He Shall Return

A Gospel Reflection on Acts 1:6–14

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 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.” 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. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 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.”Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

The opening chapter of Acts records one of the most glorious moments in redemptive history: the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ into heaven. After His resurrection, Christ stood with His disciples upon the Mount of Olives and declared the coming power of the Holy Spirit and the worldwide mission of the church. Then, as they watched, He was taken up into glory.

Acts 1 reminds believers that the Christian faith rests upon historical truth. Jesus Christ truly came in the flesh, truly died for sinners, truly rose again, truly ascended bodily into heaven, and shall truly return in glory.

When the disciples asked about the timing of the kingdom, Christ directed their attention away from speculation and toward faithful obedience. The times and seasons belong to the sovereign authority of God. The church is instead called to Spirit-empowered witness as we proclaim the gospel of the crucified and risen Savior to the ends of the earth.

The angels delivered a powerful promise to the disciples as they stood gazing upward:
“This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”

The return of Christ is not symbolic or merely spiritual. Scripture teaches the visible, bodily, glorious return of the Lord Jesus Christ. The same Savior who ascended shall come again to judge the living and the dead.

For believers, this truth is a source of deep comfort and joyful hope. Christ reigns now at the right hand of the Father, interceding for His people and building His church. One day He shall return in power and glory, and every knee shall bow before Him.

Until that day, the church is called to faithful worship, united prayer, gospel witness, and steadfast hope.

“Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
Revelation 22:20

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At the heart of Redeemer’s ministry is the pastoral leadership of Jason K. Boothe, who serves as pastor of Redeemer Church in Piketon, Ohio. Known for his warm, Gospel-centered preaching and careful exposition of Scripture, Pastor Boothe consistently points listeners to the finished work of Jesus Christ as the foundation of the Christian life. His ministry emphasizes the sufficiency of Christ, the comfort of God’s promises, and the assurance believers have through faith alone. Through preaching, teaching, and pastoral care, he seeks to help ordinary people see the extraordinary grace of God at work in His Word and in their daily lives.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.