Acts 1:9-11 - Get Going!

Luke revisits the scene of Christ's Ascension in these three verses. As we have learnt, this event took place on the Mount of Olives. At the slope with the apostolic band looking on, the Lord was literally lifted upward to the sky.

And shortly, He was received by a cloud and taken out of the sight of the on-looking followers. As their eyes were fixed intensely in the direction that the Lord had gone up, two men dressed in white stood beside them.

Those two men, presumably angels, then asked, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky?" It looks like they were so caught up with the spectacular sight, that they had momentarily lost sight of the final words the Lord gave them.

Imagine, they were so caught up in wonders at what they had seen. So engrossed! And like them, we too could also be so engrossed by some pet doctrines or spiritual spectaculers. We could be so mesmerized and caught up by them that we also lose sight of the immediate task we have been commissioned to do.

In verse 11, there's one other thing the angels said.  "This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”  What the angels said had some implications.

Firstly, it implies that the Lord Jesus will come again -  visibly and gloriously. But when and how long before He would return were not made known.

Secondly, it suggests that this interim period the disciples were expected  to engage in witnessing and expanding the Kingdom of God. It's  time for them to faithfully get on with the task that Christ had mandated them to do.

Like the apostolic band that witnessed Christ's Ascension, we must also find our confidence in the truth of His resurrection and ascension. As this truth fueled their desire to evangelise, so also it must fuel ours.

The essence of these three verses is this: Christ is coming again, so get going - evangelise and live a life that will be ready to usher in His return!