The Ascension — TDW Kids

Words He had spoken. “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you” (24:44). Jesus had told His friends many times what would happen to Him. Now He reminded them. All things. He said “that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me” (24:44). These were the books of the Bible His friends already had. We call them the Old Testament. About Me. Every part of those books pointed to Jesus. Long before He was born, Isaiah wrote, “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:5). He opened their understanding. “And He opened their understanding” (24:45). Jesus did more than explain the words. He helped their minds and hearts take in what the Scriptures said. It was necessary. “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day” (24:46). The cross was not an accident. It was God's plan to save us. Before and after. Before the cross, His friends had not understood these things. Now they could see that what was written about His suffering and rising had come true. One big story. The Bible has many books, many writers and many stories. But it tells one big story, and Jesus is at the center of it. What this means for you. When you read the Bible, look for Jesus. Ask Him to open your understanding too. He loves to help His friends know Him through His Word.

While I was still with you. “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you” (24:44). Jesus speaks as One whose time with them is ending. He had told them again and again that He would suffer and rise. The whole Old Testament. “All things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me” (24:44). The Law, the Prophets and the Psalms take in the whole of the Scriptures His friends had. Jesus said all these Scriptures wrote about Him. Must. These things “must be fulfilled.” God does not make promises and hope they come true. What He says will happen. Dianoigo. “And He opened their understanding” (24:45). The word for opened is dianoigo (say: dee-ah-NOY-goh), to open up completely. At Emmaus, “their eyes were opened and they knew Him” (24:31). Now Jesus opened their minds to the Scriptures. Necessary. “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day” (24:46). The Christ, the Anointed One God promised, had to suffer. There was no other way to deal with our sin. Written long before. Isaiah wrote, “And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). Hundreds of years before the cross, God said His Servant would carry our sin. Only He can open it. The disciples had heard Jesus teach many times, yet they still needed Him to open their minds. Knowing the Bible's words is good. Knowing the Lord the words are about is the goal. For you. Read the Old Testament looking for Jesus. Before you open your Bible, ask the One who opened their understanding to open yours.

Jesus said the whole Bible was about Him. Moses wrote about Him long ago. The prophets wrote about Him too. Even the Psalms sang about Him. Isaiah wrote that the Savior would be hurt for our sins. Jesus said all of it had to come true. What it said about His dying and rising came true. Jesus died, and on the third day He rose. But His friends still did not understand it all. So Jesus opened their minds. He helped them understand God’s Word. Jesus can help you understand the Bible too. Ask Him to help you when you read it.

Jesus opened His friends’ minds to understand God’s Word. The whole Bible tells about Jesus. You can learn about Him too!

A message to preach. Jesus said “that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (24:47). Repentance. To repent means to turn from your sin to God. It is more than feeling sorry. It is a change of heart that turns you around. Remission of sins. Remission means that sins are forgiven and sent away. God no longer holds them against the person who trusts Jesus. In His name. Forgiveness is offered in Jesus' name, because He is the One who died for sins. Peter later said, “Nor is there salvation in any other” (Acts 4:12). To all nations. This message is not only for one country or one kind of people. It is for every nation, and that includes you. Beginning at Jerusalem. Crowds in Jerusalem had shouted against Jesus. Yet that is where the good news would start. Jesus' mercy reached the very people who had turned Him away. Witnesses. “And you are witnesses of these things” (24:48). A witness tells what he has seen and heard. The disciples had seen Jesus die, and they had seen Him alive. What this means for you. The good news reached you because those witnesses told it. Turn from your sin and trust Jesus. Then you can tell others what He has done.

The message. “And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (24:47). Verse 46 tells what the Christ did. Verse 47 tells what must be preached because He did it. Repentance. Repentance is a change of mind that turns a person from sin to God. It does not earn forgiveness. It turns around to receive it. Remission. Remission of sins means forgiveness. God sends the sin away and no longer holds it against the one who trusts His Son. In His name. Forgiveness is offered on the authority of Jesus and because of His death. “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Beginning at Jerusalem. The city that rejected Jesus would be the first to hear that He forgives. No one is too far away to be offered mercy. Martys. “And you are witnesses of these things” (24:48). The word is martys (say: MAR-toos), a person who tells what he has seen, as in a court. These men had walked with Jesus, watched Him die and seen Him risen. A costly word. Later the English word martyr came from this Greek word, because so many witnesses were willing to die rather than deny Jesus. For you. You were not there, but the message has reached you through their testimony. Turn to God, receive His forgiveness in Jesus' name, and tell others what you know.

Jesus gave His followers a message to tell. People must change their hearts and lives. That means turning away from sin and turning to God. Then God forgives their sins. This message is told in Jesus’ name. Only Jesus can take sins away. The message was for people in every nation. It would start in Jerusalem. Many people in Jerusalem had turned against Jesus. Yet Jesus wanted them to hear the good news first. His friends were witnesses. They had seen Jesus die, and they had seen Him alive again. You can tell others what Jesus has done for you.

Jesus’ friends would tell everyone about Him. Jesus forgives sins! You can tell others about Jesus too.

