Lifted to Heaven

October 31

(Luke 24:50-51 NIV) “When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. {51} While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.”

(Acts 1:9-11 NIV) ““After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. {10} They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. {11} "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.””

(Mark 16:19-20 NIV) “After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. {20} Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.”

The earthly ministry of Jesus didn’t end with His death on the cross. After His resurrection, Jesus walked among His people for some forty days before His ascension into heaven. Scripture says, He was “taken up”. When people ask where heaven is, the scriptural answer is “up”. No one knows how far up heaven is, but from an earthly perspective we know that it’s not down. Jesus was taken up and eventually disappeared into the clouds. Scripture also notes that He was “taken”. Even though Christ could walk through walls after His resurrection, Scripture says He was “taken up”. This implies that He didn’t go home on His own power. God the Father chose the dates for Christ’s birth and death, and He chose the date that Jesus would be “taken up”. God provided the power for the resurrection and the ascension. He still does. Have you trusted in God’s power? It’s the only way to fly. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day