The Ascension of Jesus is one of the most important events in the Bible and is where the book of the Acts of the Apostles (abbreviated to Acts) starts. From these beginning verses, we know that Jesus is alive, is living in heaven with the Father, and will return one day in the future. By seeing what happened to Jesus, we can have hope that no matter what happens to us in this life, Jesus is coming back so that we also can be raised from the dead and ascend to heaven!
Bible Study
Acts starts with a quick summary of the ending of the Gospel of Luke. At the end of that book, Jesus had been raised from the dead, spent 40 days teaching the disciples, and then was raised back into heaven. Luke gives the following recap:
1 The first book I wrote, Theophilus, concerned all that Jesus began both to do and to teach, 2 until the day in which he was received up, after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 To these he also showed himself alive after he suffered, by many proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days, and speaking about God’s Kingdom. 4 Being assembled together with them, he commanded them, “Don’t depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which you heard from me. 5 For John indeed baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
6 Therefore when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you now restoring the kingdom to Israel?”
7 He said to them, “It isn’t for you to know times or seasons which the Father has set within his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.”
9 When he had said these things, as they were looking, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10 While they were looking steadfastly into the sky as he went, behold,[a] two men stood by them in white clothing, 11 who also said, “You men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who was received up from you into the sky, will come back in the same way as you saw him going into the sky.”
Acts 1:1-11 (WEB)
Purpose of the Book of Acts
The introduction to the book of Acts is quite short, but since the first verse tells us that it could be considered a continuation of the book of Luke, it is appropriate to go back to the beginning of Luke to see what kind of introduction was originally given to Theophilus:
1 Since many have undertaken to set in order a narrative concerning those matters which have been fulfilled among us, 2 even as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having traced the course of all things accurately from the first, to write to you in order, most excellent Theophilus; 4 that you might know the certainty concerning the things in which you were instructed.
Luke 1:1-4 (WEB)
Discussion Question #1: Take a look at Luke 1:1-4 and Acts 1:1-11. What is the purpose for the book of Luke? For the book of Acts? It is helpful to remember that the full name of the book of Acts is the “Acts of the Apostles.”
We quickly see that the purpose of Luke is to let Theophilus possess a trustworthy document that contains the teachings about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. While Luke was probably not present for all of the events, he carefully investigated everything he wrote about and only included the things that he was certain about. Given that he was a traveling companion to Paul, there would have been plenty of opportunities for him to interact with Jesus’ closest disciples.
A person could always question how thorough Luke was, but given that he was a doctor and that his literary style is fairly advanced, it can be assumed that Luke was fairly well educated, which bodes well for his research capabilities. Most people conclude that both the books of Luke and Acts are just as reliable as the other books of the Bible.
Read: Who Was Luke?
Leaving the book of Luke, and coming to the book of Acts, Jesus has returned to heaven and the apostles are left on their own. While the verses in the first chapter of Acts don’t specifically give a purpose for the book, a reading of the full title of the book, “Acts of the Apostles,” makes it quite clear. This will be a book showing what the apostles did after Jesus returned to heaven.
Speaking of the Kingdom of God
When we look at Acts 1:4, we see that Jesus “spoke about the kingdom of God.” Wouldn’t you have liked to hear what he said? Luke 24:27 also says that “he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” Why didn’t they write it down?!?
Beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, he explained to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
Luke 24:27 (WEB)
While we don’t have the exact words that Jesus used in the 40 days that he spent with his disciples after his resurrection, we do have the Acts of the Apostles. Once Jesus finished teaching the disciples, he told them in Acts 1:8 that, “you will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.” They were told to go tell people what they learned! As we read the book of Acts, as well as other letters in the New Testament, we should be able to get some glimpses into Jesus’ teachings during these 40 days.
Discussion Question #2: As you read Acts 1:4 and 1:8, consider the idea that Jesus spoke about the kingdom of God and that the disciples were told to “be witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.” Can you think of any Bible verses later in the New Testament that might reveal some of the things that Jesus taught during his last 40 days on Earth?
Discussion Question #3: When Jesus told the disciples to be my witnesses, what does that mean for us today? Was their mission complete, or does it continue with our generation? If you think it applies to us, how do you try to carry out this mission? If you think it doesn’t apply, what are your reasons?
The main focus of the book of Acts is to show how the apostles and other disciples spread the gospel message throughout the world by using Paul’s specific travels as the highlight. Jesus started his ministry in Judea, spent a lot of time in Jerusalem, and even did a little ministry in Samaria (John 4:1-42), but he mostly avoided the ends of the earth. This was left for the apostles and for us! We know that the apostles and other disciples ended up becoming the first Christian evangelists in destinations like Africa, Asia Minor, and Europe.
