Ascension Acts 1:3-13

I. He presented himself

A. After His resurrection, Jesus remained on earth for forty days and ministered to His disciples.

B. Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” (45) And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. (46) Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, (47) and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (48) And you are witnesses of these things.

) and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And you are witnesses of these things.

1. The final source of peace and assurance is the Word of God, so our Lord “opened their understanding of the Old Testament Scripture.

a. So our Lord “opened their understanding of the Old Testament Scripture, just as He had done with the Emmaus disciples.

a. Jesus showed His followers all the facts written in the Old Testament about the Messiah.

b. The Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms are the three divisions of the Old Testament sometimes referred to in Jesus’ day.

c. From everything we know, he used the Old Testament to emphasize that he was the Messiah Israel expected.

d.

2. His death and resurrection allowed the message of repentance and forgiveness of sins could be preached in His name to all.

a. Jesus’ life on earth was finished, but his work had only begun; the disciples now assumed the responsibility to carry on Jesus’ work.

b. Christ taught the doctrine he taught was confirmed by the miraculous works he did, which proved him a teacher come from God ().

c. The duties he taught were copied out in the holy gracious works he did, for he hath left us an example, and that such as proves him a teacher come from God too, for by their fruits you shall know them.

C. Being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me.

1. This was a reminder and instruction of the promised gift from the Father.

2. The apostles are to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. Until that event takes place, His command is to wait.

3. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is not to be confused with water baptism.

a. This baptism places a believer into the body of believers.

b. The filling of the Holy Spirit is necessary in order:

1. According to the Holy Spirit is what convicts believers of sin, righteousness, and judgment.

2. According to the Holy Spirit helps produce fruit in those who yield themselves to His control.

3. Finally the Holy Spirit is the agent that brings we who are believers to come to new birth, He seals, indwell, controls guides and teaches. (, , , )

II. After receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit they were to go.

II. After receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit they were to go.

A. It is widely thought that the commission of was given at the ascension and that other commissions found in Mark, Luke, and Acts are only variant reports of that.

1. In reality, the commission was given on different occasions and to different groups.

2. The passage before us appears to be the only record of the ascension commission.

3. Three things are to be observed:

a. It was the Spirit’s coming which was to bring this power (cf. v. 4; ).

b. The power was to be for a specific purpose: witnessing.

c. The promise of power was for all the disciples, and it was unconditional.

B. Luke describes the ascension briefly in his gospel (24:51), but here a fuller account is given.

1. “He was lifted up” this event is knows as the Ascension.

Vaughan, C. (2009). Acts (p. 17). Cape Coral, FL: Founders Press.

a.Our Lord’s ascension into heaven was an important part of His ministry, for if He had not returned to the Father, He could not have sent the promised gift of the Holy Spirit.

b. Also, in heaven today, the Saviour is our interceding High Priest, giving us the grace that we need for life and service.

c. He is also our Advocate before the Father, forgiving us when we confess our sins.

3. As the believers watched Jesus being taken up to glory, two angels appeared and gently nudged them along.

3.

3.

Vaughan, C. (2009). Acts (p. 17). Cape Coral, FL: Founders Press.

a. Some suggest they were rebuked because they stood around doing nothing.

b. It could be that they need to be encouraged due to the way Jesus left them.

c. We are not sure the attitude of the angel, but what we know was they were instructed to be obedient.

d. Do not confuse the promise of v. 11 with that of the rapture of the church as given through Paul in .

Vaughan, C. (2009). Acts (p. 16). Cape Coral, FL: Founders Press.

1. The angels here are promising that Christ will return to Mt. Olivet, visibly, and in glory. and give the same promise.

2. Had Israel accepted the apostles’ message, Christ would have returned to Mt. Olivet () and established His kingdom.

3. The Jewish missionaries would have spread His Gospel to the ends of the earth, and Israel would have been the center of blessing for all mankind as promised in and 65:19–23.