Acts 1:6-11

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, 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."

I don't know about you, but I feel like the disciples are very brave. Countless times in scripture they pose questions to Jesus that just seem so arrogant and crazy that I have to read them more than once to be sure that they really just asked that question. This is one of those times. This takes place after Jesus' death and resurrection and the disciples are asking Jesus if he is going to restore Israel. They were probably thinking politically and militarily. If Jesus just came back from the grave, I don't think I would be asking him about the state of Israel. I don't even know if I would be able to say anything at all through worshipping Jesus. The disciples had a different perspective than we do though. We are looking at Jesus as a historical figure and often forget that he is very much alive and living through us. The disciples were experiencing Jesus in His glory on earth. They witnessed him perform countless miracles, such as raising Lazarus from the dead, and were probably more focused on things of this world than on Jesus and his glory. I think we should stop looking at the question and focus on Jesus' response. I absolutely love when people ask questions of Jesus, because his responses are never direct. He always either asks another question or goes around the topic to what the person should be asking instead of what they actually ask. This shows the absolute patience of Jesus. He never gets upset about people asking questions. He encourages it, mainly through more questions. It also shows the knowledge of our Lord Jesus. He knows that the disciples are focused on the wrong questions, so he uses their question to bring about the topic that they should be considering. He tells the disciples that it is not important that they know any specific times or dates for the restoration of the church of Israel or any such matters, but he claims that the Holy Spirit is going to grant them power. This is another example of the God never leaving us to our own defenses. Isn't that an amazing fact? Jesus never ever lets us go at it alone. The Spirit is always there to guide us and protect us. Jesus knew that He was about to leave, and he was telling the disciples that they would not be alone, but they they would find power in the Spirit. With that power, however, Jesus also issued a command. Like Uncle Ben on Spiderman says, "With great power comes great responsibilities." Jesus told the disciples (and told us through the disciples) that they (and we) are to be his witnesses in Jerusalem (local) and in all Judea (statewide) and Samaria (national) and to the end of the earth (worldwide). We are to witness to those in all the regions of the world, starting with out homes and working our way out, leaving no one left alone without the gospel. This is the ultimate missionary challenge to the church. Just as the great commission tells us to make disciples of all nations, this passage is telling us that we need to spread the gospel to all the world. This clearly defines the mission of the church.

After Jesus said these things, he was simply (haha) lifted up and carried away by a cloud. That happens right? I can only imagine what the disciples were thinking in this instance. They were probably thinking that if Jesus could come back from the grave, he could come back from the sky as well, and that is why they were looking up, trying to watch for the return of Jesus (they would have been watching for a long span of time). God knew this is what the disciples were watching for, so in his glory and grace, He sent two angels in human form to speak to the disciples. They let the disciples know that Jesus was taken from them and had ascended into heaven. This shows the power and glory of God and Jesus. Just think on it for a second. Jesus (an actual body of flesh and bones) was lifted up on a cloud (a wisp of water vapor) into the sky. That is a pretty radical occurrence. I don't know that I would be able to handle something that extreme. This passage ends with a promise from the angels that were sent by the Father. Jesus is going to return. How glorious is that thought? The throne is not empty. Jesus is alive. Not only is Jesus alive, but He promises to return to restore the true Kingdom of Israel bringing heaven to earth. We do not know when Jesus will return, but we know the manner of his return. He shall return on a cloud just as he ascended into heaven. His entry will be ever more glorious than his exit. This is a hugely important concept for a church. The church is only here to spread the gospel and reach as many people for Christ as possible. We are to prepare for the return of Christ by sharing Him with all the world. Jesus does not really give us an option. It is our job to spread the Word. If we don't do so, when Jesus returns all those souls that we could have helped will be thrust on us. We will know exactly how inadequate our lives were. I don't know about you, but I do not want the number of people I could have reached and didn't to be a very large number. I am forced to reevaluate my life every time I think of all those people who will be sent to hell because of my laziness and lack of commitment.