Acts 1:1-11 - Christ's Beneficial Ascension
It’s actually to your benefit that Christ ascended back to Heaven!
Acts 1:1–11 (ESV)
1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 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.”
Heidelberg Catechism
Q&A 49
Q. How does Christ’s ascension to heaven benefit us?
A. First, he pleads our cause
in heaven
in the presence of his Father.
Second, we have our own flesh in heaven—
a guarantee that Christ our head
will take us, his members,
to himself in heaven.
Third, he sends his Spirit to us on earth
as a further guarantee.
By the Spirit’s power
we make the goal of our lives,
not earthly things,
but the things above where Christ is,
sitting at God’s right hand.
Summary
Can you imagine what a joy it must have been for the disciples those forty days after Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, getting to continue learning from their and our Lord? Yet, forty days come and go, and the time for Jesus’ return to Heaven arrives.
We don’t know every little thing that Jesus talked about with His disciples in those forty days, but the disciples do inquire of our Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?
Jesus doesn’t rebuke them for their question, but instead turns their attention from the end of time to what will take place leading up to that eventual day - the pouring out of the Holy Spirit to empower the disciples in proclaiming the Good News of the Gospel, being Jesus’ witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
With this final word from Jesus, He is lifted up, a cloud taking Him from their sight. Interestingly, clouds are symbolic of God’s presence throughout Scripture, whether the pillar of cloud leading the Israelites, the cloud descending upon the Tabernacle, or on the Mount of Transfiguration.
Calling the disciples from gazing up at the heavens, two men in white robes (angels), ask the disciples why they are standing around looking up into the sky? They confirm Jesus’ previous promise that He will return, returning the same way that He had ascended.
Dig Deeper
Our Lord in the first part of John 16:7 says, “But very truly I tell you, it is to your advantage (NIV “good”) that I am going away.”
But how could it be to our advantage or benefit that Jesus returned to Heaven? Wouldn’t it be better for us if He were here? Maybe you’ve wondered these things yourself at one point or another.
Yet, there are indeed benefits to our Lord’s ascension. The Heidelberg Catechism spells out three, namely: First, he pleads our cause in heaven…Second, we have our own flesh in heaven - a guarantee that Christ our head will take us, his members, to himself in heaven…Third, he sends his Spirit to us on earth s a further guarantee…
With Christ in Heaven, we have One Who is ever interceding for us before our Heavenly Father, pleading our cause over against the accusations of our enemy the devil.
With Christ in Heaven, we have our own flesh in Heaven, a guarantee that our bodies, the bodies of our loved ones who died in Christ, will not remain cold in the grave, but one day will be raised to life at Christ’s return and be in the New Heavens and the New Earth.
With Christ in Heaven, He doesn’t abandon us here on earth. The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, that same Holy Spirit that was poured out on Jesus at His baptism, was poured out at Pentecost on all believers, serving as a further guarantee and empowering us as we go about the work God has called us to - proclaiming the Good News of the Gospel.
Never forget our Lord’s promise as well, brothers and sisters, that, even though He has ascended, He is coming back one day!
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who has received a physical man - Jesus Christ - to sit at His right hand;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would live in the hope that Jesus will return in the same way He ascended;
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
Would it be correct to say that the Holy Spirit worked in the hearts of all believers who lived before Pentecost so that they were able to have faith in the Messiah still to come or as the One who had just risen to heaven? We read of some men God spoke to directly in the Old Testament (I.e. Abraham) but I think of their descendants who followed the faith of their fathers.