The Word This Week
Acts 1:12…
They had all just witnessed the most amazing thing human eyes have ever seen. Jesus, before their very eyes, had given them His final instructions and then been taken up into heaven from whence He had come.
Before now, they had thought Jesus was born into this world as they had had been. But now, His pre-existence – which He had spoken of – was proven. Who but God in flesh could be taken up into heaven before their very eyes? (Of course we remember Elijah taken up in chariots of fire, but only Elisha was permitted to have the view of that taking place – as proof he would be the continuation of Elijah’s ministry.)
Jesus’ ascension, we learn here in Acts 1, took place 40 days after His resurrection. We do not know much about all Jesus did during those 40 days, as little is recorded. We know Jesus appeared to Peter along with 6 other disciples at the Sea of Galilee. We know Jesus appeared to over 500 people at once, as recorded later by Paul, and we know Jesus appeared to His half-brother James. Of course we remember Jesus’ first resurrection appearance in the upper room with His disciples on the evening of His resurrection.
Luke also tells us Jesus took them all through a Bible study, employing the entirety of the Old Testament to reveal to them exactly how He fulfilled Old Testament scripture, which they had completely misunderstood pertaining to when the Kingdom Age would begin. It would NOT begin now…
But when Jesus was ascended into the shekinah glory of God, and had disappeared from their sight, two men in white, (believed to be angels,) declared to them Jesus WOULD return to rule the earth exactly as He had departed, and THAT’S when the Kingdom Age would begin. Their’s was not to know when that would be – as Jesus had instructed them in Matthew 24 – only that it would happen in God’s timing.
We should all be living with this expectation.
In all probability, as excited as they were to witness Jesus ascend into the cloud from the Mount of Olives, there was most likely an emotional letdown unlike anything they had ever experienced. The most joyous, miraculous, informative, loving, caring, time of their lives had ended.
As trying as it must have been to them for Jesus to no longer be constantly with them during the 40 days following His resurrection - as He only appeared to them now and then - the idea He was gone for good must have been especially difficult for them to bear.
In essence, the two angels told them to, “stop looking up, and to get busy doing what Jesus had told them to do.”
Of course the FIRST THING Jesus commanded them to do was to WAIT, for the baptism with the Holy Spirit, which they were to receive not many days from the day of His ascension.
Pastor Bill
They had all just witnessed the most amazing thing human eyes have ever seen. Jesus, before their very eyes, had given them His final instructions and then been taken up into heaven from whence He had come.
Before now, they had thought Jesus was born into this world as they had had been. But now, His pre-existence – which He had spoken of – was proven. Who but God in flesh could be taken up into heaven before their very eyes? (Of course we remember Elijah taken up in chariots of fire, but only Elisha was permitted to have the view of that taking place – as proof he would be the continuation of Elijah’s ministry.)
Jesus’ ascension, we learn here in Acts 1, took place 40 days after His resurrection. We do not know much about all Jesus did during those 40 days, as little is recorded. We know Jesus appeared to Peter along with 6 other disciples at the Sea of Galilee. We know Jesus appeared to over 500 people at once, as recorded later by Paul, and we know Jesus appeared to His half-brother James. Of course we remember Jesus’ first resurrection appearance in the upper room with His disciples on the evening of His resurrection.
Luke also tells us Jesus took them all through a Bible study, employing the entirety of the Old Testament to reveal to them exactly how He fulfilled Old Testament scripture, which they had completely misunderstood pertaining to when the Kingdom Age would begin. It would NOT begin now…
But when Jesus was ascended into the shekinah glory of God, and had disappeared from their sight, two men in white, (believed to be angels,) declared to them Jesus WOULD return to rule the earth exactly as He had departed, and THAT’S when the Kingdom Age would begin. Their’s was not to know when that would be – as Jesus had instructed them in Matthew 24 – only that it would happen in God’s timing.
We should all be living with this expectation.
In all probability, as excited as they were to witness Jesus ascend into the cloud from the Mount of Olives, there was most likely an emotional letdown unlike anything they had ever experienced. The most joyous, miraculous, informative, loving, caring, time of their lives had ended.
As trying as it must have been to them for Jesus to no longer be constantly with them during the 40 days following His resurrection - as He only appeared to them now and then - the idea He was gone for good must have been especially difficult for them to bear.
In essence, the two angels told them to, “stop looking up, and to get busy doing what Jesus had told them to do.”
Of course the FIRST THING Jesus commanded them to do was to WAIT, for the baptism with the Holy Spirit, which they were to receive not many days from the day of His ascension.
Pastor Bill