation and in that new messianic reality identified with the Spirit’s taking up residence in every believer (Rom 8:14–17). The mission of Jesus to the nations is to be completed by the church, but the church must be empowered by the Spirit to successfully accomplish that directive. So they must wait for God to fulfill his promise and send the Spirit to provide that impetus. In Luke, the ascension entailed the doxological end of Jesus’ earthly ministry, as he blessed his followers and