112. Ascension

[Pastor Ralph]

Please share your thoughts on one or more of the questions in this lesson. 

[hanks]

1. What was Jesus' last act before He ascended? (Luke 24:50-51). 
He lifted up His hands over them in blessing. Nothing but blessing had ever come from those hands as He stands over His people to bless them. The blessing of Jesus is more than a mere gesture of well-wishing, it has inherent power within it. It is an effective imparting of wellbeing, peace, and power, to all whose hearts and minds are truly receptive. His blessing is absolutely essential for them and for us, if His work is to be carried on. In God’s work, His blessing means everything, and will have lasting spiritual impact. “If He has blessed you, you shall be blessed, for there is no power in heaven, or earth, or hell, that can reverse the blessing which He gives” (Spurgeon). 
 

[hanks]

2. What hides Jesus from the disciples' view? (Acts 1:9). 
A cloud hides Jesus from the disciples view. What Luke explains is that Jesus leaves this earthly scene and enters heavenly glory. The cloud could be the cloud of glory (Shekinah) that is associated with the presence of God in the Old and New Testaments (Exod 40:38; Luke 2:9, 9:29). Our Lord’s Ascension marks the conclusion of His ministry here on earth in His bodily presence, and Him being exalted to the right hand of the Father. But it also means that from now on the responsibility of continue the work of Christ on earth is now placed in the hands of His disciples (Acts 1:1-2, 8). Our precious Lord will not let them be left alone, for they will soon be empowered by the Holy Spirit; working with His people on earth and helping them accomplish His purposes (Mark 16:19–20). We also have a clear promise that He will come back to set up His kingdom on earth: “He will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11; Luke 21:27). 
 

[hanks]

3. Extra Credit. How do clouds relate to Daniel's prophecy of the Son of Man? (Daniel 7:13-14). 
Daniel saw the Son of Man come among the clouds of heaven being presented to His Father. In the Old and New Testament, clouds were often associated with God’s awesome presence, His majesty, His power, and even His guidance. Clouds also accompany the revelation of God in Jesus Christ. So, in the same way that God was glorified and concealed in the clouds, so was Jesus on the mountain of transfiguration (Mark 9:7) and in His ascension to heaven, as the resurrected One was exalted to the Father, the clouds veiled Him (Acts 1:9). Having completed His work here on earth, Jesus looks forward to His ascension and His return to His Father (John 16:28). “He entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence” (Heb 9:24b). And so it was, Jesus was welcomed into the presence of His Father, and is seated at God's right hand - with angels, authorities and powers in submission to Him (1 Pet 3:22). 
 

[hanks]

4. What happens to Jesus when He ascends to His Father's presence in heaven? (Philippians 2:5-11) 
Jesus who had humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death was re-instated to His former glory. God exalted Him by raising Him from the dead and opening the heavens to receive Him and have Him seated at God’s right hand. Not only that - God has given Him the name which is above every name. God was so completely satisfied with the redemptive work of Christ that He determined that every knee should bow to Him, of course, this does not mean that all people will be saved, for those who are not willing to bow the knee, will one day be compelled to do so, and will face the wrath of God. We also read that every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord. Here again not everyone will be saved. Only those that confess with their mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in their heart that God raised Him from the dead, will be saved, will be saved (Rom 10:9). To the rest Jesus will say "I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers!” (Mat 7:23). 
 

[hanks]

5. How do Jesus' disciples respond to His ascension? (Luke 24:52) 
One could be inclined to think that instead of returning to Jerusalem with great joy, they could easily have mourned the loss of a true friend. But, after His ascension, they knew better, they had lost nothing and had gained much. One can only imagine the sight of Jesus rising to heaven, brought to the disciples the realisation that He is truly the risen Lord, no longer the Suffering Servant, but the Lord of heaven and earth. They also knew that they had been commissioned to carry out the great task of spreading the gospel, and that they were about to receive the power to do it. They had had Jesus with them for a while, and now they were going to have Him with them forever. “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Mat 28:19-20). On top of this they were aware of the promise they had received, of His glorious return at the end of the age (Act 1:11). This realisation must have brought them great joy and they turned to praise and worship, praising Him as the they witnessed in the temple, in obedience to Him, proclaiming the risen Lord to everyone they met. They worshipped Him knowing that Jesus was God, they gave Him the honour He deserves, and they returned to Jerusalem with great joy, there to await the outpouring upon them of the Holy Spirit.  Also, by returning to Jerusalem they showed that they were obedient to His command. 
 

