Why are you standing there?

Forty days after the Resurrection, the disciples still don’t get it. Which is something I like about the disciples; they love Jesus and are trying to follow Him, but what He’s saying is so radical, it always takes them awhile to figure out what’s going on. Here they have witnessed Him defeat death and listened to Him preach about the coming kingdom of God and baptism of the Holy Spirit.

They ask for clarification: “Are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). His response is not just no but that that isn’t even the right question. First, this is not about political rule. He is not overthrowing the occupying government and restoring a kingdom like they wanted. Second, stop speculating about specific timing and plans. Instead, Jesus tells them, the Holy Spirit is coming, and you have work to do, to spread the Gospel throughout the world.

They are asking if He’s going to do something, and His response is, “you are.”

After this exchange, Jesus ascends to heaven. The event is a single verse in the Bible. I can’t imagine the disciples’ amazement and confusion witnessing this. Wouldn’t you be frozen, watching Him for as long as you can, trying to wrap your head around it all?

Two angels appear beside the disciples. They say, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven” (Acts 1:11). The angels are reminding them, you have work to do.

The Ascension is a lofty scene. Jesus in glory defying physics and leaving this plane for heaven. It’s easy to get caught up in the celestial, but this story is grounded in the here. We have to let Jesus physically go so that the Holy Spirit can come. I’m sure the disciples never wanted that time with Him following the Resurrection to end. But it had to.

The disciples were left with both clear and vague instructions. They were not told exactly when the Holy Spirit would come and the mission would start. They were not told exactly how to get to the ends of the earth to spread the Gospel, how to reach differing cultures and languages, how to deal with logistical and political challenges. They weren’t told to create a Church or overthrow Rome or rebuild the Temple. But they were told to go and do. Be active. Do not stay and hide and contemplate. Let the mystical moments translate into sharing with others.

And for the next ten days, the disciples stayed indoors and prayed. That’s not a contradiction to the directions Jesus gave them. They knew this was not the same staying inside hiding from authorities like right after the Resurrection. This was preparation. When the Holy Spirit would arrive 10 days later, they would be ready. They would confident and bold in the mission. No longer standing there, going out and making disciples. No longer looking up, looking out.