Witness to the Ends of the Earth | Acts 1:1–11 | Dwell in the Word

Devotions

Oct 25

Watch This Episode on Acts 1:1-11

In this episode of Dwell in the Word, Pastor Mark Groen explores Acts 1:1–11 and the often-overlooked moment of Christ’s ascension. This devotional reflection shows how Jesus’ departure marked not an ending, but a beginning—the launching of the gospel to the ends of the earth through Spirit-empowered witnesses. As believers, we are called to take up that same mission, trusting in our ascended King who reigns at the right hand of the Father and intercedes for us. Be encouraged by this short but rich reflection on the significance of the Ascension and our calling today.

📖 Click to Show the Transcript of this Episode

Welcome to Dwell in the Word.

Today is October 25.

Today, we're gonna be starting out with the book of Acts.

But first, a prayer from Lifting Up Our Hearts, which is prayers from John Calvin.

Let us pray.

Grant, almighty God, that though we have been once reconciled to you and reconciliation has been testified to us in your gospel, we yet cease not daily to provoke your wrath.

Grant that we may at least groan and so condemn our vices that we may be touched with real and deep sorrow, and thus learn to flee, not only once in our life, but every moment, to your mercy.

That you may be reconciled to us and not deal with us according to our merits.

But since you have been once pleased to embrace us with paternal love, for the sake of your only begotten Son, continue this favor to us until having at length been cleansed from all filth and pollution, we shall become partakers of your celestial glory.

Through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Okay.

As I said, we are starting out in Acts chapter one.

Today, we're gonna be reading from verse one through verse 11.

Hear the word of the Lord.

In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.

He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

And while staying with them, he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which he said, you heard from me, for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.

So 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.

And so, the book of Acts starts out with an introduction and then quickly moves into the Ascension, and this introduction is an interesting one.

We've seen on Sunday morning, we have been looking at the book of Luke, and we saw in Luke, chapter one, Luke started out talking about how he was writing to this Theophilus.

And so, this book of Acts is a continuation of the story that Luke has told in the gospel of Luke.

And so, what we see here is that he's looking to tell a story beyond what happened.

Notice that he's talking about Jesus and what he did until he was taken up.

But now he's gonna be talking about something else.

But before we move on to this ascension that he's gonna give us details about, we see in verse three that Jesus presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

And so Jesus showed that he was alive.

You know, we see in the gospels, and we talked about this a little bit from in First Corinthians 15, we see Jesus doing things that show us that he is physically resurrected.

This is not just a spiritual thing.

As I said, he breathes on people.

Spirits don't breathe.

He eats fish.

Spirits don't need to eat.

Jesus is giving many proofs.

This is important.

We need to understand that he is physically and bodily raised from the dead.

Well, what did Jesus do?

He was around for forty days, and he was speaking about the kingdom of God.

Now, what's interesting about that statement, what sort of gives me a charge here, is that the disciples come together with him and he has been speaking to them about the kingdom of God.

And then, what do they ask?

They ask the same old question in their line of thinking that we've seen throughout the Gospels.

Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?

He's just been speaking to them about the kingdom of God, and they're still thinking it's now that Jesus is going to set up an earthly kingdom now.

They're impatient, and here they are on the cusp of one of the most important events in history, the Ascension.

And they're expecting Jesus to stay and set up his kingdom.

It's like, once again, the disciples still aren't getting it.

Right?

And so how does Jesus answer?

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.

How important is that truth?

Right?

They didn't seem to get what was going on.

But the Holy Spirit is gonna come, and then they will get it.

And it isn't gonna be Jesus right now, reigning from Jerusalem.

Instead, he's gonna be reigning from heaven, and they are going to be his witnesses.

They are gonna go out into the earth.

Notice what the progression is here.

Jerusalem, all of Judea, Samaria, and then the ends of the earth.

And we're gonna see this unfold in the book of Acts.

That is the progression that is going to happen.

But they are gonna be the witnesses to Jesus, to what he did, the mission that he had.

And we're gonna see what that message is and how it points to the crucified and risen Lord that is reigning in heaven.

We're gonna see this.

This is the point of the book of Acts, to help us to understand who Jesus was, what he did, and what it means.

And these witnesses are gonna tell that story in the book of Acts.

And so they are now, sort of being put in their place that, you know, hey.

The Holy Spirit's gonna come.

You're gonna be my witnesses.

And then Jesus departs.

He goes up out of sight, and they're standing there looking up.

And two men dressed in white robes say, 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.

So there's a promise here.

They're looking up.

They're wondering what happened.

And these angels come and give this message that they have looked up.

Don't look up.

Jesus is gonna return.

There's work to do.

Jesus had just told them that they are going to be their witnesses.

Jesus has ascended.

He is now in heaven, and we're gonna see the consequence of that as we go forward in the book of Acts.

But the point here is that these disciples who didn't get it are going to receive the Holy Spirit, and they are gonna go out and be witnesses to the ends of the earth.

These are the disciples who, as we saw in the book of Mark, didn't really get it.

Right?

They were kind of the foils in the story, we talked about several months ago when we were in the book of Mark for Dwell in the Word.

But something's gonna happen, and they're gonna be the witnesses.

They are gonna be the way the church expands.

That's the story that is being told here, that these men will receive the Spirit and be witnesses to the ends of the earth.

And so, what does this mean for us?

You know, we have to think about the significance of the Ascension of Jesus.

We're long past that historical event.

We're long past the lives of the disciples.

But, it is still up to us to be witnesses to the ends of the earth that we proclaim the Gospel, trusting that people will hear and believe this good news.

So, may we remember this call that our ascended Lord has put on our lives, to be faithfully proclaiming the gospel.

May that be on our lips as we go out into the world today.

And may we remember that we have a King in heaven who is reigning, and there he is, at the Father's right hand, interceding for us.

Let us go to prayer.

Gracious Lord, we praise and thank you, oh God, for the Ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We are blessed to know that we have Jesus in our very own flesh interceding for us at the right hand of the Father.

Grant us strength to serve him faithfully today and worship him as our ascended Lord and King.

On this Monday, we lift up to you the advancement of the gospel.

We pray that the good news of Jesus Christ and him crucified would go forth into the world as we are the witnesses of the Lord Jesus.

May this good news not only be on the lips of evangelists and pastors, but embolden all the people of God to faithfully proclaim the story of Jesus and his finished work to save a people for himself.

May the whole people of God have the story of our Savior on our lips, and may we have a certain confidence that the Holy Spirit will be at work using that proclamation to bring people to faith and to build up believers in holiness.

And as we step out into the world, may we be active servants who live in hopeful expectation that Jesus will return in the same way that He went into heaven.

Bless us with hopeful expectation as we wait for the return of our Lord.

In whose name we pray.

Amen.

Okay.

Have yourself a most excellent Monday today.