Jesus Returned to Heaven

Question

Have you ever had someone (a parent, grandparent, etc.) drop you off somewhere and say, “I’ll be back to pick you up later” and they were late?

I remember a time when I was a little boy, and my mom dropped me off at this ladies house for a piano lesson while she went out and ran some errands.

The lesson eventually ended, and guess who wasn’t there to pick me up on time? My mom!

I started to get anxious. I called my mom and she didn’t answer. Now I started to get worried. Was my mom okay? Was she going to come back and get me?

Thankfully, she eventually made it back to the ladies house and picked me up. My worries were relieved!

Did you know that Jesus has left us here, but not to be worried or to live in fear, but to be on mission for Him? And that He has promised to come back for us one day?

Today we are going to see how Jesus has placed us here on earth for a purpose, and that He is coming back to get us one day!

Main Point

Jesus is in heaven but will return one day.

Context

-Jesus has been on earth for forty days after His resurrection

-He appeared to His disciples many times, and has been seen by over 500 people.

-He showed them and convinced them that He was alive by many different proofs.

Text

Acts 1:4–11 (CSB)

4 While he was with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “Which,” he said, “you have heard me speak about;

5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.”

6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?”

7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority.

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

9 After he had said this, he was taken up as they were watching, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

10 While he was going, they were gazing into heaven, and suddenly two men in white clothes stood by them.

11 They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen him going into heaven.”

Holy Spirit

Jesus gives His followers a gift while He is gone away. It is the Holy Spirit, who is also God. The Holy Spirit comes and lives inside of us and helps us:

-Remember what Jesus taught us

-Know when we have sinned

-Obey Jesus’ commands.

More than that, The Holy Spirit is known as our comforter and helper, as well as our advocate, which means He is supporting us and on our team (if we are followers of Jesus.)

Have you ever felt like it can be hard to do what God wants you to do? Do you ever mess up and do the opposite of what God wants you to do?

Well there is good news for you: if you are a follower of Jesus, the Holy Spirit will help you obey Jesus! You don’t have to do it on your own power, and you can’t do it on your own.

Jesus is coming back

Imagine if Jesus lived on the earth, did all of the incredible things that He did, and didn’t ever come back for us. How awful would that be? Thankfully, He has promised to come back for us.

So, what should we do in the meantime?

The Holy Spirit helps us carry out the mission Jesus had for us in the meantime:

Matthew 28:18–20 (CSB)

18 Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.

19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

-

Our job as followers of Jesus is to share the good news of Jesus with anyone we can in the hopes that they might also believe in Jesus and trust in Him!

Do you share the good news of Jesus with others?

Have you believed in the good news of Jesus yourself?