Acts 1:10-11
As they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, two men in white clothing stood beside them and said, “This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”
Jesus’ ascension was looked at intently by His disciples. On the day of Jesus’ being lifted up into heaven, after He had been raised from the dead, and after He had spent some 40 days appearing to His disciples, He was taken up in plain sight before their eyes and was received into heaven, disappearing behind a cloud as they looked on intently. The two angels stood beside the awestruck disciples and told them Jesus would return from heaven one day in this same way as He had left them.
Should I be looking for Jesus to return from heaven intently? I know I want to be. The disciples focused on Jesus’ exit from earth with a “fixed gazed” “stretching out” or “extending” towards Him as He departed. This is the idea of the Greek word for “intently” in our own language. They were fixed on Jesus and extending towards Him as He left.
As I wait for Jesus’ return I want to be like the first disciples of Christ. I want to be focused intently, waiting for Him to return the same way He left back then. I don’t believe this is some fairy tale, some myth or story to “help me along” in life. I believe the account of the first disciples. I believe they did see Jesus risen from the dead for some 40 days. I believe they witnessed His ascension into heaven. And I believe two angels gave the testimony that Jesus would return one day in the same way He left.
Are you waiting intently for Jesus? I pray that your focus gets fixed on Him more and more. I pray that as you wait for the return of Christ your attitude and heart would be “stretched out” and “extended” towards your Savior as you wait for Him to come back again. I pray that you would never be able to look up into the sky the same way again – that each time you look up you will be looking up for Jesus.
Does the Bible tell us we ought to be waiting for Jesus in this way? Here are just a few of the many verses telling us that very thing.
2 Timothy 4:8
In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing [His first and second advents].
2 Titus 2:11-13
For the grace of God has appeared [the first advent], bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing [the second advent] of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.
2 Peter 3:12
Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God.
I want to be just like the first Disciples.