The Ascension: The Call to Witness
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Intro
Have you ever found yourself at the end of something and wondered, What now?
Maybe it was after finishing a major project at work.
Maybe it was graduating from School… College.
Maybe it was saying goodbye to a loved one.
There is a strange tension between the sense of accomplishment and the uncertainty of what comes next. Professional athletes deal with this every year. Next years team is never the same as this one.
The disciples must have felt something similar after witnessing the resurrection of Jesus. Their leader, their friend… the One they had followed for three years had conquered death itself. It was a victory beyond human comprehension.
But as they stood in His presence, listening to His final words, they must have wondered: What now?
Last week we saw Jesus give the disciples the Great Commission… a task to go and make disciples of all nations. It was a grand vision, but how in the world could they accomplish such a huge task? They were just regular guys… fishermen, tax collectors, and everyday people with limited influence and power. How could this small group of small, seemingly insignificant group carry the hope of the world to every corner of the world?
Then, when they thougth they might get soem clarity or guidance from Jesus, Jesus did something totally unexpected by the disciples. He left. He ascended into heaven and left them standing there looking up into the sky. It must have been confusing… must have felt like the end of whatever they were supposed to do… Jesus was gone and now they were left to figure it out on their own. But what they didn’t realize was that this wasn’t the end of the story; it was the beginning of something better and bigger.
The ascension of Jesus into heaven is a call to action.
The ascension of Jesus into heaven is a call to action.
It’s a reminder that the mission is not over. It didn’t end when Jesus ascended to the Father. It wasn’t good-bye. It was a hand-off. It was a call to take up the mission and move forward in faith.
Main Teaching
1 In my first book I told you, Theophilus, about everything Jesus began to do and teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven after giving his chosen apostles further instructions through the Holy Spirit. 3 During the forty days after he suffered and died, he appeared to the apostles from time to time, and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive. And he talked to them about the Kingdom of God.
4 Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. 5 John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
6 So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?”
7 He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
9 After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. 10 As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”
1. Jesus’ Ascension confirms His authority.
1. Jesus’ Ascension confirms His authority.
9 After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. 10 As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them.
As the disciples stood there looking up into the sky watching Jesus ascend into the clouds, it must have felt surreal. Just days earlier, He had risend from the dead proving that even death couldn’t beat him. Now, as He took off into the heavens, it may have seemed like the end of a good run… an abrubt end to the story. But
What the disciples didn’t know was that this moment wasn’t the end; it was the beginning.
What the disciples didn’t know was that this moment wasn’t the end; it was the beginning.
Jesus ascension is not a retreat of an abandonment. It’s a further declaration of authority. Jesus didn’t disappear into the sky as some distant uninvolved figure. Instead He took his rightful place at the right hand of the Father, as the victorious reigning King of Kings. It was not a moment of loss, but it was a moment of coronation.
Luke, the author of Acts, tells us that Jesus had just spend 40 days after his resurrection teaching the disciples about the KOG.
Look back at Acts 1:3
3 During the forty days after he suffered and died, he appeared to the apostles from time to time, and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive. And he talked to them about the Kingdom of God.
It wasn’t wasted time or idle conversation. it was intentional preparation. Jesus wanted the disciples and all of His followers to understand the magnitude of what had happened and what was about to happen.
Jesus didn’t just appear once or twice; He spent 40 days proving His victory and teaching about the Kingdom. Why? He wanted them to understand that the mission was not over. In fact, it was just getting started. The KOG didn’t end with His ascension. It was something that would spread through His followers as they took up the mission that He gave them and to us. The mission was what we discussed last week… the Great Commision.
The ascension marks the moment when Jesus, having conquered death, assumes His rightful postion as the reigning King. As Heb 1:3
3 The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.
He took his place on the throne next to the Father. Paul writes in Eph 1:19-22
… This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. 21 Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. 22 God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church.
As we carry out His mission, we can do so with confidence because we have the full backing and support of the King of Kings. It will give us the confidence to step out in faith, knowing that we are representing, not just a good cause, but the King of Kings.
And if that wasn’t enough, He gives us His Holy Spirit to lead, guide, empower and convict us along the journey.
2. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit.
2. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit.
As the disciples stood their looking up into the clouds, still trying to make sense of what is going on, Jesus gives them a simple, but crucial instruction of what to do next.
4 Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before.
Imagine how hard all of this must have been After everything they had witnessed over three years, the resurrection, the teachings, the miraculous moments, they were probably ready to follow Jesus and take some action… to do something… to make a difference. But Jesus tells them to wait.
Why wait? Well, Jesus said to for one. But the task, the mission Jesus was sending them to accomplish was much to difficult… way too big for them to accomplish in their own strength. They were being commissioned to carry the life-changing message of salvation to the ends of the earth. A task much to big for this small, insignificant, group to accomplish.
