Acts 1:11 Study Bible: who also said, "You men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who was received up from you into the sky will come back in the same way as you saw him going into the sky."

◄ Acts 1:11 ►

"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."

Study Bible

Men of Galilee
This phrase addresses the disciples, emphasizing their origin from Galilee, a region in northern Israel. Galilee was often seen as less sophisticated compared to Judea, yet it was the fertile ground for Jesus' ministry. The term "Men of Galilee" highlights the humble beginnings of the apostles, underscoring the theme that God often chooses the lowly and unexpected to fulfill His purposes. This is a reminder of the transformative power of Christ, who calls ordinary people to extraordinary missions.

why do you stand here looking into the sky?
This rhetorical question challenges the disciples' passive stance. The Greek word for "looking" (βλέποντες, blepontes) implies a prolonged gaze, suggesting that the disciples were perhaps caught in awe or confusion. The question serves as a gentle rebuke, urging them to shift from contemplation to action. It reflects a broader biblical theme: faith is not just about witnessing divine acts but also about responding to them with obedience and mission.

This same Jesus
The phrase "This same Jesus" emphasizes the continuity of Jesus' identity and mission. The Greek word for "same" (οὗτος, houtos) underscores that the Jesus who ascended is the same one who walked with them, taught them, and was crucified and resurrected. This continuity assures the disciples—and all believers—of the unchanging nature of Christ. It is a powerful reminder that the Jesus who intercedes for us in heaven is the same compassionate Savior who walked the earth.

who has been taken from you into heaven
This part of the verse describes the ascension, a pivotal event in Christian theology. The Greek word for "taken" (ἀναλημφθείς, analemphtheis) conveys the idea of being lifted up or exalted. The ascension signifies Jesus' return to the Father and His exaltation as Lord over all. Historically, this event marks the transition from Jesus' earthly ministry to His heavenly reign, where He intercedes for believers and prepares a place for them.

will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven
This promise of Jesus' return is central to Christian eschatology. The phrase "in the same way" (ὃν τρόπον, hon tropon) assures believers that Jesus' second coming will be as real and visible as His ascension. This promise provides hope and motivation for believers to live faithfully, knowing that Christ will return to establish His kingdom fully. It ties into the broader biblical narrative of redemption and restoration, where God will make all things new.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Men of Galilee
Refers to the disciples of Jesus who were from the region of Galilee. They were witnesses to Jesus' ascension.

2. Angels
Two men dressed in white, often interpreted as angels, who appeared to the disciples to deliver a message of hope and future promise.

3. Jesus
The central figure of Christianity, who had just ascended into heaven after His resurrection.

4. Ascension
The event where Jesus was taken up into heaven, marking the end of His earthly ministry and the beginning of His heavenly reign.

5. Heaven
The realm where God resides, and where Jesus ascended to, promising His return.

Teaching Points

Hope in the Return of Christ
The promise of Jesus' return provides hope and assurance for believers, encouraging them to live with an eternal perspective.

Witnessing and Mission
Just as the disciples were called to be witnesses, believers today are called to share the gospel, empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Heavenly Focus
While the disciples were looking up, the angels redirected their focus to the mission at hand. Believers are encouraged to balance their anticipation of Christ's return with active engagement in His work on earth.

Faithfulness in Waiting
The certainty of Jesus' return calls for faithfulness and readiness, living in a way that honors Him until He comes again.

Bible Study Questions

1. How does the promise of Jesus' return in Acts 1:11 influence your daily life and priorities?

2. In what ways can you actively participate in the mission of being a witness for Christ, as the disciples were called to do?

3. How can you maintain a balance between eagerly anticipating Christ's return and being fully engaged in the present work of His kingdom?

4. What are some practical steps you can take to ensure you are living faithfully as you wait for Jesus' return?

5. How do the additional scriptures connected to Acts 1:11 deepen your understanding of the promise of Jesus' return and its implications for believers?

Connections to Other Scriptures

Matthew 24:30-31
This passage describes the return of Jesus with power and great glory, connecting to the promise of His return in Acts 1:11.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
Paul speaks of the Lord's return, where believers will meet Him in the air, echoing the promise of Jesus' return in the same manner as His ascension.

Revelation 1:7
This verse prophesies that every eye will see Jesus when He returns, reinforcing the visible and glorious nature of His second coming.

