Luke 24:51
While He was blessing them, He left them and was carried up into heaven.
While He was blessing them
This phrase captures a poignant moment of Jesus imparting His final blessing upon His disciples. The Greek word for "blessing" is "εὐλογέω" (eulogeō), which means to speak well of or to invoke divine favor. This act of blessing is significant as it reflects Jesus' role as the High Priest, reminiscent of the Aaronic blessing in Numbers 6:24-26. The act of blessing signifies a transfer of peace, authority, and divine favor, preparing the disciples for their mission ahead. Historically, blessings were a vital part of Jewish tradition, often marking important transitions or covenants.

He left them
The phrase "He left them" indicates the physical departure of Jesus from His disciples. The Greek word "διίστημι" (diistēmi) suggests a separation or departure. This moment marks the end of Jesus' earthly ministry and the beginning of His heavenly reign. It is a pivotal transition from the physical presence of Christ to the spiritual presence through the Holy Spirit. This departure is not abandonment but a necessary step for the fulfillment of God's redemptive plan, as Jesus had promised the coming of the Holy Spirit to empower and guide the disciples.

and was carried up into heaven
The phrase "was carried up into heaven" describes the ascension of Jesus. The Greek word "ἀναφέρω" (anapherō) means to carry up or to lift. This event is a fulfillment of prophecy and a testament to Jesus' divine nature and authority. The ascension signifies Jesus' exaltation and His return to the Father, as well as His enthronement as King and Lord. It also marks the beginning of His intercessory role at the right hand of God. Theologically, the ascension is crucial as it assures believers of Jesus' continued presence and advocacy in heaven, and it anticipates His return. Historically, the ascension is a cornerstone of Christian faith, celebrated as a key event in the liturgical calendar, affirming the hope of eternal life and the promise of Jesus' second coming.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jesus Christ
The central figure in this passage, Jesus is the resurrected Lord who is blessing His disciples before His ascension into heaven.

2. The Disciples
The followers of Jesus who are present with Him during this significant event. They are witnesses to His ascension and recipients of His blessing.

3. Mount of Olives
Although not explicitly mentioned in this verse, the ascension traditionally takes place on the Mount of Olives, a significant location in Jesus' ministry and prophecy.

4. Heaven
The destination to which Jesus is carried up, signifying His return to the Father and the completion of His earthly mission.

5. The Ascension
The event where Jesus is taken up into heaven, marking the end of His physical presence on earth and the beginning of His heavenly reign.
Teaching Points
The Significance of the Ascension
The ascension marks the completion of Jesus' earthly ministry and His exaltation to the right hand of the Father. It assures believers of His ongoing intercession and the promise of His return.

The Blessing of Jesus
Jesus' act of blessing His disciples before ascending signifies His continued care and provision for His followers. It reminds us of the importance of seeking His blessing in our lives.

The Promise of His Return
The ascension is not just an end but a promise of Jesus' return. Believers are called to live in anticipation of His second coming, maintaining faithfulness and readiness.

Empowerment for Mission
With Jesus' ascension, the disciples are empowered to carry out the Great Commission. Believers today are similarly called to spread the Gospel, relying on the Holy Spirit for strength and guidance.

Heavenly Perspective
Jesus' ascension encourages believers to set their minds on things above, focusing on eternal realities rather than earthly concerns.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does understanding the ascension of Jesus impact your view of His current role and authority in your life?

2. In what ways can you seek and experience the blessing of Jesus in your daily walk with Him?

3. How does the promise of Jesus' return influence your priorities and decisions?

4. What steps can you take to actively participate in the mission Jesus left for His followers, as empowered by the Holy Spirit?

5. How can you cultivate a heavenly perspective in your daily life, focusing on eternal truths rather than temporary circumstances?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Acts 1:9-11
Provides a more detailed account of the ascension, including the presence of angels who explain Jesus' return in the same manner.

John 14:2-3
Jesus promises to prepare a place for His followers, indicating His ascension is part of a larger plan for believers.

Hebrews 4:14
Describes Jesus as the great high priest who has passed through the heavens, emphasizing His ongoing intercessory role.