The Promise of My Father. “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you” (24:49). The Father had promised a gift, and Jesus Himself would send it. Tarry. “But tarry in the city of Jerusalem” (24:49). To tarry means to stay and wait. Jesus did not send them out right away. First they had to wait. Power from on high. They were to wait “until you are endued with power from on high” (24:49). On high means from heaven. The job Jesus gave them was too big for their own strength. Why wait? Not long before, Peter had been brave with his words and then afraid in a courtyard. These men needed more than good plans. They needed God's power. The promise kept. Not many days later, on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came, just as Jesus said (Acts 2:1-4). Waiting is obeying. Waiting can be hard. But when Jesus says wait, waiting is the way to obey Him. What this means for you. You cannot live for Jesus in your own strength either. Everyone who trusts Jesus has the Holy Spirit living in them. Ask God each day for His help, and do what Jesus says, even when He says wait.

Behold. “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you” (24:49). The risen Jesus speaks with His Father's authority: the Father promised, and the Son sends. Tarry. “But tarry in the city of Jerusalem” (24:49). The men who would carry the message to all nations had to begin by staying where they were. Enduo. They were to wait “until you are endued with power from on high.” The word endued is enduo (say: en-DOO-oh), to put on, the word used for putting on clothes. God's power would come on them like a garment. Not their own strength. These were the men who had run away in the garden: “Then they all forsook Him and fled” (Mark 14:50). Courage they made up for themselves had failed. Power from on high would not fail. Kept. Not many days later the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). For you. The same Spirit lives in every believer today and gives power to live for Jesus and tell others about Him. Waiting on God is not wasted time. It is trusting Him to do what only He can do.

Jesus told His friends to wait in Jerusalem. His Father had made them a promise. Jesus would send what the Father promised. It was power from heaven. Jesus’ friends had a big job to do. They could not do it in their own strength. They needed God’s power. So they obeyed Jesus and waited. Soon the promise came, just as Jesus said. God sent the Holy Spirit to them. Today the Holy Spirit lives in everyone who trusts Jesus. He helps you live for Jesus. When Jesus says wait, you can trust Him.

Jesus promised to send power from heaven. His friends waited in Jerusalem. God helps you live for Jesus too!

Out to Bethany. “And He led them out as far as Bethany” (24:50). Bethany was a village near Jerusalem. Acts says they came back from the mount called Olivet (Acts 1:12). Lifted hands. “He lifted up His hands and blessed them” (24:50). To bless is to ask God's good on someone. These were the hands that had been nailed to the cross. While He blessed them. “Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven” (24:51). Jesus left His friends with a blessing. Carried up. Jesus did not die again or fade away. He went up, alive, in His risen body, into heaven. Acts tells us that “while they watched, He was taken up” (Acts 1:9). They worshiped Him. “And they worshiped Him” (24:52). Only God is to be worshiped, and Jesus received their worship. He is God the Son. Great joy. They “returned to Jerusalem with great joy” (24:52). They had good reasons for joy. Jesus was alive forever, He had blessed them, and His promise was on its way. Praising God. They “were continually in the temple praising and blessing God” (24:53). Jesus had blessed them, and now they blessed God. What this means for you. Jesus is in heaven now, alive and loving you. You can worship Him with joy today, and one day He will come back.

As far as Bethany. “And He led them out as far as Bethany” (24:50). Bethany was “the town of Mary and her sister Martha” (John 11:1), near Jerusalem. Acts says they returned “from the mount called Olivet” (Acts 1:12). Lifted hands. “He lifted up His hands and blessed them” (24:50). The last thing the disciples saw Jesus do on earth was bless them. He left them with His blessing. Anaphero. “Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven” (24:51). Carried up is anaphero (say: an-ah-FEH-roh), to carry or bring up. Jesus did not slip away or fade out. He was taken up, bodily, into heaven. Worship. “And they worshiped Him” (24:52). Jesus taught that worship belongs to God alone (Luke 4:8). He received their worship because He is God the Son. Sorrow, then joy. On the night before the cross, Jesus told them He was going away, and He said, “sorrow has filled your heart” (John 16:6). Now He had gone, and they “returned to Jerusalem with great joy” (24:52). Continually. They “were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen” (24:53). Jesus blessed them, and they blessed God. Not finished. Jesus' last act on earth was blessing His people, and His love for them did not stop when He went up. Acts adds that He will come again in the same way He went (Acts 1:11). For you. Worship Jesus as your Lord and God. Let your joy rest on what is true: He died for you, He rose, and He lives forever.

Jesus led His friends out near Bethany. He raised His hands and blessed them. To bless someone is to ask God to do good to them. The last thing Jesus did on earth was to bless them. While He was blessing them, He was carried into heaven. Jesus did not die again. He went up alive into heaven! His friends worshiped Him. Only God should be worshiped, and Jesus is God the Son. Then they went back to the city with great joy. Jesus is in heaven now, and He still loves you. One day He will come back!

Jesus blessed His friends and went up to heaven. They worshiped Him with joy. Jesus is with God in heaven now.