Acts 1:9-11 | The King Who Reigns and Will Return

We also learned that the Holy Spirit is what empowers our witness and helps us fulfill the mission that Christ has given to His people.

So Jesus, the King is reigning now and He will return to consummate His Kingdom on earth. In the meantime we live on mission until He comes. But what happens next? Does our King stay away forever? Not at all. Today we’re looking at four points and how the ascension enables our labor for the Kingdom. Let’s stand in honor of God’s Word as we read Acts 1:9-11

9 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. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 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.”

This moment in Acts is a major change in redemptive history. This was 40 days after Christ’s resurrection and He spent that time making appearances and teaching about the Kingdom of God. As He taught them in John 16:28

28 I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”

Christ had a mission before returning to the Father. The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ came from the Father, meaning that He was sent by the Lord for a purpose and that purpose was to die for sinners. He taught that He would be crucified, die, and on the third day would rise again in victory over sin, death, and hell. He tells us that the last stage of the mission is this final act, returning to the Father’s glory.

It is here in Acts 1:9 that we learn that

THE ASCENSION IS THE ENTHRONEMENT OF THE KING

Look at verse 9 Acts 1:9

9 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.

So Jesus was “lifted up” and “a cloud took Him out of their sight”. So Jesus doesn’t simply evaporate into the sky. He doesn’t disappear. This is when the Son is enthroned on high and we get a glimpse of this event in Daniel 7:13-14

13 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. 14 And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

That was written centuries before the ascension! So the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, comes to the Ancient of Days and is presented before Him. The Son of Man is given dominion and glory and a kingdom. Jesus Himself refers to this passage talking about His ascension in Mark 14:61-62

61 But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” 62 And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

Later, after His resurrection, Jesus said to Mary in John 20:17

17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ”

We also know that Christ has been given all authority in heaven and on earth, and He is now

20 … seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church,

So, this ascension is the triumph of Christ’s entry into Heaven and Jesus enters on a cloud. Now… why a cloud? Well, a cloud like this is very clearly tied to God’s very presence being manifested. Think of the Pillar of cloud by day as the Lord led Israel through the desert. Consider the Shekinah glory that filled the tabernacle in Exodus 40. Again, think of God’s very presence when He came down on Solomon’s Temple. The Psalmist even writes this in reference to God Almighty

3 He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters; he makes the clouds his chariot; he rides on the wings of the wind;

So this isn’t theatrical symbolism, this is a sign that God’s full presence is there and Christ is entering into the very presence and glory of God. It is God that rides on the clouds and He will return with the clouds.

This event does not teach us that Christ is absent, but is evidence of His authority to rule and reign from Heaven’s throne. Sinclair Ferguson said, “The ascension is not Christ’s absence from the world but His universal presence as Lord.”

Think of it not as retirement, but and I want to be careful so think of this as an illustration please. Okay? When a manager gets promoted, He doesn’t lose authority. He gains it. You might not see Him. But He’s still there with greater control. In a similar way, the King leaving us to take the throne is not a loss, but His enthronement tells you and I that He is ruling and reigning right now.

He is the ascended Lord that rules from on high with complete authority and perfect sovereignty. This leads us to point 2 and this gives us tremendous confidence:

THE ASCENSION REORIENTS THE CHURCH

10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven?

That word "gazing" is important. It’s where we get our word ophthalmologist. It's not a quick, casual glance. This is the word for intense, fixed, locked-in staring. It’s the kind of focused attention you'd give to something you couldn't believe you were seeing. And honestly, who could blame them? They just watched their Rabbi, their Master, their risen Lord get swept up into the glory cloud of heaven. Of course they're staring.

But notice what happens. Two men appear and they are angels, radiantly clothed in white. And rather than comforting the disciples in their amazement, they gently but firmly redirect them. "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven?" This is a rebuke. A mild one, but a rebuke nonetheless.

And it's worth thinking on that for a moment, because the disciples weren't doing anything obviously wrong. They weren't sinning. They were in awe at the most extraordinary thing they had ever seen. But the angel’s point is that awe that produces paralysis is not obedience. You can be genuinely amazed by what Christ has done and still be disobedient to what Christ has commanded. The two are not mutually exclusive.

I coached Josiah's soccer team last year. And there were kids on that team who would just stop in the middle of a game and stare off into the distance. Ball rolling right past them. Players moving all around them. And I'd have to call their name, sometimes several times in the game, before they'd snap out of it and realize they were supposed to be moving. Standing and staring is not what good players do. And it's not what faithful disciples do either.

The disciples had their instructions. Jesus had just given them in verse 8, "You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." The mission wasn't unclear. What they needed now was not more information. They needed to move.

Now, their specific next step was to return to Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Spirit. And we might be tempted to hear the word "wait" and think that means passive. It doesn't. Look at what they actually did while they waited: they gathered together, they devoted themselves to prayer, they searched the Scriptures, they appointed leadership. Active waiting is still activity. Obedient waiting is still obedience.

But here's what I want you to feel the weight of, because this isn't just a lesson about eleven men standing on a hillside two thousand years ago. We do this too.

We can become so focused on what Christ has already done that we become frozen. We can spend so much time marveling at the resurrection, celebrating the ascension, debating the return which are all good things, but we forget we have a mission to be about right now. Thinking on what Christ has done is not wrong. But it becomes wrong when it replaces obedience to what Christ has commanded.

