Going and Coming (Acts 1:9–11)

This is Acts 1:9–11:

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.”

So we are going to stay on our theme here. You have to feel for the disciples. And it's really important, as you encounter these Scriptures, to put yourself in the disciples' place. The last month and a half for them had been a complete surprise and pretty confusing. The Messiah they forsook everything to face was arrested and killed. Now, they thought that was the end, but it wasn't; he appeared to them alive, and they thought he would be with them forever. They thought he would now exercise his power to reestablish the nation of Israel.

But now he has told them this is not his agenda at all, and that he is sending them out around the world to spread the good news of the gospel. Now hear this, “To add to all of this amazement and confusion, they have just watched Jesus fly up into heaven and disappear in a cloud.” They are staring into heaven dumbfounded. And suddenly there are two men, robed in white, next to them with a very important message. It's almost too much to take in. I mean, what would you be thinking and feeling at this point as you've watched your Messiah disappear up into the air?

Well, I want to make a comment about Jesus' ascension. He didn't dematerialize. He ascends in human physical form. He is ascending to his royal priestly reign where he will oversee, manage, and continue his work. He is at the right hand of God, now listen to this, still as the God-Man–fully God and fully Man. He will come again as fully human and fully God-Messiah. And he will be the God-Man forever. The awesome miracle of the incarnation is not just that Jesus took on human flesh on earth, but he remains the God-Man forever and ever.

And by the way, the cloud that took up Jesus was not your normal rain cloud. This is like the cloud of glory that filled the Old Testament temple. It is a visual representation of the presence and glory of the Lord. The news the white robe angels give the confused disciples is the best news ever; “Jesus is going to return!” That means their mission has a completion date.

And they, like us, are called to live by faith and to stay on mission between ‘the already’ of his first coming and the ‘not yet’ of his second coming. You see the message again is that he has not abandoned his mission or his followers. While they do his work, he blesses them with the power that they need, and he reigns over everything on their behalf. And when the time comes, he will complete his work, and they will be with him forever. So, they need to stop staring into heaven and get about the work that they have been commissioned to do.

You see, as followers of Jesus, we're more like carpenters than astronomers. We aren't called to be mystical stargazers. We are weak ones who have been called by grace and powered by the Spirit and are to give ourselves to the hammers and nails work of the kingdom of God. Don't be an astronomer, be a carpenter!

Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion

1. In reality, what do you think you would say, do, or think about if you were a disciple and then saw Jesus literally flying up into a cloud after he had been killed and then resurrected?

2. In what ways have you seen Jesus continue his priestly reign here on earth in and through you by the power of his Spirit? How are you currently living in light of the fact that Jesus will return one day? What kinds of hopes do you have knowing that Christ’s work through you will one day have a completion date?

3. What does living by faith and staying on mission look like in your life between the “already” of Jesus’ first coming and the “not yet” of his second coming? How does the fact that he has not abandoned his mission or his followers motivate you to continue the work he has called you to do? In what ways have you seen him provide you with the power to do his work here on earth?

4. What might it practically look like in your life to be a “carpenter” instead of a mystical “stargazer”?

Conversation Prompts to Use with Children

For Younger Children:

• What do you think you would do if you were one of Jesus’ disciples and you saw him fly into the air and then into a cloud?
• How do you think Jesus wants to work and rule through his children here on earth today? How might he want to work through you and in your life?
• How do you feel, knowing that Jesus will one day return to earth and make everything right that is wrong? Until then, let’s think about some ways that God might want to use you to show the love of Jesus to others around you.

For Older Children:

• Why do you think it was necessary for Jesus to ascend to heaven instead of staying here on earth after his resurrection?
• How do you feel, knowing that Jesus will one day return to earth and make everything right that is wrong? Until that happens, how do you think Christ wants to work and rule through you as his child here on earth?
• How can we help one another to be proactive about doing the work of Jesus in and through our lives? What specifically do you think that might look like in each of our lives?