Saturday, May 23, 2009
Acts 1:11 This same Jesus . . . will come back . . .
ASCENSION TRUTHS: HE'S COMING BACK
Today my oldest son is graduating from high school. I remember my own graduation. What a bittersweet day it was. I had a diploma to prove four years of accomplishment, but I also had the sad job of saying goodbye to many friends.
For the disciples on the Mt. of Olives it was a day of saying goodbye to their best Friend. Jesus had accomplished His mission of redeeming lost mankind, but now it was time to return home to His Father in Heaven. From atop the mountain he went up, up, and finally out of sight. But as the disciples stood staring into the sky, two men in white clothes appeared. They were angels, and they had a message: "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."
Jesus was coming back! While they had His promise that He would always be with them, they now had the promise that they would again see him face to face. Certainly this was one reason why Luke tells us that the disciples "returned to Jerusalem with great joy" (Luke 24:52).
This is one very powerful reason why we can live our lives today with great joy. Jesus is coming back! He's with us now, but one day we'll get to look right into his eyes. We'll see him smile at us. We'll feel his nail-pierced hands on our shoulders, welcoming us home.
There are so many things in this fallen world that can get us down. Sin makes a mess of everything. Our own sin leaves us feeling crushed and defeated. But when we look up and remember the angels' promise, we have joy. The very same Jesus Who bled and died for us is coming back. We'll see Him one day coming on the clouds with His angel army, the mighty King returning for His people. He's coming back to wipe away our every tear. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Amen.