Ephesians 4:10
Speaks of Jesus ascending far above all the heavens, highlighting His authority and the fulfillment of His mission.
Infallible Proofs and Inevitable PartingsR.M. Edgar Luke 24:36-53
A Strange Joy, Yet ExplicableA. K. H. Boyd, D. D.Luke 24:50-53
Christ Departs While BlessingH. Melvill, B. D.Luke 24:50-53
Christian WorshipT. Whitelaw, M. A.Luke 24:50-53
Earnestness in Using Means of GraceH. Melvill, B. D.Luke 24:50-53
From Home to HeavenW. Bull, B. A.Luke 24:50-53
Joy in Working for ChristLuke 24:50-53
Lessons from the AscensionW. Hoyt, D. D.Luke 24:50-53
On the Ascension of ChristG. Clayton, M. A.Luke 24:50-53
On the Ascension of ChristH. Blair, D. D.Luke 24:50-53
Our Lord's AscensionW. Bull, B. A.Luke 24:50-53
Our Lord's Attitude in AscendingC. H. Spurgeon.Luke 24:50-53
The AscensionR. Davey.Luke 24:50-53
The AscensionW. Landels.Luke 24:50-53
The Ascension and Exaltation of ChristG. Gilfillan.Luke 24:50-53
The Ascension of ChristW. H. Lewis, D. D.Luke 24:50-53
The Ascension of JesusJ. Thomson, D. D.Luke 24:50-53
The CounterbalanceP. B. Power, M. A.Luke 24:50-53
The Lord's AscensionJames Foote, M. A.Luke 24:50-53
The Lord's FarewellJ. Jowett, M. A.Luke 24:50-53
The Parting BlessingP. B. Power, M. A.Luke 24:50-53
The Saviour's HandF. B. Pullan.Luke 24:50-53
People
Cleopas, James, Jesus, Joanna, Mary, Peter, Simon
Places
Bethany, Emmaus, Galilee, Jerusalem, Nazareth, Road to Emmaus
Topics
Blessed, Blessing, Borne, Carried, Heaven, Parted, Pass, Separated, Withdrew
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Luke 24:51

     2505   Christ, ascension
     9411   heaven

Luke 24:50-51

     2421   gospel, historical foundation
     5338   holiday

Luke 24:50-52

     9311   resurrection, of Christ

Luke 24:50-53

     2039   Christ, joy of
     8667   praise, examples

Luke 24:51-53

     6704   peace, divine NT

Library
Good Friday
Eversley, 1856. St. Luke xxiv. 5, 6. "Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen." This is a very solemn day; for on this day the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified. The question for us is, how ought we to keep it? that is, what sort of thoughts ought to be in our minds upon this day? Now, many most excellent and pious persons, and most pious books, seem to think that we ought to-day to think as much as possible of the sufferings of our Blessed Lord; and because we
Charles Kingsley—All Saints' Day and Other Sermons

February 11 Morning
They that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord harkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name.--MAL. 3:16. It came to pass that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.--Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst ot them.--My fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life. Let the word of Christ dwell in
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

March 23 Evening
They constrained him, saying, Abide with us.--LUKE 24:29. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.--Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions?--I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

September 18 Morning
Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.--PSA. 119:18. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures.--It is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.--I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.--We have received, not the spirit of
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

December 7. "Abide with Us; for it is Toward Evening" (Luke xxiv. 29).
"Abide with us; for it is toward evening" (Luke xxiv. 29). In His last messages to the disciples in the 14th and 15th chapters of John, the Lord Jesus clearly teaches us that the very essence of the highest holiness is, "Abide in Me, and I in you, for without Me ye can do nothing." The very purpose of the Holy Ghost whom He promised was to reveal Him, that at "that day, ye shall know that I am in the Father, and ye in Me, and I in you," and the closing echo of His intercessory prayer was embraced
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

Peter Alone with Jesus
'The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.' --LUKE xxiv. 34. The other appearances of the risen Lord to individuals on the day of Resurrection are narrated with much particularity, and at considerable length. John gives us the lovely account of our Lord's conversation with Mary Magdalene, Luke gives us in full detail the story of the interview with the two travellers on the road to Emmaus. Here is another appearance, known to 'the eleven, and them that were with them' on the Resurrection
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions Of Holy Scripture

The First Easter Sunrise
'Now, upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came onto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. 2. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. 3. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. 4. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: 5. And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them,
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions Of Holy Scripture

The Risen Lord's Self-Revelation to Wavering Disciples
'And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. 14. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. 15. And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus Himself drew near, and went with them. 16. But their eyes were holden that they should not know Him. 17. And He said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad? 18. And
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions Of Holy Scripture

The Meal at Emmaus
'And it came to pass, as He sat at meat with them, He took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. 31. And their eyes were opened, and they knew Him; and He vanished out of their sight.'--LUKE xxiv. 30, 31. Perhaps the most striking characteristic of the Gospel accounts of our Lord's intercourse with His disciples, in the interval between the Resurrection and His Ascension, is the singular union of mystery and simplicity which they present. There is a certain air of remoteness and depth
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions Of Holy Scripture

The Triumphant End
'And as they thus spake, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 37. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. 38. And He said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? 39. Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself: handle Me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see Me have. 40. And when He had thus spoken, He shewed them His hands and His feet. 41. And while
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions Of Holy Scripture

Christ's Witnesses
'Ye are witnesses of these things. 49. And, behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.'--LUKE xxiv. 48, 49. Luke's account of the Resurrection and subsequent forty days is so constructed as to culminate in this appointment of the disciples to their high functions and equipment for it, by the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Evangelist has evidently in view his second 'treatise,' and is here preparing the link of
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions Of Holy Scripture

The Living Dead
'Why seek ye the living among the dead! 6. He is not here, but is risen.'--LUKE xxiv. 5,6. We can never understand the utter desolation of the days that lay betwixt Christ's Death and His Resurrection. Our faith rests on centuries. We know that that grave was not even an interruption to the progress of His work, but was the straight road to His triumph and His glory. We know that it was the completion of the work of which the raising of the widow's son and of Lazarus were but the beginnings. But
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions Of Holy Scripture

