Acts 1: 10 – 11: They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? 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.”
One author describes three events and three times we read of angels. Three times they bring significant messages. In Luke 2 the angels tell the shepherds of the birth of Christ, and they sing as a chorus to His glory, and again in Luke 24 angels tell the women who came to the grave about Jesus’ resurrection. And they announce His victory. And then, more significantly in Acts 1, the angels tell the disciples of the return of Christ after he ascended to heaven. In a nutshell, these three messages encapsulate the work of Jesus here on earth. His birth, His resurrection and then His ascension to heaven – but with the promise of His return.
Of these three events, we are more conscious of the detail of the first two. We have the gospels which describe to us the work of Christ here on earth, his passion, his death, and resurrection. But less so when it comes to Him ascending to heaven. Is this the reason why we sometimes have a detailed focus on what is happening here and now for us, but less on the promise of Jesus’ return?
Repeatedly Jesus told the disciples that it would happen. And then it happens! When the angels tell the disciples of his eventual return to earth, they want to instil hope. Hope for the reality we can hold onto in challenging times. Christ will return. Maybe we need to write it in capital letters. CHRIST WILL RETURN. Maybe we need to say it to each other frequently as in the early church where believers while they suffered for their faith would inspire each other frequently with the words: Jesus will be coming again! Maybe we need to write this down when confronted with challenges. Maybe we need to pray it more. The significance of Jesus is not only his birth and resurrection. The living hope in us must also be in His return. That is why 1 Corinthians select hope as one of the “top three” – faith, hope and love. The most important is love, the two others are mentioned in the same breath.
The ascension of Christ is celebrated Thursday. It is a date that can be determined because it follows the Jewish Calendar. We can reflect on Jesus’ ascension. But more so, we can renew our hope. Hope for a future in his presence. This is what the last chapter in the Bible also does when it calls out “Come, Lord Jesus, Come!”
What about you selecting an appropriate time on Thursday to reflect on what Christ’s second coming means for you? Millions of Christians select sunrise. What about reflecting on what value it will have for you to live with a living hope/expectancy of his return in your heart every day?