Jesus Taken Up Into Heaven

 Meditations on The Acts of the Apostles

January 6, 2021

Jesus Taken Up Into Heaven

Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

Acts 1:11

Read: Acts 1: 9-14

The historic confession of faith, the Apostles’ Creed, affirms Jesus’ ascension to heaven and his promised return. Both of these articles of the Christian faith are included in today’s reading.

“On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of the Father, and will come again to judge the living and the dead.”

The ascension took place on the Mount of Olives, which is above the Garden of Gethsemane, and approximately one-half mile, a Sabbath day’s walk, from the walled city of Jerusalem. When the Apostles returned to their ‘upper room’ “They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers” (verse 14).

It seems the Apostles got accustomed to being with Jesus after his resurrection. They talked with him, asked him questions and listened as he spoke to them about the Kingdom of God. I don’t think that prepared them for Jesus to be taken up before their very eyes. Or for two angels to explain to them what they were seeing. They responded in the only appropriate way: prayer and worship.

My Takeaway: My faith includes large portions of mystery and the mystical. “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:28-29).

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2021 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.