And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight. Acts 1:9
Today’s text sounds almost like fantasy, as it describes how the Lord Jesus rises into the air from the midst of His disciples, and then disappears into a cloud. The disciples stood, slack-jawed in amazement, as they were approached by two angels. Had we been there, we would have been just as amazed. We have never seen such a thing. But it was not just the rising into the air and disappearing that caused the disciples to stand gazing. It was the realization that their Lord was returning to Heaven and they were, for the first time in three years, going to be without Him. But they were not going to be left alone. Nor are we.
As much as the disciples would miss their Lord’s presence, they would have to admit that if He had remained with them, His impact on the world would have been limited to His immediate presence. That is why He had told them that Another was coming to be with them after His departure. The Holy Spirit did come, and He filled them with the power and knowledge to fulfil Jesus great commission to take the Gospel throughout the world. From Pentecost until today, believers everywhere have been enabled, encouraged, and upheld by the Holy Spirit’s presence and power. We are not alone. The Holy Spirit, Who is just as much a member of the Godhead as the Lord Jesus is, will never leave us not forsake us.
We don’t have the physical presence of the Lord Jesus with us today. But that is temporary. He has promised to come back for us. And just as He rose into the air to go to Heaven, so will we rise when He returns for us. -Jim MacIntosh
Here is the link to the video of this message: https://youtu.be/z6sAThgaINk