Luke 24:50-53 (NIV)
When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.
Luke finished his gospel with Jesus’ ascension. Jesus had appeared periodically to His followers over a 40-day period. He ate with them, He encouraged them, and He continued to teach them all that they needed to know.
His teaching took on new meaning for the disciples. The things that had bounced off their minds before were now sinking in, in large part because Jesus had risen from the dead and was patiently teaching them again Himself.
But the time eventually came, 40 days after the resurrection, when he would be taken from them and ascend into heaven. Jesus took them to a place on the south slope of the Mount of Olives near Bethany and blessed them with uplifted hands. And while He was blessing them, He suddenly lifted off the ground and shot straight up into the clouds.
Luke gives a fuller description of this event in Acts 1:9-12. After Jesus disappeared into the clouds, while they were all staring into the sky at the place where He had disappeared, they became aware of two men in white clothes who interrupted their reverie and worship by telling them that Jesus had indeed gone to heaven, but that He would return one day in the same way that they had seen Him go.
The disicples returned to Jerusalem, faces all aglow with smiles as they discussed among themselves all that they had learned, all that they had seen, and all that they had been promised. They had been told to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit to come to them, so wait they would. And every day they continued to go to the temple to worship the God who had made them an important part of such a momentous event.
Father, an encounter with the risen Jesus really does change everything, really does make so much clear that had been hazy before. Before that encounter, we can read Your word, even read it diligently, but far too much just bounces off; it is just a book. But when we surrender ourselves to You and receive Your life in our hearts, the scales fall away from our eyes, and we can truly see. Our ears are unstopped, and we can hear Your voice in every word. Thank You for the wonder of salvation, thank You for the reality of the Holy Spirit in which we get to live, and for the promises of Jesus’ return, which moves us to action. Amen.