The Ascension
'And He led them out as far as to Bethany, and He lifted up His hands, and blessed them. 51. And it came to pass, while He blessed them, He was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.' --LUKE xxiv. 50, 51. 'And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight.'--ACTS i. 9. Two of the four Evangelists, viz., Matthew and John, have no record of the Ascension. But the argument which infers ignorance from silence, which is always rash,
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions Of Holy Scripture

"I Know!"
The man of God who has fixed his feet on the rock of salvation can say with certainty, "I know." If you have not got assurance and want it, just believe God's Word. If you go down South and ask those three million colored people how they think they are free, they won't talk about their feelings; they just believe that Abraham Lincoln made them free. They believe the proclamation, and so we must believe the proclamation God has made in the Bible. "One thing thou teachest," that is salvation. [Illustration:
Dwight L. Moody—Moody's Anecdotes And Illustrations

Spiritual Power.
"And behold I send the promise of My Father upon you; but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye be endued with power from on high."--ST. LUKE xxiv. 49. "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you."--ACTS i. 8. To-day we are celebrating the last of the series of historical festivals which mark the springtime of our Christian year. And without this one the rest would leave us with a sense of incompleteness; for we should be without its gift of the abiding and indwelling
John Percival—Sermons at Rugby

On the Words of the Gospel, Luke xxiv. 36, "He Himself Stood in the Midst of Them, and Saith unto Them, Peace be unto You," Etc.
1. The Lord appeared to His disciples after His resurrection, as ye have heard, and saluted them, saying, "Peace be unto you." [3554] This is peace indeed, and the salutation of salvation: for the very word salutation has received its name from salvation. [3555] And what can be better than that Salvation Itself should salute man? For Christ is our Salvation. He is our Salvation, who was wounded for us, and fixed by nails to the tree, and being taken down from the tree, was laid in the sepulchre.
Saint Augustine—sermons on selected lessons of the new testament

Beginning at Jerusalem
I. Ye that would faithfully serve Christ note carefully how he taught his disciples WHAT THEY WERE TO PREACH. We find different descriptions of the subject of our preaching, but on this occasion it is comprised in two things--repentance and remission of sins. I am glad to find in this verse that old- fashioned virtue called repentance. It used to be preached, but it has gone out of fashion now. Indeed, we are told that we always misunderstood the meaning of the word "repentance"; and that it simply
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 29: 1883

The Wounds of Jesus
First, what influence did the exhibition of the hands and feet have upon the disciples? Secondly, why is it that Jesus Christ, now in heaven, bears with him the scars in his flesh? And, then, thirdly, is there any lesson to us in the fact that Jesus Christ still wears his wounds? I think there is. I. First, then, OF WHAT USE WAS THE EXHIBITION OF THOSE WOUNDS TO THE DESCIPLES? I reply at once that they were infallible proofs that he was the same person. He said, "Behold my hands and feet, that it
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 5: 1859

Twenty-Fourth Day for the Spirit on Your Own Congregation
WHAT TO PRAY.--For the Spirit on your own Congregation "Beginning at Jerusalem."--LUKE xxiv. 47. Each one of us is connected with some congregation or circle of believers, who are to us the part of Christ's body with which we come into most direct contact. They have a special claim on our intercession. Let it be a settled matter between God and you that you are to labour in prayer on its behalf. Pray for the minister and all leaders or workers in it. Pray for the believers according to their needs.
Andrew Murray—The Ministry of Intercession

Savonarola -- the Ascension of Christ
Girolamo Savonarola was born at Ferrara in 1452, and was admitted in 1475 into the novitiate of the Dominican Order, where he soon made himself conspicuous for eloquence, and in Florence attracted many hearers by his diatribes against corruption. Florence, having lost its independence as a republic, was completely under the sway of the Medici, who became arrayed against Savonarola, who aimed at establishing an ideal Christian commonwealth. When he attacked the Pope Alexander VI. his doom was practically
Various—The World's Great Sermons, Volume I

Of the Fervent Desire of Certain Devout Persons to Receive the Body and Blood of Christ
The Voice of the Disciple O how great is the abundance of Thy sweetness, O Lord, which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee. When I call to mind some devout persons who draw nigh to Thy Sacrament, O Lord, with the deepest devotion and affection, then very often I am confounded in myself and blush for shame, that I approach Thine altar and table of Holy Communion so carelessly and coldly, that I remain so dry and without affection, that I am not wholly kindled with love before Thee, my God,
Thomas A Kempis—Imitation of Christ

The Shadow of Disappointment.
But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel. LUKE xxiv. 21. In the accounts of the disciples, contained in the New Testament, there is no attempt to glorify them, or to conceal any weakness. From the first to the last, they think and act precisely as men would think and act in their circumstances;--they are affected just as others of like culture would be affected by such events as those set forth in the record. And the genuineness of their conduct argues the genuineness
E. H. Chapin—The Crown of Thorns

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