The Ascension of Our Lord

 Sermon Text: Acts 1:1-11

 Other Readings: Revelation 1:11-16 and Luke 24:44-53


 

  1. What is the “former book” which the author mentions? Confer Luke 1:1-4.
     
  2. “Apostle” was a special designation given to only a select subset of Jesus’ disciples, and this text gives us two characteristics these men had. Use Acts 1:3,8 to list two defining characteristics for them.
     
  3. What does it mean that Jesus will return “in the same way” he went up into heaven?
     
  4. What comfort do you have in knowing that (a) Jesus could ascend into heaven and that (b) it is “the same Jesus” who is in heaven?
     
  1. The author is St. Luke, and he is referring to his Gospel which he wrote about the life and ministry of Jesus. Acts, then, is a sort of continuation of the work Jesus does, this time primarily through his apostles and church.
     
  2. Strictly speaking, an apostle was someone who had seen Jesus in his glorified body after the resurrection and who was specifically commissioned by Jesus to be “sent out” with the gospel. “Apostle” means “one who is sent out.”
     
  3. When we read all the seeing verbs in verses 9-11, we understand that Jesus will return in a visible way, just as he ascended it in a visible way. We certainly won’t miss our Savior’s return!
     
  4. We can have the comfort of knowing that (a) his work of salvation is completed (otherwise his Father wouldn’t have received him back into heaven) and that (b) the same powerful, yet tenderhearted, Savior whom we have gotten to know is still exercising that same power and tenderheartedness for our benefit because we are his people.