Today, there are very few people groups who have never heard about Jesus. Still, just because they have heard of him, it does not mean that they know him or have been given an informed opportunity to follow him. Until this has happened, I think we have a responsibility to finish the mission that were given to Jesus’ original disciples. After all, it was a mission that was not possible to complete in a single lifetime.
This does not mean that everyone is called to be a foreign missionary. Some people are, but most of us can probably find plenty of opportunities to talk about Jesus with out family, friends, people in our neighborhoods, and others that live much closer to our homes than “the ends of the earth.” When trying to change a person’s mind about something important, it is much more likely that a friend would be able to convince that person than a stranger. As we consider our role in missionary work, we shouldn’t discount the importance of being a missionary in our hometowns.
A Survey: If you were a missionary, which continent would you choose?
Baptism of the Holy Spirit
As we consider the idea of what it means to spread the gospel, verses 4 and 5 use the phrases “wait for the gift my Father promised” and “in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Verse 8 then talks about the power that the Holy Spirit will bring and that will enable the disciples to spread the gospel message.
Discussion Question #4: Read Matthew 3:11 and Acts 1:5-8. What does it mean to be baptized with water? What does it mean to be baptized with the Holy Spirit? What is the difference?
There are quite a few Bible verses that talk about water baptism and the summary seems to be that the purpose is to be cleansed from past sin and acknowledge your need to start life anew with Jesus as your Lord. I find John the Baptist’s quote in Matthew 3:11 to be most helpful as it focuses on the idea of repentance and contrasts it with the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
I indeed baptize you in water for repentance, but he who comes after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 3:11 (WEB)
When we look back to Acts 1:5-8, we see that Jesus’ last words to the disciples are about the baptism of the Holy Spirit giving them power that will enable the disciples to spread the message all across the world. First we need the baptism of forgiveness and repentance (water), then we need the baptism of the Spirit (power) so that we can do something meaningful with the new life that we have been given. My personal interpretation is that this power could be any number of the fruit of the Spirit.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23 (WEB)
Discussion Question #5: Read Galatian 5:22-23 and compare this with Acts 1:5-8. While the original disciples received powers of healing and other miraculous powers, many of the more common powers are listed as the fruit of the Spirit. Are you showing signs of a baptism of the Holy Spirit through any of the fruit of the Spirit? Are there other powers that you have received through the Holy Spirit? Which fruit do you need to improve?
God’s Timing
Looking at Acts 1:6, we see Jesus reprimanding the disciples for trying to figure out the dates of Rome’s fall and Israel’s rise. The disciples always wanted freedom from their Roman oppressors, but Jesus promised something much bigger: freedom from the devil. Just after the rebuke, Jesus tell his disciples to wait for a short time for the Holy Spirit, then go out into the world and spread the gospel message. This is Jesus’ true purpose! He desires for as many people to know him and love him as possible! While Jesus could miraculously give people a vision of himself, like he did with Paul in Acts 9:3-6, the more usual way for Jesus to get a persons attention is through the words and actions of another person.
3 As he traveled, he got close to Damascus, and suddenly a light from the sky shone around him. 4 He fell on the earth, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
5 He said, “Who are you, Lord?”
The Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise up and enter into the city, then you will be told what you must do.”
Acts 9:3-6 (WEB)
When considering God’s timing, I often find that I am impatient. Why is there so much suffering in the world? Why do people cause wars? Why can’t we all just get along? Jesus mission to the disciples helps answer this. The world is sinful, but Jesus wants people to turn to him. If God were to end the world today, how many people would never turn to Jesus? Every delay means more souls in heaven. Of course, all the sin during this delay will cause problems, but do we really want to tell God to stop being merciful? If you are a Christian, how would you have felt if he would have ended the world the moment before you made a decision to follow him?
Discussion Question #6: How do you react to sin and suffering in the world while we wait for Jesus’ return? Have you ever been frustrated by a situation that you think that God should have resolved sooner, only to realize later that something fabulous came out of the period of difficulty? Can you think of any good reasons why Jesus might be allowing so much sin and suffering in the world today?
The Disciples Need an Angel
Right after Jesus tells the disciples to go out and teach the world about himself, Jesus floats up into the clouds and disappears! Can you imagine the shock?!? They are so stunned and frozen in place that it takes two angels to get them moving again. The disciples are informed that Jesus is now in heaven and that he will come back just as suddenly as he left.
Discussion Question #7: Has anything ever surprised you into stunned silence? How do you think the disciples felt after experiencing everything in Acts 1:1-11?
Discussion Question #8: The rest of Acts is going to show how the apostles and other disciples started to prepare for Jesus’ return. How are you preparing for Jesus’ return?
Downloads
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Respond
As you consider the theme of the Ascension, are there any Bible verses that came to mind? If so, add a comment at the end of this post!
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English Standard Version (ESV): Unless otherwise noted, 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.
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