Sermons

A True Commencement Must have Respect to What has Gone Before	H. C. Trumbull, D. D.	Acts 1:1-12
Aspects of Christ on the Earth		Acts 1:1-12
Christ Directs Thought to Heaven		Acts 1:1-12
Christ Preceding His Apostles to Heaven	A. Maclaren, D. D	Acts 1:1-12
Christ's Finished and Unfinished Work	A. Maclaren, D. D	Acts 1:1-12
Jesus Lives	J. Stoughton.	Acts 1:1-12
Literary Histories	W. R. Campbell.	Acts 1:1-12
St. Luke a Model for the Bible Student	R. Burgess, B. D.	Acts 1:1-12
Teaching to be Combined with Doing	Gf. Pentecost.	Acts 1:1-12
The Ascending Lord	Monday Club	Acts 1:1-12
The Ascension of Christ	J W. Hamilton.	Acts 1:1-12
The Ascension: its Central Position	Nesselmann.	Acts 1:1-12
The Beginning of Apostolicity (1	J. Parker, D. D.	Acts 1:1-12
The Beginning of Apostolicity (2	J. Parker, D. D.	Acts 1:1-12
The Coronation of Christ	W. B. Campbell.	Acts 1:1-12
The Ever-Active Christ	A. Verran.	Acts 1:1-12
The Gospels and the Acts	W. Arnot, D. D.	Acts 1:1-12
The Gospels the Living Picture of Christ	Little's "Historical Lights."	Acts 1:1-12
The Last Days of the Gospel Period	W. Hudson.	Acts 1:1-12
The Memorabilia of Christ		Acts 1:1-12
The Ministry of Jesus a Beginning	W. Hudson.	Acts 1:1-12
The Permanence of Christ in History	A. Maclaren, D. D	Acts 1:1-12
The Pre-Eminence of the Doctrine of Christ Incarnate	Evangelical Magazine	Acts 1:1-12
The Resurrection and Ascension of Christ	D. Jennings.	Acts 1:1-12
The Unchanged Plan	W. R. Campbell.	Acts 1:1-12
The Uniqueness of Christ's Earthly Ministry	D. Thomas, D. D.	Acts 1:1-12
Theophilus	Bp. Jacobsen.	Acts 1:1-12
The Ascension. Heaven and Earth Visibly United	R.A. Redford	Acts 1:6-11
Heavenward Gazing Recalled to Earthward Watching	P.C. Barker	Acts 1:9-11
The Uplifting of Jesus	E. Johnson	Acts 1:9-11
Christ in Heaven	G. H. James.	Acts 1:9-12
Christ's Way to Heaven Unclosed	J. Alexander, D. D.	Acts 1:9-12
Comfort in a Cloud		Acts 1:9-12
Taken Up	W. Johnson.	Acts 1:9-12
Taken Up	W. M. Punshon, LL. D.	Acts 1:9-12
The Angels Watching Jesus	Christian Age	Acts 1:9-12
The Apostles' Last Sight of Jesus	W. Hudson.	Acts 1:9-12
The Ascension	H. C. G. Moule, M. A.	Acts 1:9-12
The Ascension	S. S. Times	Acts 1:9-12
The Ascension	Dean Vaughan.	Acts 1:9-12
The Ascension	Abp. Tillotson.	Acts 1:9-12
The Ascension	Thomas Jones.	Acts 1:9-12
The Ascension	H. Allon, D. D.	Acts 1:9-12
The Ascension	D. Moore, M. A.	Acts 1:9-12
The Ascension	C. S. Robinson, D. D.	Acts 1:9-12
The Ascension and the Second Advent Practically Considered	C. H. Spurgeon.	Acts 1:9-12
The Ascension Cloud	Dean Vaughan.	Acts 1:9-12
The Ascension of Christ and its Lessons	G. T. Stokes, D. D.	Acts 1:9-12
The Ascension of Christ and of Elijah	J. Baumgarten.	Acts 1:9-12
The Ascension: its Diffusive Benefits	Dean Goulburn.	Acts 1:9-12
The Ascension: its Lessons	Archdeacon Farrar.	Acts 1:9-12
The Ascension: its Moral Uses	W. Denton, M. A.	Acts 1:9-12
The Ascension: its Purposes	J. De Witt, D. D.	Acts 1:9-12
The Ascension: the Saviour's Gifts	T. Goodwin, D. D.	Acts 1:9-12
The Intervening Cloud		Acts 1:9-12
The Trail of the Ascending Saviour	F. B. Meyer.	Acts 1:9-12
Wisdom in Bereavement	S. Conway	Acts 1:9-14
Christ's Coming	J. Ker, D. D.	Acts 1:10-11
Christ's Coming Again	R. Tuck	Acts 1:10, 11
Christ's Second Coming		Acts 1:10-11
Gazing into Heaven	C. S. Robinson, D. D.	Acts 1:10-11
Go About Your Business	Christian Herald	Acts 1:10-11
Idle Emotion Useless	A. Maclaren, D. D	Acts 1:10-11
Indolence		Acts 1:10-11
Looking After it is Useless	A. Maclaren, D. D	Acts 1:10-11
The Angels' Message	R.A. Redford	Acts 1:10, 11
The Disciples At the Ascension	J. Parker, D. D.	Acts 1:10-11
The Second Advent	R. Lewis.	Acts 1:10-11
The Second Advent	Wf. Adeney, M. A.	Acts 1:10-11
The Second Advent	Bishop Ryle.	Acts 1:10-11
The Second Advent: the Uncertainty of its Date	W. Archer Butler, M. A.	Acts 1:10-11
The Two Advents	W. Landels, D. D.	Acts 1:10-11
The Two Advents: Contrast Between Them	A. Hildebert.	Acts 1:10-11
Too Much Mere Sentiment in Religion	Homilist	Acts 1:10-11
Unprofitable Gazing	Bp. Huntington.	Acts 1:10-11
Waiting for Christ's Return		Acts 1:10-11
Why Stand Ye Gazing	Dean Vaughan.	Acts 1:10-11
Words to the Spectators of the Ascension	Homilist	Acts 1:10-11

