November 13, 2005
If we know that Jesus died on the cross and was raised from death, what comes next? As Alistair Begg explains, we must proceed to Christ’s ascension to heaven, or else we have an incomplete view of Jesus. We must see that the one who wore the crown of thorns now wears the crown of glory. His great story does not end with His distress, nor with a passive life, but with Him ruling and interceding for us at the Father’s right hand.
1In the first book, O aTheophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began bto do and teach, 2until the day when che was taken up, after he dhad given commands ethrough the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3fHe presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
4And while staying1 with them ghe ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5for hJohn baptized with water, hbut you will be baptized iwith2 the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
6So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, jwill you at this time krestore the kingdom to Israel?” 7He said to them, l“It is not for you to know mtimes or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8But you will receive npower owhen the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and pyou will be qmy witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and rSamaria, and sto the end of the earth.” 9And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, the was lifted up, and ua cloud took him out of their sight. 10And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, vtwo wmen stood by them in xwhite robes, 11and said, y“Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, zwill acome in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
Copyright © 2024, Alistair Begg. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.