This Same Jesus
8. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
9. After He said this, He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid Him from their sight.
10. They were looking intently up into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.
11. “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.”
12. Then the Apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath’s day’s walk from the city.
Acts 1:8-12
Why Did He Go Away?
It must have been both thrilling and devastating for the Disciples to watch Jesus disappear before their very eyes. It was thrilling to watch as He ascended into Heaven to take His seat at the Right Hand of God. But it was also devastating for them to part ways with Jesus after spending the last three years hearing His Words, watching Him heal the multitudes, and to spend time with Him. The were perceiving this as a loss due to the fact that Jesus would no longer be among them. As they gazed into the sky there was one question going through their minds: “why is He going away?”
We ask a similar question in moments of disappointment or tragedy. We ask the similar questions when we are at that place of hard decisions. “Where is Jesus and why is He not with me?” We ask these questions because we don’t fully understand the impact of His Ascension into Heaven. Jesus had to Ascend into Heaven in order to implement God’s Plan. Jesus said, “My Father has committed all judgment to the Son.” John 5:22. It was necessary for Him to ascend to the Father where He was before He descended to earth in order to purchase redemption for mankind. As our Lord said to Mary, “I must ascend to your God and to My God.” For that reason, He had to go away. John 20:17.
His earthly work was completed but that did not mean that work of the Gospel had come to a close. As a matter of fact, it was just getting started. Jesus had to go away in order to fulfill His Heavenly work. On earth, Jesus had completed the mission of proclaiming the Good News of Salvation to the world. On earth, Jesus gave proof of His identity by performing miracles, signs, and wonders that no one else could do. Surely, this was the Christ. On earth, Jesus had completed His training of the Disciples who would take His word to the far ends of the earth. On earth, Jesus had completed the sacrificial work of dying for the sins of all mankind. He had fulfilled John 3:16. Now, His work in Heaven would begin.
You ask, why did He go away? He ascended to the Throne of God as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. That Throne was not an earthly Throne, but Heavenly. This same Jesus ascended to God’s Throne as Ruler of the Heavens and the earth. He was to make His Divine entry into Heaven to the praises of millions of Angels shouting, “Lift up your head O ye gates – even lift them up you eternal doors, and the King of Glory shall come in.” That’s right! Psalms 24 was written about Jesus. The prophecy could not become reality until that same Jesus sat down in Heaven. That is why He went away.
Not only did He go away to take His Throne as King, but He also went away to take His place as our High Priest. Having offered up His own Blood as the Sacrifice, this same Jesus would now enter the Holiest of All Places and stand as Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. On earth He is the Savior, but in Heaven He is the Priest. If He is not in Heaven, my prayers don’t stand a chance of being heard much less answered. This same Jesus ascended that He might represent all the Saints before our Holy God. That is why He went away.
This same Jesus went away that He might be our Advocate. The Bible declares that “if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father – Jesus, the Righteous One.” 1 John 2:1. Our Heavenly Lawyer is always pleading on our behalf and when there is demand for proof of payment of our debt – Jesus shows His wounds. Yes, He was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was laid upon Him and with His stripes, we are healed. That is why He went away.
O yes, Jesus went away, but His going away should not leave us empty and hopeless. His going away is our source of complete Joy. Why, you may ask? Jesus made a promise when He went away. He said, “If I go away, I will send you another Comforter Who will be with you forever – The Holy Spirit.” John 14:16. The Apostles did not fully grasp what this meant because they were still looking into the sky to see where Jesus had gone. Much like us, they did not know how to handle His departure. The Words of Jesus were not fully digested into their spirit because the Holy Spirit had not yet come. To help them get past their “sky-gazing moment” God sent two Angels to help them get past their pensive mood.
Getting Past the Past
It is interesting that the Angels used the words “This Same Jesus.” They could have said The King, The Lord, The Great God, The Savior, The Ruler, The Prince of Peace, or any other title that rightly belongs to Him. Instead they said, “This Same Jesus.” I believe the Angels were sent to remind the Disciples that Jesus would not change by ascending into Heaven. He would be the same forever and would always be their Lord.