People

Alphaeus, Andrew, Barsabas, Bartholomew, David, James, Jesus, John, Joseph, Judas, Jude, Justus, Mary, Matthew, Matthias, Peter, Philip, Simon, Theophilus, Thomas, Zelotes

Places

Akeldama, Field of Blood, Galilee, Jerusalem, Judea, Olivet, Samaria

Topics

Beheld, Galilaeans, Galileans, Galilee, Gazing, Heaven, Manner, O, Received, Sky, Stand, Thus, Watched

Dictionary of Bible Themes

Acts 1:11

     2033   Christ, humanity
     2423   gospel, essence
     2565   Christ, second coming
     9105   last things
     9130   future, the
     9411   heaven

Acts 1:9-11

2505 Christ, ascension
9311 resurrection, of Christ

Acts 1:10-11

4112 angels, messengers

Library

June 3. "Ye Shall Receive the Power of the Holy Ghost" (Acts i. 8).
"Ye shall receive the power of the Holy Ghost" (Acts i. 8). There is power for us if we have the Holy Ghost. God wants us to speak to men so that they will feel it, so that they will never forget it. God means every Christian to be effective, to count in the actual records and results of Christian work. Dear friends, God sent you here to be a power yourself. There is not one of you but is an essential wheel of the machinery, and can accomplish all that God calls you to. I solemnly believe that there …
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

Ascension Day
Text: Acts 1, 1-11. 1 The former treatise I made, O Theophilus, concerning all that Jesus began both to do and to teach, 2 until the day in which he was received up, after that he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit unto the apostles whom he had chosen: 3 to whom he also showed himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing unto them by the space of forty days, and speaking the things concerning the kingdom of God: 4 and being assembled together with them, he charged them not …
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. II

The Forty Days
'To whom also He shewed Himself alive after His passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.'--ACTS i. 3. The forty days between the Resurrection and the Ascension have distinctly marked characteristics. They are unlike to the period before them in many respects, but completely similar in others; they have a preparatory character throughout; they all bear on the future work of the disciples, and hearten them for the …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts

The Unknown To-Morrow
A New Year's Sermon 'It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power.'--ACTS i. 7. The New Testament gives little encouragement to a sentimental view of life. Its writers had too much to do, and too much besides to think about, for undue occupation with pensive remembrances or imaginative forecastings. They bid us remember as a stimulus to thanksgiving and a ground of hope. They bid us look forward, but not along the low levels of earth and its changes. …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts

The Theme of Acts
'The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach. 2. Until the day in which He was taken up.'--ACTS i. 1, 2. 'And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, 31. Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.' --ACTS xxviii. 30, 31. So begins and so ends this Book. I connect the commencement and the close, because I think …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts

The Ascension
'The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2. Until the day in which He was taken up, after that He through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the Apostles whom He had chosen: 3. To whom also He shewed Himself alive after His passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: 4. And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts

The Apostolic Witnesses
'Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us ... must one be ordained to be a witness with us of His resurrection.' --ACTS i. 21, 22. The fact of Christ's Resurrection was the staple of the first Christian sermon recorded in this Book of the Acts of the Apostles. They did not deal so much in doctrine; they did not dwell very distinctly upon what we call, and rightly call, the atoning death of Christ; out they proclaimed what they had …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts

The Ascension: Back Home Again Until -- --
Tarry ye--Go ye: the Jerusalem meeting--the walk to Olives--not Palestine only, but a world--the last word--upward--seen no more. Coming again: gazing upward, Acts 1:10, 11.--a continuation upward--the Olivet outlook. …
S. D. Gordon—Quiet Talks about Jesus

The Parting Promises of the Saviour.
(On Ascension Day.) TEXT: ACTS i. 6-11. THE great event that we commemorate to-day was no doubt something very different to the disciples at that time from what it is to us. They had hardly recovered from the stunned condition into which His death had thrown them; they had hardly come to realize calmly their pain at His separation from them; at least, they had certainly not yet learned to look at it in the right way, for they regarded it as the ruin of His whole work on earth--when His joyful resurrection …
Friedrich Schleiermacher—Selected Sermons of Schleiermacher

The Mystery of Iniquity
"The mystery of iniquity doth already work." 2 Thess. 2:7. 1. Without inquiring how far these words refer to any particular event in the Christian Church, I would at present take occasion from them to consider that important question, -- In what manner the mystery of iniquity hath wrought among us till it hath well-nigh covered the whole earth. 2. It is certain that "God made man upright;" perfectly holy and perfectly happy: But by rebelling against God, he destroyed himself, lost the favour and …
John Wesley—Sermons on Several Occasions

Witnessing Better than Knowing the Future
"When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."--Acts 1:6-8. THESE ARE AMONG THE LAST WORDS of …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 39: 1893

Tenth Day for God's Spirit on Our Missionaries
WHAT TO PRAY.--For God's Spirit on our Missionaries "What the world needs to-day is, not only more missionaries, but the outpouring of God's Spirit on everyone whom He has sent out to work for Him in the foreign field." "Ye shall receive power, when the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be My witnesses unto the uttermost parts of the earth."--ACTS i. 8. God always gives His servants power equal to the work He asks of them. Think of the greatness and difficulty of this work,--casting out …
Andrew Murray—The Ministry of Intercession

The Propagation of Christianity.
IN this argument, the first consideration is the fact -- in what degree, within what time, and to what extent, Christianity actually was propagated. The accounts of the matter which can be collected from our books are as follow: A few days after Christ's disappearance out of the world, we find an assembly of disciples at Jerusalem, to the number of "about one hundred and twenty;" (Acts i. 15.) which hundred and twenty were probably a little association of believers, met together not merely as believers …
William Paley—Evidences of Christianity

The Second Coming of Christ.
When Jesus was taken up into heaven and a cloud had received him out of sight, two heavenly visitants appeared unto the men of Galilee and said, "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." Acts 1:11. Jesus went up in a cloud and he is to come again in like manner as he went up. "And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory." Mark 13:26. No one knows the exact time of his coming. …
Charles Ebert Orr—The Gospel Day

Other New Testament Names for "Being Filled with the Spirit. "
That we may see how full the New Testament is of this blessing, and that we may the better understand what it is and how it is obtained, let us just glance at some other terms used by the Holy Ghost when speaking of it. 1. "Baptized with the Holy Ghost." "Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence" (Acts i. 5). See also Acts xi. 16, Matt. iii. 11, Mark i. 8, Luke iii. 16, John i. 33. Now, though "baptized" and "filled" are sometimes convertible terms, it is instructive to note …
John MacNeil—The Spirit-Filled Life

Prayer-Equipment for Preachers
"Go back! Back to that upper room; back to your knees; back to searching of heart and habit, thought and life; back to pleading, praying, waiting, till the Spirit of the Lord floods the soul with light, and you are endued with power from on high. Then go forth in the power of Pentecost, and the Christ-life shall be lived, and the works of Christ shall be done. You shall open blind eyes, cleanse foul hearts, break men's fetters, and save men's souls. In the power of the indwelling Spirit, miracles …
Edward M. Bounds—The Weapon of Prayer

