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.”
The ascension must have been a spectacular sight. It would seem that watching Jesus float away into heaven would erase any doubt that any of His followers had and make instant converts of any skeptics. In fact, Jesus used this as proof to validate one of His most difficult teaching, that of eating His flesh and drinking His blood.
John 6:61-62 Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? 62Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before!
Rather than focusing on the gravity of the event, the angels immediately focused Jesus’ followers’ thoughts to His return. Whether it was from this moment or from the teachings of Jesus, this emphasis was not lost on the disciples. They believed that Jesus’ return was imminent. In light of that, “momentary afflictions” (2 Cor. 4:17) were just that—momentary and passing.
It is also worth noting that His return will be similar to his ascension. Don’t let anyone trick you into thinking that Jesus has appeared in some remote place or has reincarnated as some public figure. When Jesus returns, it will be as obvious and spectacular as when He left.
Luke 17:23-24 [Jesus said,] “Men will tell you, ‘There he is!’ or ‘Here he is!’ Do not go running off after them. 24For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other.” NIV
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