So let me ask you directly. What has Christ specifically commanded you to do while you wait for His return?

If you are in a community group. Are you actually discipling someone, or just attending? You have neighbors who may never darken the door of this church. Do they know you're a Christian? Do they know why? You have children in your home who are watching how you live every single day. Are you teaching them the fear of the Lord, or are you assuming someone else will?

The ascension reorients the church away from passive wonder and toward active obedience. The King has gone to His throne. His mission is clear. His Spirit is coming. His return is guaranteed. So why are you standing there looking into heaven?

THE ASCENSION GUARANTEES CHRIST’S RETURN

Now… when it comes to the return of Christ there are faithful Christians that understand Jesus’ return very differently. Some believe that He gather’s His church before a time of tribulation. Others see His return and the gathering of His people as one unified event.

The purpose of what the angels say is not to give us a when, because that’s only knowledge that the Father has. It also doesn’t try to answer how many stages it would take place in. It answers something much more important. That Jesus Christ is coming back for us and it will be visible, personal, and unmistakable.

Look, at the end of verse 11

11 …This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

“This Jesus.” The angels are specific for a reason. The One who returns is not a symbol, not a moral teacher, not a vague spiritual presence. He is the crucified, risen, ascended Son of God! The same one who stood in front of those disciples on that hillside. Paul warned about this

3 But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.

Let’s not tolerate lesser Jesus’. Is the Jesus you are trusting right now the true Jesus you will stand before? Make sure you know who He actually is.

We learn that Jesus will come again in the same way. What does that mean? It means the return of Christ will not be hidden. It will be visible. The Bible describes the return of Christ like lightning. It’s visible. It’s sudden. It’s unmistakable! You remember last week when we had those terrible storms roll through? Man the lightning!

In the same way every person on the planet will see the Son of God returning in glory. Matthew 24:27

27 For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Jesus’ return is also a certainty. It is guaranteed to happen! And what the ascension proves is that the return of Christ is real. The same Christ who left in glory will return in full glory. Charles Spurgeon, the great 19th century pastor said, “He who came once in weakness will come again in power.” The late Dr. Sproul said, “The return of Christ is not a possibility, it is a certainty fixed by the decree of God.

One day, none of the things that we consider very important will matter very much. I’m not trying to be negative, but I am saying

19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

What are you investing in that will last for an eternity?

Imagine you received a guaranteed appointment with the President of the United States. He's coming to your home on a fixed date. How would you spend the time between now and his arrival? You wouldn't ignore it. You'd prepare. You'd make sure the way you were living reflected what you actually valued. You'd want something to show for the time between the announcement and the arrival.

Christian, you have a guaranteed appointment with a far greater King. And He has not left you without instructions for how to spend the time. Look back at verse 8

8 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.”

That is your task. That is how you prepare. And it leads us to the final point.

THE KING’S RETURN FUELS OUR MISSION

We live between verse 8 and verse 11. Between the mission and the return. That is where the Christian life happens in the labor, in the ordinary faithfulness, in the in-between.

And Jesus knew His disciples would struggle with this. In fact, just days before His death, He told a parable for the exact same reason the angels spoke in Acts 1. Look at the setup in Luke 19:11 — "they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately." Sound familiar? The disciples in Acts 1 thought the same thing. They asked Jesus about it directly. And in both cases, Jesus' answer is not about correcting the timeline. His answer is about what faithful servants do while they wait.

This parable is not primarily about money. It is about allegiance. It is about what it actually looks like to live as someone who genuinely believes the King is coming back. Let me read it for us.

11 As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. 12 He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. 13 Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’ 14 But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ 15 When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. 16 The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’ 17 And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ 18 And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’ 19 And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ 20 Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ 22 He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ 24 And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ 25 And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’ 26 ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 27 But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.’ ”

These are severe words. And they are meant to be. This isn't a passage about losing salvation. The good servants are genuinely in the King's service and they know it. But there are two kinds of people in this parable and only two. Those whose allegiance to the King produces faithful labor, and those whose relationship to the King is ultimately exposed as no relationship at all.

The wicked servant didn't embezzle the minas. He didn't spend it on himself. He just did nothing with it. He buried it. He waited passively. And when the King returned, he had nothing to show. Let me ask you honestly: How are you doing? Not compared to the person sitting next to you. Compared to what the King has actually given to you.

You have been given the gospel. You have been given the Spirit. You have been given relationships, a community, time, and whatever gifts God has placed in your hands. The King has departed. He is reigning. And He is coming back.

Imagine being a foreman on a job site. The owner has left and will return to inspect the work. A good foreman doesn't sit down and wait. He labors with the return in mind. Every decision he makes is shaped by the knowledge that the owner is coming back and will want to see what was accomplished.

That is the Christian life. Not frantic striving. Not paralyzed waiting. Faithful, steady, purposeful labor for a King who is reigning now and returning soon. The disciples stood on that hillside staring into heaven. The angels redirected them. The Spirit empowered them. And they turned the world upside down.

The same King is still reigning. The same Spirit is still moving. The same mission is still ours. So stop standing still.

Head: God wants you to know that Jesus Christ is not absent, but He is reigning right now as the enthroned King and will return in glory.

Heart: God wants you to believe that your King is sovereign, your future secure, and your labor for Him is never in vain.

Hand: God wants you to stop standing still and start living on mission by faithfully using what He has given you until Jesus Christ returns.