Interpretation of Prophecy.
1. The scriptural idea of prophecy is widely removed from that of human foresight and presentiment. It is that of a revelation made by the Holy Spirit respecting the future, always in the interest of God's kingdom. It is no part of the plan of prophecy to gratify vain curiosity respecting "the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power." Acts 1:7. "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God"--this is its key-note. In its form it is carefully adapted to this great end. …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

Mount Olivet. The Mount of Olives, 2 Samuel 15:30
Zechariah 14:4. In the Rabbins commonly, The Mount of Oil. "The mount called the mount of Olives, lying over against the city, is distant five furlongs." But Luke saith, Acts 1:12, "Then they returned from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath-day's journey." But now a sabbath-day's journey contained eight furlongs, or a whole mile. Neither yet, for all this, doth Luke fight against Josephus. For this last measures the space to the first foundation of Olivet; the other, to that …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica

The Resurrection of Christ.
The resurrection of Christ from the dead is reported by the four Gospels, taught in the Epistles, believed throughout Christendom, and celebrated on every "Lord's Day," as an historical fact, as the crowning miracle and divine seal of his whole work, as the foundation of the hopes of believers, as the pledge of their own future resurrection. It is represented in the New Testament both as an act of the Almighty Father who raised his Son from the dead, [209] and as an act of Christ himself, who had …
Philip Schaff—History of the Christian Church, Volume I

The Acts of the Apostles.
Comp. § 82. 1. Critical Treatises. M. Schneckenburger: Zweck der Apostelgeschichte. Bern, 1841. Schwanbeck: Quellen der Ap. Gesch. Darmstadt, 1847. Ed. Zeller: Contents and Origin of the Acts of the Apostles. Stuttg., 1854; trsl. by Jos. Dare, 1875-76, London, 2 vols. Lekebusch: Composition u. Entstehung der Ap. Gesch. Gotha, 1854. Klostermann: Vindiciae Lucancae. Göttingen, 1866. Arthur König (R. C.): Die Aechtheit der Ap. Gesch. Breslau, 1867. J. R. Oertel: Paulus in der Ap. Gesch. …
Philip Schaff—History of the Christian Church, Volume I

The Church and Her Mission, or the Three Constitutional Synods, 1760-1775
. As we enter on the closing stages of our journey, the character of the landscape changes; and, leaving behind the wild land of romance and adventure, we come out on the broad, high road of slow but steady progress. The death of Zinzendorf was no crushing blow. At first some enemies of the Brethren rejoiced, and one prophet triumphantly remarked: "We shall now see an end of these Moravians." But that time the prophet spoke without his mantle. Already the Brethren were sufficiently strong to realize …
J. E. Hutton—History of the Moravian Church

Ascension Day. 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.
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. Herr auf Erden muss ich leiden [92]Neumann. 1700. trans. by Catherine Winkworth, 1855 Lord, on earth I dwell in pain; Here in anguish I must lie; Wherefore leav'st Thou me again, Why ascendest Thou on high? Take me, take me hence with Thee, Or abide, Lord, still in me; Let Thy love and gifts be left, That I be not all bereft. Leave Thy heart with me behind, Take mine hence with …
Catherine Winkworth—Lyra Germanica: The Christian Year

Power "In" and "Upon. "
You remember that strange, half-involuntary "forty years" of Moses in the "wilderness" of Midian, when he had fled from Egypt. You remember, too, the almost equally strange years of retirement in "Arabia" by Paul, when, if ever, humanly speaking, instant action was needed. And pre-eminently you remember the amazing charge of the ascending Lord to the disciples, "Tarry at Jerusalem." Speaking after the manner of men, one could not have wondered if out-spoken Peter, or fervid James had said: "Tarry, …
Dwight L. Moody—Secret Power

St. Ignatius (Ad 116)
When our Lord ascended into Heaven, He left the government of His Church to the Apostles. We are told that during the forty days between His rising from the grave and His ascension, He gave commandments unto the Apostles, and spoke of the things belonging to the kingdom of God (Acts i. 2f). Thus they knew what they were to do when their Master should be no longer with them; and one of the first things which they did, even without waiting until His promise of sending the Holy Ghost should be fulfilled, …
J. C. Roberston—Sketches of Church History, from AD 33 to the Reformation

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