Having made his resurrection appearances, blessings his disciples with the gift of new life, assuring the world that God's love is stronger than any force in the universe (even death) Jesus leaves the Earth...and leaves his earthly ministry to us.
My favorite part of the story is what the angels have to say to the Disciples. Ok, so scripture says, "men dressed in white" but it is pretty clear from their garb and from their message that these are angels relaying an important word from the Lord.
Jesus is lifted up in a cloud and taken away and the Disciples are (rightly!) staring up into the sky. They are amazed. They are perplexed. They are astounded. They were just talking to Jesus, in fact they had just asked him an important question: "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom?" And Jesus gave them his typical response to this line of questioning "It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set." Then the Resurrected Christ just floats away.
So sure, they are staring at the sky trying to figure out what in the world just happened.
And the Angels say (my rough paraphrase): "What in the world are you guys doing staring up into the heavens. The heavens know that you need to get to work right here on Earth!"
It is an important reminder at a crucial time: Christ's body might be gone, but Christ's mission and ministry continues. And it continues through us! This is the final blessing of resurrection and new life -- that once we are touched by it, we are commissioned to continue the good work of the Gospel. Jesus' ministry continues in important, life-giving, transformative ways...through us!
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So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’
He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority.But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’
When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’
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