Acts 1:9-11 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.… While they beheld, he was taken up... as ye have seen him go into heaven. The exact aspect of the glories of the Ascension depicted here is not found in any of the accounts of the evangelists. Happy for us that second thoughts were brought to St. Luke, and that we were not left without the beautiful and valuable suggestions that arise from these verses! The resurrection of Jesus Christ stamped the stamp of undeniable royalty upon his brow; round his brow the Ascension flung royalty's own golden crown - a crown of unsurpassed worth and luster and unfadingness. Well may we pause and ponder the brief recital of that marvel of glorification. Let us notice - I. THE ASCENSION ITSELF - what is recorded of it. Nothing whatever is said of it in the Gospel by St. John. In that by St. Matthew the matter leads up to it, and abruptly stops, omitting all description of the great event itself. The language of St. Mark is," So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God." The invisible world was for one moment opened to the inspired vision of St. Mark, it would seem, as afterwards to that of Stephen. And the account of St. Luke in his "former treatise" is, "And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven." There are a detail and an added touch, however, in the passage before us very grateful to read: "When he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And... they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up." In the event itself, its unadorned majesty is the characteristic. In the description, the own dignity of brevity is pronounced. There is reason, as well as sublimity of effect, in both the one and the other of these things. Simplicity and brevity obviate distraction, and attention is fixed on the essentials. So we see again the scene with no bodily eye, it is true; men to the end of time shall see again and again the scene, it is true, with no bodily eye, but with a spiritual distinctness and a vividness that may leave nothing more to be asked for that could, in the nature of things, be given. Jesus does not die away on mortal view, but he soars away from mortal view, while the accents of his voice are still in the ear, "speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God," and repeating the "promise of the Father" in the gift of the Holy Ghost. And for what is seen it is this: he is borne in an unusual direction - upward, clear in the eye of sense, till "a cloud received him;" and beyond that cloud, only clear where the eye of faith pierces, he is seen "received up into heaven, and... on the right hand of God." In this ascension, therefore, notice: 1. The visibleness of it, as compared, for instance, with the departures, whatever they were, of Enoch and of Moses. 2. The deliberateness of it, as compared, for instance, with the departure in blaze and speed of Elijah. So much to the contrary the manner of ascent of Jesus, that in the all-brief description before us there are nevertheless contained as many as four verbal indications of the distinctness of the amazing phenomenon; e.g. "while they beheld... out of their sight... while they looked steadfastly as he went up... in like manner as ye have seen him go. 3. The number of witnesses present to see whatever was to be seen. 4. Not a figment of an earthly trace of Jesus after ascension alleged by foe, not a fancy of it alleged by friend, as compared, for instance, with such things as we read in 1 Kings 18:12; Luke 4:1, and as might have been conceivable. II. THE FASCNATION OF THE SIGHT FOR THE APOSTLES. One thing betrays it and describes it - their rapt upward gaze. Beneath this one thing what wealth of suggestion may lie! It is probable that the apostles were forewarned of the coming ascension of their Master; of his departure, certainly. At all events prophecy (Psalm 24:7-10; Psalm 68:18; Ephesians 4:8), with which it is likely that they were on their own account acquainted, likelier that Jesus had made them acquainted, had advised them that the departure would be of the nature of an ascension. Yet, judging from the analogy of other forewarnings, mercifully vouchsafed but little improved (Luke 24:25-27, 44-46; John 21:4-6), it is conceivable that the moment found them now off their guard, and little prepared for the consummate event. Again, of the exact methods of Christ's departure from his apostles and the women, and others to whom he graciously revealed his presence during the forty days, we are not distinctly informed in each several case. But in some we are told simply that he vanished" out of their sight. Let it be supposed that this was the method of his going in each ease, and we may guide ourselves to the conclusion that at most the apostles imagined that some one of the occasions of their being blessed with the sight and the voice of him would inevitably prove the last. But what a vision this prepared for them! What a transcendent "gift" even of itself! His "speaking" suddenly but quietly ends. And while all eyes are calmly, attentively, lovingly turned upon the grace of his countenance, "he was taken up." And so their eyes also are lifted up, and thoughts and affections. "A cloud" which receives him "out of their sight" arrests their vision, but not their thoughts and affections. They still look "steadfastly toward heaven," and seem lost in wonder and in meditation. What is it they are seeing, or, so far as they retain the power to think, what is it they think they see? What is it they are experiencing while they gaze? 1. This upward gaze was their last earthly beholding of Jesus. One wonders not it was prolonged as much as possible. That last long look, judging from analogies of inferior matter, how was it wreathed all the way up with richest remembrances most vividly revived! Well indeed might it be so now, at all events. How fragrant crowd the flowers of memory, that nevertheless some while seem to mock our grief! They accord so ill, yet are so spontaneous; again seem to feed it, but fail not at length to help sanctify it, when our last earthly look has been taken of the companion we have so well loved and long time so cherished. But now, men's eyes were being robbed of the welcomed beholding of a Friend of matchless power, and matchless wisdom, and matchless loving-kindness! That riveted gaze - who could have wondered had it drunk out forever the light of earthly eyes? 2. This upward gaze was one that found elements of most impressive contrast with much of the apostles' former knowledge of Christ. There is a great difference between the thoroughest persuasion as to the intrinsic quality of some one whom we trust and love, who nevertheless is left lifelong in the cold shade of obscurity, and the cheerful light and satisfaction that make us proud sharers of the public success and the popularity and the manifestation of our idol. This latter portion Jesus had never sought. That he had never done so, nor shown the slightest disposition to do so, had been occasionally subject of