November 7
November 7
It is important to remember that Jesus is not only your Savior; he is also the ascended and reigning King.
The book of Acts records for us the birthing and building up of the church of Jesus Christ. We should pay attention to these beginnings. We should also pay attention to the apostles’ first sermons, because they are foundational models of how the gospel is to be proclaimed and explained. These early days are relevant for us because they reveal what God has provided for us in his Son as well as in his church, which will be our spiritual home as we await the final kingdom. One piece of history recorded in Acts is particularly vital to understand:
When they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed 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 and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:6–11)
Jesus has assembled his disciples on the Mount of Olives; this will be his final moment on earth with them prior to his return. The question they ask shows that they don’t yet fully understand Jesus’s mission or their part in it. They are still looking for Jesus to establish a physical kingdom on earth at this time. Jesus doesn’t tackle their question, but uses it as an opportunity to tell them of the power they will receive for the work he has chosen them to do. When Jesus finishes speaking, the most amazing thing happens. A cloud of glory envelopes him, takes him out of the disciples’ sight, and lifts him up to heaven.
Here’s why this is important. You serve a risen Savior who is also an ascended and reigning King. Now sitting at the right hand of the Father, Jesus has managerial rule over God’s kingdom. He rules over all things, right now, not only for the sake of his Father’s glory but also on behalf of each of his redeemed people. Jesus’s righteous reign is a present redemptive reality. His reign guarantees the delivery of everything for which he lived and died. His reign guarantees that nothing will impede God’s plan for his children. Jesus’s reign guarantees the final defeat of the enemy and the ushering in of his final kingdom of peace and righteousness. His reign is your hope.