20
The Acts of the Apostles
forces of darkness, and the followers of Christ could battle for the right
only through the help that God, by His Spirit, would give them.
Christ told His disciples that they were to begin their work at
Jerusalem. That city had been the scene of His amazing sacrifice for
the human race. There, clad in the garb of humanity, He had walked
and talked with men, and few had discerned how near heaven came
to earth. There He had been condemned and crucified. In Jerusalem
were many who secretly believed Jesus of Nazareth to be the Messiah,
and many who had been deceived by priests and rulers. To these the
gospel must be proclaimed. They were to be called to repentance. The
wonderful truth that through Christ alone could remission of sins be
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obtained, was to be made plain. And it was while all Jerusalem was
stirred by the thrilling events of the past few weeks, that the preaching
of the disciples would make the deepest impression.
During His ministry, Jesus had kept constantly before the disciples
the fact that they were to be one with Him in His work for the recovery
of the world from the slavery of sin. When He sent forth the Twelve
and afterward the Seventy, to proclaim the kingdom of God, He was
teaching them their duty to impart to others what He had made known
to them. In all His work He was training them for individual labor, to
be extended as their numbers increased, and eventually to reach to the
uttermost parts of the earth. The last lesson He gave His followers was
that they held in trust for the world the glad tidings of salvation.
When the time came for Christ to ascend to His Father, He led the
disciples out as far as Bethany. Here He paused, and they gathered
about Him. With hands outstretched in blessing, as if in assurance of
His protecting care, He slowly ascended from among them. “It came
to pass, while He blessed them, He was parted from them, and carried
up into heaven.”
Luke 24:51
.
While the disciples were gazing upward to catch the last glimpse
of their ascending Lord, He was received into the rejoicing ranks of
heavenly angels. As these angels escorted Him to the courts above,
they sang in triumph, “Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth; O
sing praises unto the Lord, to Him that rideth upon the heavens of
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heavens.... Ascribe ye strength unto God: His excellency is over Israel,
and His strength is in the heavens.”
Psalm 68:32-34
, margin.
The disciples were still looking earnestly toward heaven when,
“behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye