While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them. They said, "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: 10-11
Luke pictures the disciples straining upward to see the distant speck that by now has soared out of sight.
Back when we began these Easter Season meditations, the women came to the empty tomb and saw “two men in white robes” who explained what had taken place in the resurrection.
Now Luke brings these two back again to explain what has taken place in the Ascension. They begin with a question which implies, “You’ve got things to do…more than just standing here watching.” Christ’s words just a few verses earlier echo in our ears: “You will be witnesses to me.”
The angels them explain two things to them:
(1) Jesus “has been taken up from you.” From now on, he will be seen no more in visible form, but will lead them through his Spirit.
(2) Jesus will come back in the same way you saw him go.” i.e. visibly. We don’t know the time of his visible return, but we do know that he will manifest himself again.
St. Paul said, “We walk by faith, not my sight.” What a difference it makes to believe all this!
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