Acts 1:6-11
By Rev. John Tucker
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.” (Acts 1:6-11)
In Acts 1:11 Jesus prepares his disciples to reach the world with the Gospel. He has taught his church for 40 days about the kingdom of God. He expands our vision for a worldwide kingdom that will be completed when he returns. He promises the coming of the Holy Spirit to accomplish this great task. He gave this Great Commission and ascended up into heaven where he is crowned king and his claim to glory validated. These verses are a part of what we commonly call the Great Commission but sadly the Great Commission has become the great omission. Jesus tells us how to regain the vision of the Great Commission.
1. We need the worldwide vision of Jesus (v. 6). The Apostles were concerned about the coming of the Kingdom that would be local and restricted to Israel. Jesus’ vision was for the gospel was to reach every nation of the world. We omit the Great Commission when our vision is too small. The Great Commission is about an enlarged vision for the great throng of people worshipping in Rev. 4:9-10 from every tribe, language and people.
2. We need the eschatological vision of Jesus (v. 7 & 11). The Apostles, like people today were more concerned about date setting and wanted to know when he would return. Jesus does not satisfy inquiring minds but gets us back to the vision of the Second Coming, which is the spread of the gospel. The Kingdom of God is a present reality and will one day be consummated and time will come to an end. We look forward to that glorious day. Until then we are motivated to reach people with the gospel by love for God and lost people.
3. We need a Holy Spirit centered vision of Jesus (v. 8). He promises us power through the Holy Spirit to be his witnesses. While every Christian is not called to be an evangelist like the great D.L. Moody or Billy Graham, we are all called to be witnesses, beginning in our own community and extending to the entire world. Billy Graham may preach the gospel better than many of us, but he does not preach a better gospel.
4. We need the vision of victory (v. 9-11). The ascension of Christ is something we profess in the Apostles Creed but neglect in practice. The crowning of Christ as King in Rev. 4-5 is the affirmation and acknowledgement of Christ’s resurrection from the death.
The Great Commission is my commission and your commission. We are at a crisis point in the world when it has never been darker, or more hopeless morally and spiritually. If we are coming to impact our world it has to be with the gospel. Do you need to expand your vision for the gospel to be as big as Jesus’?
By Rev. John Tucker
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.” (Acts 1:6-11)
In Acts 1:11 Jesus prepares his disciples to reach the world with the Gospel. He has taught his church for 40 days about the kingdom of God. He expands our vision for a worldwide kingdom that will be completed when he returns. He promises the coming of the Holy Spirit to accomplish this great task. He gave this Great Commission and ascended up into heaven where he is crowned king and his claim to glory validated. These verses are a part of what we commonly call the Great Commission but sadly the Great Commission has become the great omission. Jesus tells us how to regain the vision of the Great Commission.
1. We need the worldwide vision of Jesus (v. 6). The Apostles were concerned about the coming of the Kingdom that would be local and restricted to Israel. Jesus’ vision was for the gospel was to reach every nation of the world. We omit the Great Commission when our vision is too small. The Great Commission is about an enlarged vision for the great throng of people worshipping in Rev. 4:9-10 from every tribe, language and people.
2. We need the eschatological vision of Jesus (v. 7 & 11). The Apostles, like people today were more concerned about date setting and wanted to know when he would return. Jesus does not satisfy inquiring minds but gets us back to the vision of the Second Coming, which is the spread of the gospel. The Kingdom of God is a present reality and will one day be consummated and time will come to an end. We look forward to that glorious day. Until then we are motivated to reach people with the gospel by love for God and lost people.
3. We need a Holy Spirit centered vision of Jesus (v. 8). He promises us power through the Holy Spirit to be his witnesses. While every Christian is not called to be an evangelist like the great D.L. Moody or Billy Graham, we are all called to be witnesses, beginning in our own community and extending to the entire world. Billy Graham may preach the gospel better than many of us, but he does not preach a better gospel.
4. We need the vision of victory (v. 9-11). The ascension of Christ is something we profess in the Apostles Creed but neglect in practice. The crowning of Christ as King in Rev. 4-5 is the affirmation and acknowledgement of Christ’s resurrection from the death.
The Great Commission is my commission and your commission. We are at a crisis point in the world when it has never been darker, or more hopeless morally and spiritually. If we are coming to impact our world it has to be with the gospel. Do you need to expand your vision for the gospel to be as big as Jesus’?
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