The Ascension

Acts 1:1-11

This is what happens next? Wow, I wonder what this means? This account is written by a witness, and as it turns out by the author of the Gospel of Luke, so when he says he presented the things Jesus began to do and teach we have read some of those things. He goes on to say that Jesus presented himself alive to many witnesses after the resurrection and we have just read about some of those incidences. Luke goes on to say that they are to await the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Lord, will you restore the Kingdom to Israel? That is a question that must have been on their minds for a long time. Once they figured out he was the one coming that had been spoken about by the prophets; once they had seen him with the prophets; once they had heard the voice of God speak over him; once they had seen the signs and wonders, and the angels, yes once they had seen these things they must have wondered. But what is their answer?

The answer to when is not given. In fact a lot of the questions throughout the Bible are answered with another question, perhaps a different question or a better question. In this case, the answer is God is God and you are not. Well, not exactly that but the gist of it is that asking questions about when something is going to happen is like trying to be God, to have more control then they need. Instead they are commissioned to go out and spread this good news; the news of what they have seen with their own eyes and heard with their own ears, and give this good news to people who are living without the knowledge of the God who loves them and cares enough about them to send his only son as the perfect lamb of sacrifice, in fulfillment of the law, and as prophesied by the righteous ones of old.

When he had spoken these things “he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.” And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."

These two men; were they the two Mary saw in the tomb? I don’t know but I wonder. Jesus has gone into heaven and they have gotten a job description for what comes next. These words of how Jesus will come again are words I understand, but the meaning is …well, interesting. Jesus will come back on clouds from the sky? Next time the son of God comes he won’t be a helpless baby; he will be the grown adult the resurrected King. This Jesus who commands the waves to be still, and the dead to come out, this Jesus will come down from heaven – and it will be obvious. Ok. I’ll wait.

See you tomorrow.

-maggie