Hello my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
If God had given you the opportunity to script how Jesus would conclude His earthly life, what scene would you have described? Perhaps a large gathering of people, this time giving them a banquet instead of just fish and bread? (Matt.14:13-21) Would you script that Jesus might heal large numbers of sick people as He had done before. (Mark 1:32-34) And would you script for Jesus a long speech summarizing His life and ministry on earth and a very clear, prolonged call to trust in Him as Savior and yield to Him as Master and Lord?
Do you find it interesting the manner in which Jesus, God the Son, ended His incarnation visit to planet earth was none of those big scene spectacles? Oh it was a spectacle for sure, but not as I hypothetically described. Dr. Luke is the Gospel writer the Holy Spirit led to give us a few details of that amazing ascension day.
Resurrected Jesus had again been with His disciples in recent days and instructed them to WAIT in Jerusalem. Wait for what? Here’s how Jesus said it: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift My Father promised, which you have heard Me speak about…in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1:4,5) It was true, Jesus had spoken quite a bit to these disciples about a permanent anointing of the Holy Spirit of God upon them which would enable them to remember and understand all Jesus had spoken to them over these past several months. (John 14:26)
Why? So they would be able to tell and explain the truths of Jesus to the people of their generation and then write it down for generations to follow, even all the way to our generations 2000 years later! They were EYEWITNESSES of Jesus Christ!
Jesus had also told His disciples that ‘…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) Now this was a staggering statement made by Jesus to men from Galilee who avoided Samaria at all costs, and knew very little of the rest of the Roman empire, much less the ‘ends of the earth’.
I imagine they were stunned by this prediction of Jesus, and probably could not imagine how it could ever happen. Perhaps they questioned Jesus. Perhaps Jesus said more that we have no record of. My guess is none of the disciples or close friends of Jesus had any idea that the time had come for Jesus to leave them and return to heaven!
Rather, Luke tells us it was shortly after this conversation in Jerusalem that Jesus was with His friends on the Mount of Olives and suddenly, without explanation, Jesus began to elevate from where He was standing, going up into the air and into the clouds!! (Acts 1:9-11)
By Luke’s description, Jesus did not disappear, as He had done before (Luke 24:31) in some of His post-resurrections encounters with His friends. No, on this occasion, Jesus slowly elevated, in full view of everyone standing around Him there on the Mount of Olives. Eventually Jesus disappeared into the clouds above them in the sky. We have no record Jesus had explained that He was finally leaving, nor that this would be the last time they’d see Him, nor that He would leave them by elevating into the sky right before their eyes!
Clearly this was different from His previous post resurrection appearances. This was farewell. Jesus had told them in the upper room that Thursday evening before He was crucified: “The Father Himself loves you because you have loved Me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and returning back to the Father.“ (John 16:27,28)
As the disciples and other friends of Jesus stood there that day watching, I have no doubt they were mesmerized by what they watched. Never before had they seen anyone elevate into the sky. Luke’s record says: “Suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ‘Men of Galilee why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:10,11)
Evidently these men were angels, perhaps the same angels who had appeared to the women at the tomb of Jesus on His resurrection morning. (Luke 24:1-8) We have no record of anything else said. Eventually, the two angels disappeared, as they had suddenly appeared, leaving the disciples standing there speechless.
Luke tells us those who had witnessed this elevation miracle left the Mount of Olives, walking across the Kidron Valley, to Jerusalem, to the place where they were all staying, simply overwhelmed by what they had heard and seen. They now had so much to think through. I’m sure they were anxious, maybe desperate for some clarity from God as to what it all meant and what they should do next!
It should not be difficult for us to put ourselves in their group. What would be your state of mind and heart, and your understanding if you had been an eyewitness to the departure of Jesus Christ?
Did you notice the angels made several things very clear, in only a few words. Remember my friends, angels are heavenly messengers who normally reside in heaven and are sent to earth by God on very specific missions. I notice these things in what the angels said:
First, the angels knew these disciples were the ‘men of Galilee’ whom Jesus had selected to be His disciples.
Second, the angels made it clear THIS resurrected Jesus, elevating up into the sky, was the same Jesus these men had spent the past several months with. He was the same Jesus who was resurrected from the dead and with whom they’d met several times after His resurrection.
Third, this miracle they witnessed was the process of Jesus RETURNING to heaven from which He had come in His incarnation.
Fourth, this miracle would be repeated, in reverse, some day in the future when Jesus will return to earth IN THE SAME WAY they saw Him leave earth.
Now, what do each of these clear statements of truth mean to you and me today, 2000 years later, my friends? As we all know there has never been any other person, especially any other religious leader, who has experienced resurrection or ascension to heaven! Only Jesus Christ! Every person who has ever lived, through all time past has died. No re-incarnation, no bodily resurrection to eternal life…at least not yet! Why do I say ‘not yet’? Because the Bible teaches us that Jesus is coming again, in fact TWICE more!
First to resurrect and gather up to heaven all those who have died having believed in Jesus! (1 Thess. 4:13-18) And yes, those of us who are believers in Jesus and alive at that moment, will be transformed and join that resurrection and ascension.
But then a second return of Jesus Christ, which the angels predicted that ascension day, will be when King Jesus returns to establish God’s Kingdom here on earth, in the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ, as described in Revelation 20:1-6. King Jesus will reign here, from Jerusalem, for 1000 years, in all His holy glory, while Satan is bound and his evil influence restrained! Now that, my friends, is worth a great celebration here and now and for all eternity!
And so here’s a song to help us celebrate these great truths which I hope give you great hope for your future, thanks to the Risen and Ascended Jesus Christ! I’ll meet you right back here tomorrow…
Today’s Scripture: Acts 1:9-11.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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