City Life Starter

Written by Efe Abbe

The Word

The Ascension of Jesus

⁶ So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?”

⁷ He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. ⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

⁹ After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. ¹⁰ As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them.¹¹ “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”

Acts 1: 6-11 NLT

Reflection

After Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples expected the immediate restoration of their nation, Israel. Having read the ancient prophecies that foretold that the Messiah would reign forever as Israel’s King, their question to Jesus in v.6 wasn’t out of place. However, their question showed they were still limited in their understanding of Jesus’ kingdom in at least a couple ways. First, their focus was solely on Israel and second, they expected a physical kingdom on earth. The Lord lovingly corrected them by saying they were concerning themselves with events and timelines reserved for God to rightfully act on but that in the meantime, they would have an increasingly global mission beginning in Jerusalem as His witnesses through the Holy Spirit’s power. And with His ascension in the glory cloud, Jesus showed them that His dominion over all people would be from Heaven.

Application

So friends here we are, still in the meantime – like every generation of Jesus’ followers since that day outside Bethany. The mission remains and we who trust Jesus have received the Holy Spirit with power to be our Lord’s witnesses till Jesus returns, as the angels promised He would.

Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for saving me to know You and to be Your witness. I trust Your gift of the Holy Spirit in me to be Your faithful witness. In Jesus’ name, amen.