The Ascension
For forty days after the resurrection Jesus appears to the disciples and speaks about the kingdom of God. Their last question is the one they have been asking all along — are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel? — and the answer redirects rather than corrects: the times are not theirs to know, but they will receive power and be witnesses to the ends of the earth.
He is taken up and a cloud hides him. Two men in white ask the disciples why they are standing looking into the sky.
They return to Jerusalem, to an upper room, and wait — about a hundred and twenty of them, including the women and Jesus' mother and brothers. Their one item of business is replacing Judas; Matthias is chosen by lot, the last time in the New Testament that this method is used.
Where in scripture
[50] He led them out as far as Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. [51] While he blessed them, he withdrew from them, and was carried up into heaven. [52] They worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, [53] and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.
Luke 24:50–53
[1] The first book I wrote, Theophilus, concerned all that Jesus began both to do and to teach, [2] until the day in which he was received up, after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. [3] To these he also showed himself alive after he suffered, by many proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days, and speaking about God’s Kingdom. [4] Being assembled together with them, he commanded them, “Don’t depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which you heard from me. [5] For John indeed baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” [6] Therefore when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you now restoring the kingdom to Israel?” …
Acts 1:1–11 — opening verses
[12] Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. [13] When they had come in, they went up into the upper room, where they were staying; that is Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. [14] All these with one accord continued steadfastly in prayer and supplication, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. [15] In these days, Peter stood up in the middle of the disciples (and the number of names was about one hundred twenty), and said, …
Acts 1:12–26 — opening verses
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, a public-domain translation.
