The Ascension and Return of Jesus

The Return of Jesus & Ascension

In Acts 1:9-12

They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city. (vs. 10-12)

This passage makes two basic points— that Jesus ascended into heaven, and that he will return. Both of those items are important in the Christian faith, and both are included in the Apostles’ Creed, for example. First, Jesus ascended into heaven. This is commonly known as the Ascension, which is celebrated each year 40 days after Easter, always on a Thursday.

The second point this passage makes is that Jesus will return— he will return in the same way that he ascended. I believe that this latter point point is the reason that Jesus ascended in a visible way— to emphasize that he will return in a visible way.

Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” says the Lord. “Many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. And the Lord will take possession of Judah as His inheritance in the Holy Land, and will again choose Jerusalem.” (Zechariah 2:10-12)

His ascension was visible because His return will also be visible. Jesus’ ascension into heaven was a dramatic drum roll, a moment of suspense, as the disciples waited for the next stage of the rocket to ignite and blast them into greater and greater service. As Jesus had promised them, with the Holy Spirit they would do even greater

things than Jesus had done. And the visible ascension of Jesus into heaven was a promise of greater things to come.

Captain Scott O’Grady was shot down over Bosnia on June 2, 1995. He pulled the ejection lever and parachuted into enemy territory. For six days, he hid under bushes, ate bugs and drank rainwater. To make himself less visible, he covered his face with mud. Sometimes enemy soldiers passed within a few centimetres of his hiding place, but they never found him.

What O’Grady didn’t know was that from the moment his ordeal began, intense preparations were being made to rescue him. He was wondering, Do they know I’m alive? Are they going to come for me? Do they care? And all the while the United States military was mobilising to come and get him. They had 40 aeroplanes looking for him. They were using satellites. They were getting help from other nations. And O’Grady was wondering, Will they come for me?

Believe it or not, in a sense, we’re in O’Grady’s shoes right now.

1. What is the primary reason Jesus is coming the second time?

Shortly before He left this earth, Jesus said to His disciples, “In my Father’s house are many rooms,” and “I am going there to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2). This is the language the ancient Hebrews used to describe a wedding. In Bible times, it was customary for the man to build a honeymoon chamber at his father’s house before he claimed his bride. So, in essence, Jesus said to His disciples, “In my Father’s house are many honeymoon chambers.”

Do you think that after all this work, Jesus will forget His bride, His people? Of course not! That’s why He said, “I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (verse 3).

A bridegroom comes to get his bride because he wants to be with her. Jesus is coming back