Scripture: So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed 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 and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 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. 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.”
Acts 1:6-11 ESV [Click here to read the entire chapter.]
Observation: Recapping Yesterday’s Daily Focus, Luke follows the same introduction used in his Gospel: addresses this second volume to Theophilus, whose Greek name means “friend of God” or “beloved by God”). It is likely a circumlocution directed to all who profess to be followers of Christ and thus friends of God and beloved by him. Luke begins with a concise summary of his first volume, citing Jesus’ works, teachings, and commands he revealed to his chosen apostles through the power of the Holy Spirit. Additionally, Luke mentions the time frame of Jesus’ resurrection appearances to his disciples: forty days (which is the only record we have of its length). Finally, Luke notes that in these last days, Jesus further instructed his disciples regarding the Kingdom of God and commanded them to wait in Jerusalem for the promised baptism with the Holy Spirit.
Today’s devotion transitions to the last moments of Jesus’ time on earth. Gathered with their Lord, the Eleven still do not fully understand the nature of his kingdom and ask Jesus when he will restore his kingdom to Israel. Jesus graciously reminds them, as he clarified regarding the parousia (see Mark 13:32), that only the Father knows these appointed times. So rather than address their misunderstanding, Jesus turns their attention to their mission: wait on the Holy Spirit, who will empower them to move out and witness the Gospel to the ends of the earth, beginning with Jerusalem. Then, immediately, Jesus ascends in a cloud out of their sight. As the disciples gaze upward, two men dressed in white (most likely angels) address the Eleven, question why they gaze toward heaven, and then assure them that Jesus will return in the same manner.
Takeaway: Witness is the predominant theme in Acts. The Greek word for “witness,” mártus, appears thirty-nine times here in Luke’s second volume in various forms. So rather than correct the disciples’ lingering misguided hope for a nationalistic revolution under God’s chosen people, Jesus turns their attention in the right direction. While Israel has and will play a part in God’s redemptive work (see Romans 11:15-16), as parting words to his ascension, Jesus commands his disciples to witness him through their Gospel proclamation—starting in their immediate sphere of influence and working outward to all nations. But to succeed, the disciples will need to rely on their Master:
- His Person: authority (see Matthew 28:18).
- His Power: the gift of the Holy Spirit (v.8).
- His Program: an outward bound witness (v.8) from the Jerusalem epicenter of redemption (cross), renewed hope (resurrection), and birth (Pentecost, Chapter 2) to the capital of the Gentile empire (Chapter 28), where the Gospel will eventually spread to all nations of the earth.
First, however, Jesus must return to his rightful seat of authority over all creation, where, being one with his Father, he will resume his divine prerogatives of omnipresence (present with all his disciples; 2 Corinthians 13:5), omniscience (knowing and interceding for all our needs; Romans 8:34), and omnipotence (exercising dominion over heaven and earth; Philippians 2:9-11).
Our takeaway? Like the disciples, while our journey is ultimately heaven-bound, we must witness en route from our epicenters of empowerment (our homes and churches) to the least, the last, and the lost. And we must rely on Christ and his Holy Spirit. Together, they empower, guide, and equip us (Ephesians 6:8-20) as ambassadors of Christ’s mission of reconciliation to God (2 Corinthians 5:17-19). Indeed, this is our witness: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Prayer: Father God, we thank you for your Son, who set aside his equality of omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence with you to become one of us, serve and die for us, and empower us to carry on his mission. With this in mind, please help us set aside our agendas and go all in as your Son’s ambassadors, relying on his power, his grace, and the Holy Spirit’s guidance and protection so that we might witness to the least, the last, and the lost en route from our homes and churches to wherever your Holy Spirit leads. Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling
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