The Beginning:
After His resurrection, Jesus meets His disciples as He had promised. The eleven go to the appointed place, and though they worship Him, some hesitate in uncertainty. Jesus comes to them with authority and purpose.
The Middle:
Jesus declares that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him. He commissions His followers to make disciples of all nations—baptizing and teaching obedience to His commands—and promises His continuing presence. He also explains that His death and resurrection fulfill the Scriptures and that repentance and forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed in His name. He instructs them to remain until they receive power from on high, identifying this coming empowerment with the Holy Spirit.
The End:
Jesus leads them near Bethany and blesses them. He is taken up from them and lifted into heaven, and a cloud receives Him out of their sight. Two heavenly messengers tell the disciples that Jesus will return in the same way He was taken up. The disciples return to Jerusalem with joy, worshiping and waiting for what Jesus promised.
This event unites Jesus’ resurrection victory with His continuing reign: the risen Christ possesses universal authority and sends His followers as witnesses to the nations. The commission frames the church’s mission as God’s redemptive plan—proclaiming repentance and forgiveness through Jesus’ name, forming a baptized and taught community. The Ascension affirms that Jesus’ work is not ended but exalted: He blesses His people, reigns from heaven, and promises both His presence and the Spirit’s power for the mission.
In Acts, Jesus’ ascent “in a cloud” echoes a common biblical symbol of God’s presence and glory (often linked with divine revelation and worship). In the Second Temple Jewish context, such imagery communicated exaltation and divine vindication rather than mere disappearance, reinforcing that Jesus’ departure was understood as enthronement, not abandonment.
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations" — Matthew 28:19
Answer the questions below. When you choose an option, you will see the result and an explanation.
1. Where did Jesus lead the disciples before blessing them and being taken up?
2. What did Jesus say had been given to Him?