Luke ends his gospel and begins its sequel, the Acts of the Apostles, with Jesus’ return to God. We call Jesus’ leave taking the ascension. Only Luke describes Jesus’ return to God so dramatically. Luke’s picture of Jesus ascending to heaven challenges us at the literal level but it’s vital theologically.
First, the lifting up expresses who Jesus is. Luke’s picture of a cloud taking Jesus out of sight echoes the vision in the book of Daniel of one like a human coming on the clouds of heaven to receive “dominion and glory and kingship, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him” (14.7). Theologically, Luke uses this allusion to proclaim the risen Jesus is Israel’s messiah, beginning the everlasting reign the book of Daniel describes.
Second, Luke identifies the foundations of the Church in this opening scene of Acts. The Church has leaders. Jesus has chosen and instructed apostles to spread his message. The Church has a trustworthy message. Theophilus, who represents all who are friends of God, can trust the message is true because the eyewitnesses experienced Jesus risen and present with them. The Church will have the Holy Spirit as its animator. Jesus’ followers will receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit John the Baptist promised.
Third, the Church’s mission. Jesus’ followers don’t know God’s timetable. They don’t know when God’s kingdom will come to be. Their mission in history is clear. “You are to be my witnesses,” Jesus says, “to the ends of the earth.”
Jesus’ followers become his witnesses.
In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during 40 days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. “This,” he said, “is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
So when his disciples had come together, they asked Jesus, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
Acts of the Apostles 1.1-11
- Put yourself in the place of one of the named or anonymous members of the first Christian community. Imagine your experiences of following Jesus, his crucifixion, his resurrection, his absence now after returning to God. Identify for your group who you are and speak in the first person “I” about your feelings, your fears, your prayers, and hopes.