remark and of petulance to some of even his faithful adherents. The Disciples of Christ had, as the overwhelming rule, seen his humiliation; and what of his intrinsic, most real glory they had been privileged to see, was nevertheless veiled with the garments of humiliation. They had seen his modest subjection, his calm, obedient observance of what was due to custom and religious rite, as in his baptism. They had seen his great works, his wise words, his holy life, his undeniable innocence, all flouted times without number, and yet no remedy, no fire from heaven, no thunderbolt, no conspicuous avenger, came to view. Then they had seen the garden struggle, the trial, the Crucifixion. And though they had seen the Transfiguration and the Resurrection, yet up to this present time what became even of these? He seems to take no visible, practical benefit from them. But what their eyes now see opens indeed their eyes! One could imagine that volumes of mist, dark masses of cloud, roll away; the obscurities and conflicting perplexities of some years "vanish," and count themselves all for nothing. The steps of Jesus are no longer on the level, no longer down to submission more submitting; depression is no longer the rule. He rises! Upward is the word! Glory and the realms of air and light are his, and his mode of entrance upon these, in its very uniqueness, awakens fresh impulses of unfeigned adoration. It is an illustration of how those who wait - wait even unto the end - shall be "satisfied. 3. This upward gaze was a silent giving of themselves away at last. It made a willing weaning for them. Now have they done with the things that are seen," and with self; and they have done with doubt and uncertainty; and they have done with the shadows that are felt, in favor of the momentous realities of which faith is henceforth the trusted and sufficient custodian. So it was no unfruitful gaze. It was not a flash, to leave no permanent effect. It left much more behind it than a mere "glory on the soul." It was convincing evidence, irremovable conviction; it was the kindling of genuine adoration, and a perennial spring of devotion. III. AN APPARENTLY UNCHARITABLE CHALLENGE OF THE ATTITUDE OF THE APOSTLES, AND AN APPARENTLY INCONCLUSIVE REASON FOR IT, ON THE PART OF TWO MEN, "WHO APPEARED IN WHITE APPAREL." The "two men in white apparel" were neither phantoms, creatures of the brain, nor specters, creatures of the air and heavens. The expression, no doubt, designates angels; it is likely enough such as had once been "men," such as Moses and Elijah, or two "of the prophets." Their interruption, one must imagine, must have been at first unwelcome to the apostles. It seems so at first to ourselves. We would have liked to know what close the apostles would have themselves put to their rapt gazing heavenward, Nor is the necessity or the expediency of the interruption visible upon the surface. Yet we may remark that: 1. We are, as it happens, in ignorance of what might have been the effect upon the spectators of the glorious scene of the Ascension, but for this interruption - the strickenness of a trance, for instance. 2. Intently excited states of mind often answer to the corrective of the mere sound of the human voice, calmly addressed to them. Marvelous instances of this fact are furnished in the history of mental disease. 3. Genuinely exalted feeling may "exalt above measure" (2 Corinthians 12:7), and may need a prompt simple treatment, to obviate the necessity of future much more painful treatment. The simple treatment now was interruption, but with the comforting assurance that the separation was not absolute and forever, but distinctly the contrary. 4. Very vivid experiences of joy, of grief, or of an intricately mingled character, while on the one hand very prone to absorb undue attention for the present, are at the same time the very soil that abundantly rewards the introduction of the seeds of great aspects of the future. Nor could there easily be found a more certain example of this than in what is now before us. It was of first-rate importance that in the heart and mind of the first teachers and preachers of Christianity the second coming of Christ should be closely linked with his ascension. The Christian individual and the Christian Church may never linger too long in the past. It is a silent, wonderful testimony to the vitality of Christ's truth, and its spirit of progress, wide as the world and lasting as the world, that a tremendous future career and consummation are ever marked for prominence. Side by side with the Ascension must the second descent of Christ be kept. Therefore side by side were these great facts (so to say) sown, in the apostolic heart. Further, that the descending Christ would be the same - i.e, one of glorified human body, as the cloud bore him a minute or two ago out of human sight - was a fact to be deeply impressed upon the Church of all time. And therefore, ab initio, it is so impressed on the apostolic heart, while nothing has yet occurred to efface from them the conviction of the real body of Jesus. The words of the "two men in white apparel" are the words of studied precision and emphasis. "This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." We can be left in no doubt that the interruption was neither reckless nor heartless. It was not to spoil the infinite serenity, infinite solemnity, infinite charm of moments, that with the eye raised heart and soul to heaven. Momentous doctrinal truth was to be safely sealed and impressed upon the Church's mind. And the choicest of Heaven's seasons must be ungrudgingly given and unchurlishly accepted - a tribute to the importance of that truth; a token, also, of another noteworthy thing, that the Church was infinitely dear to the heart of her Lord at all time; nor that even the purest joy of a few first apostles shall be permitted to stand in the light of the whole Church. In this case there is not the atom of a reason to think those apostles would have asked it. They breathe no murmur that their delicious reverie was disturbed. 5. Last of all, under any circumstances, heavenward gaze, contemplation, seraphic vision, must be exchanged a while for earth's duty. That word is sacred, that call is sovereign. We must come down from the mount, whether it be the Mount of Beatitudes, or of Transfiguration, or of Olivet. Prayer, praise, and those acts of meditation and devotion that may be of sublimest significance, are the aliment of Christian life. It is in "the strength of such meat" that we must live the present life, and do the work of the present days, and teach the "truth as it is in Jesus," by living, humble example as well as by word. And we must ourselves "wait for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ," "comforting and edifying one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11) with the words of the "two men in white apparel." - B. Parallel Verses KJV: And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. |
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