Taken from Daily Meditations on Jesus Christ

     (available in booklet or in The Dawning of Wisdom Part 2)

 

Day 19 HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN

    Jesus intermittently appeared to people for forty days after His resurrection, giving convincing proofs that He was alive and speaking to them about the kingdom of God. His last appearance was to His eleven disciples and it was at this time that He commissioned them to carry on the work that they had seen Jesus do as they walked with Him for approximately three and one-half years. They were eye-witnesses of the God-man Jesus, His character, His works, His teachings, His arrest, trial crucifixion, death, burial and appearances after His resurrection. Now Jesus tells them that they were to go and make disciples of all nations, just as Jesus had made them disciples. These passages in Scripture are often referred to as the Great  Commission. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20)

 

    He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well." (Mark 16:15-18)

 

    Luke, in his Gospel, tells us of one more command that Jesus gives His disciples: I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high." (Luke 24:29) The disciples would not be able to fulfill the Great Commission in their own strength. There was a gift to be given, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father had promised would come a few days after the ascension of Jesus, but the disciples would have to go to Jerusalem to wait for it to take place. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8)

 

    Before Jesus departed, He lifted His hands and blessed the disciples. Then the disciples, with heads titled back, watched Jesus as He ascended in the clouds in the sky. Suddenly, two men dressed in white appeared in their midst and spoke to 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." (Acts 1:11) The promise of the return of Jesus was related from heaven to earth. The return of Jesus is what most believers are looking and waiting for today.

    Mediate on:

the instructions Jesus gave His followers to carry on the work   

the directions He gave them to receive the Holy Spirit before attempting to carry out the work

the awe the disciples must have experienced as they watched Jesus ascend into heaven

the promise of His return

Flossie Randels