[hanks]

6. What is the content of the angels' promise at Jesus' ascension? (Acts 1:10-11) 
The angels made a promise that our Lord Jesus Christ will come again to set up His kingdom on the earth. Mentioning that He will come back in the same way they had seen Him go into heaven. He ascended from the Mount of Olives (Acts 1:12), He will return to the Mount of Olives (Zec 14:4); He ascended personally, He will return personally (Mal 3:1); He ascended visibly, He will return visibly (Mat 24:30); He was received up in a cloud (Acts 1:9), He will come on the clouds of heaven (Mat 24:30); He ascended gloriously, He will return with great power and great glory (Mat 24:30). 
 

[Irmela]

1. What was Jesus' last act before he ascended? (Luke 24:50-51).

He lifted up His hands and blessed His followers after He had led them to a location near Bethany, and had reminded them to stay in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit had come upon them. 

2. What hides Jesus from the disciples' view? (Acts 1:9).

A cloud hid Him from their view. 

3. How do clouds relate to Daniel's prophecy of the Son of Man? (Daniel 7:13-14).

Daniel saw someone like the son of man coming  with the clouds of heaven. He was approaching the Ancient of Days and was being led into His presence. 

4.  What happens to Jesus when he ascends to his Father's presence in heaven? (Philippians 2:5-11)

He is exalted by the Father. His former glory of which He emptied Himself of is restored to Him. 

5. How do Jesus' disciples respond to his ascension? (Luke 24:52)

*They worship Him

* They respond with great joy! 

* They praise God. 

* They obediently go back to Jerusalem and wait for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. 

6.  What is the content of the angels' promise at Jesus' ascension? (Acts 1:10-11)

That Jesus will return in glory in the same way He was taken from them. 

[Katy]

Q1.Jesus last act before He ascended into heaven was to raise His hands in blessing His disciples before He left them. They needed that blessing because Jesus was going back to heaven and was no longer available to them. However He was not going to leave them to fend for themselves He said to them that he He would send the Holy Spirit, to help them and give them power, but they must stay in Jerusalem until He came. We also need God’s blessing every day to keep us from sinning and being dragged into the things of the world. When we come to know and follow Jesus we too are given the Holy Spirit to lead , guide and counsel us as continue the Lord’s work on earth and as we live in this broken world. 
Q2.As Jesus is an ending into heaven Cloud blocks their view of Him. Cloud in the Bible can indicate God’s presence with His people or the Glory of God. We are told that God will return in the same way as the disciples saw Him going into heaven. We know He will come back in great power and glory. 

[Katy]

Q3. In Daniel 7 v13 when the “Son of man came with the clouds of heaven” He was coming into the presence of the “Ancient of days” who is God, maybe Jesus also as He ascended into heaven was also going straight into the presence of His father. I can imagine this to be the case: Jesus entering back into heaven after having accomplished the most important mission ever completed and also after a long absence from heaven, His father being there to greet Him and bestow on His all honour and glory, and power and to sit Jesus at His right hand. What great rejoicing there must have been. 
Q4.Jesus having gone through humiliating torture and death on the cross is risen from the dead and is ascended into heaven and reinstated into His former glory. This glory He had voluntarily given up to come to earth. God the father exalts Him to the highest place, giving Him honour and glory and placing Him higher than anyone else or anything else so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, whether in heaven on earth or under the earth, maybe not at the moment but in the fullness of time it will happen! Every tongue will acknowledge that He is Lord again in time this will happen. This is the glorification of Jesus by God the Father.

Q5.The disciples stayed looking intently up into the sky as He ascended into heaven. Then two men were standing beside them. These men spoke to them saying “ Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky? Jesus , who has been taken from you into heaven will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven”. The disciples then worshipped Him. They had joy in their hearts. They praised Him and they went obediently into Jerusalem to await the Holy Spirit. 

[Katy]

Q6. The angels acknowledge that Jesus is being “ taken from them” but they also tell them that Jesus will return in the same way. The same way means that on Jesus second coming He will come from heaven in cloud and He will be visible to all people. Jesus will come in great power and majesty.