Jesus knew that before they cold move forward, the needed something more. They needed a power greater than their own. They needed His Holy Spirit. Look at Acts 1:8
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
These disciples needed to know that they were not being sent out as messengers. They were being sent out as empowered witnesses. Jesus wasn’t asking them to be strong on their own… or to manufacture their own strength… or to muster up the courage to move on.
He was sending them out with the very presence of God with them and in them to take the life-changing Gospel to the world.
He was sending them out with the very presence of God with them and in them to take the life-changing Gospel to the world.
The holy Spirit is not just a helper. He is the Spirit of God, equipping us for the mission ahead. He empowers us to speak truth, to love boldly, and to live lives that reflect the grace of Jesus Christ. This power is a divine enablement for us to carry out God’s work in our world.
Notice how Jesus ties power to the mission. You will be my witnesses… The Spirit doesn’t give power for the sake of power. He empowers us for a purpose. The purpose is to proclaim the good news, to make know the love of Jesus, and to be living testimonies of His transforming love and grace.
Just like the disciples were called, we are called to be witnesses, but not in our own strength. The challenges we will face, the conversations we will have, the people we will show love to… they all require supernatural empowerment. We are not left to figure it out alone; the Spirit of God equips us, guides us, and fills us with the courage we need to move forward.
So as we take on this Great Commission… this mission, remember, our strength doesn’t come from inside of us, it comes from the Holy Spirit. Now we can move forward not in fear but with confidence, knowing that the Spirit of God is with us… is in us and is empowering us to make Jesus known… all over the place, even to the utter most ends of the earth.
3. Our mission expands to the ends of the earth.
3. Our mission expands to the ends of the earth.
As Jesus prepares to ascend, He gives them a clear strategy for the mission ahead.
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Notice how Jesus outlines the expanding nature of our assignment… our mission.
Jerusalem - Their immediate community
Jerusalem - Their immediate community
This was where they were most comfortable, surrounded by people who spoke the same language, and shared the same culture. The mission would begin right there amoung those they already knew.
Judea and Samaria - Their broader region
Judea and Samaria - Their broader region
This included people and places where they were uncomfortable. These may have challenged their preconcived notions about people. Samaria, especially, represented a cultural and religious divide the disciples would have to overcome.
The ends of the earth - Everywhere else
The ends of the earth - Everywhere else
This is the global call to reach all nations, every tribe and tongue. It would take them beyond their familiar surroundings, past their borders and comfort zones, to places they could not yet imagine.
The mission is ever-expanding. It starts where they are, but does not stay there. It grows, stretches and moves outward, carrying the Gospel… the Good News to every corner of the earth.
go over some things we do and will be doing world wide…
This pattern was not just for the disciples. It’s for us today.
We too are called to begin where we are, in our homes, our neighborhoods, our schools, and our workplaces.
But we can’t let it stop there.The Gospel is not a private possession to be hoarded or confined to oru immediate circles. It’s a transformative truth that demands to be shared, breaking down barriers of culture, language, politics and geography.
Sometimes we get stuck in comfortable Christianity, content to share our faith within familiar settings. But Jesus’ commission challenges us to move beyond comfort and into a place that might seem uncertain or even uncomfortable. Whether it’s crossing a street to meet a neighbor, crossing the room to talk to someone new, or crossing borders to share the Gospel with those in other cultures, the mission requires boldness, courage, and a willingness to step into the unknown.
Notice how this mission begins… not with programs or plans, but with people. Jesus doesn’t commission an institution; He commissions individuals to be witnesses … to testify to what they have seen, heard and experienced. We are called to bear witness to the love of Jesus where ever we go, kniowing that His Spirit goes ahead of us and is with us along the way and empowers us to make Jesus known.
As we consider our part in this mission, ask yourselves these questions.
Where is my Jerusalem?
Where is my Jerusalem?
Who are the people around me that need to hear the Good News.
Where is my Judea and Samaria?
Where is my Judea and Samaria?
What uncomfortable places or unexpected people might God be calling me to reach?
What does the ends of the earth look like for me?
What does the ends of the earth look like for me?
How can I support global missions, whether by going, giving, or praying?
This mission is the heartbeat of Jesus and it’s the heartbeat of the church.
Jesus said to go, and as we go, we go with the confidence that He reigns, He empowers, and He is with us every step of the way.
Don’t just stand there…
Don’t just stand there…
After Jesus ascends, the disciples are just looking up into the sky, overwhelmed by what just happened. Then two angels appear and say;
11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”
The message is clear
Don’t just stand there, go and do what Jesus commanded!
Don’t just stand there, go and do what Jesus commanded!
It’s a reminder to us as well. The ascension is not the end of the story. Jesus is coming back, but until then, we have work to do. We are called to live with urgency, sharing the gospel and being faithful witnesses of Jesus.
The question is
Are we standing around, or are we stepping into the mission?
Are we standing around, or are we stepping into the mission?
Let’s live boldly, knowing that Jesus rules and reigns, His Spirit empowers, and His mission continues through us.
Pray