To help them get past the past, the Angel gave them brief but very powerful words of encouragement. “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.” From this one verse there are seven things that will help us to get moving past the past.
First, God has a Plan for every puzzle of life. Obviously, the Apostles were puzzled about what would happen next. The Angels asked, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? In other words, is this what Jesus said you should do? This same Jesus has instructed you to go into the city of Jerusalem and wait for His Power. This same Jesus does not want us to get hung up on the things of this life. As children of God, we are not to go around with our heads in the clouds nor are we to have our heads hanging down in defeat. God has a plan so move towards it. If the next step means waiting for further instructions, then know that those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. Wait I say on the Lord.
Second, God is a Person, not an idea. The Angels proclaimed, This Same Jesus to show that Jesus is a Person in the Godhead. Our Lord is not an idea or way of life, He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. There are those who settle with just the teachings of Jesus, but you cannot divide up One God. He will not divide and share His Glory with any other. This same Jesus means that He is with the Father and they are One. Divine Glory is not to be explained, it is to be followed. That same Jesus who ate bread with the Disciples, was now seated on a cloud and ascending into Heaven. It is that Jesus that we need to focus on and not a concept, commentary, proposal, or opinion of man. That Jesus is God Almighty!
Third, there is a Place for us to meet with the Lord. For the Apostles, that place was Jerusalem. For the believers of this day, that place is the Church or place of gathering. The location is not as important as the Lord being with us. Where two or three are gathered together in My Name, there I will be in the midst of them. The angels asked, “Why are you standing here?” Get into a place where God can speak to you and you can speak to Him in prayer. This same Jesus will be with you. You don’t have to join Him on the cloud, because He promised to be with you through life. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Hebrews 13:5.
Fourth, there is a Promise for every Problem. The Angels asked, “why do you stand here looking into the sky?” This same Jesus … The fact that Jesus was taken away did not mean they would be lacking a Savior. That same Jesus Who was with them for the past three years would continue to dwell in their hearts by faith. We must resist the temptation to limit Jesus to space and time. He rules time and governs space. This same Jesus has all power and promises that we will be His witnesses everywhere and anywhere we go. That is His Promise.
Fifth, God’s Provision guarantees our future. The very appearance of the Angels was proof that God was providing for the concerns of His followers. While many of us are concerned with God delivering us from difficult situations, we would not learn very much about overcoming obstacles that way. God sent the Angels to provide direction to get to the next level. For the Apostles, they were being led to go to Jerusalem. For us, God may be leading us to a new discovery. One thing is certain, this same Jesus will not leave us standing in the same spot of despondency. This same Jesus will lead us into the future.
Sixth, God’s Presence is not depended on location. This one I really like! The Angels said, “This same Jesus who is taken away from you into Heaven.” The Apostles did not realize that Jesus Power was not limited to earth. Jesus was God and as God He was Omnipresent, Omniscient, and Omnipotent. That simply means, He would be everywhere, He would know all things, and His Power is unlimited. We must be careful with the Words, “I need God to show up.” God is not confined to locations even if He is in a body. Jesus was now Glorified and this meant there was nothing that could hinder, interrupt, or obstruct His Power. This same Jesus was and always will be, God Almighty.
Lastly, this seventh principle is equally powerful. In order to get to the Power of God, we must get past self. Jesus declared to the Apostles what they would be, but they were still focused on what they had been. They could only see themselves through the self-revelation of who they were with Jesus present. They had not grasped the vision of internalizing the Power of Jesus. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Many of us focus on the phrase, when the Holy Spirit comes and we miss the other key phrase, My witnesses. Your mission is not to “get the Holy Spirit.” Your mission is to allow the Holy Spirit to make you His Witness. Take the focus off of self and getting the Spirit and shift the focus to becoming Christ’s Witness. Not only will you become a witness for Jesus, but you will also start acting like Jesus because the Power of the Holy Spirit is unlimited. This same Jesus will come again and when He comes – you will not only be with Him, but you will be like Him.