Youth Group Devotionals

Since we had three amazing baptisms yesterday I thought we would look at another baptism in Acts. This is a pretty long text so today I just want you to read the passage and if you see something interesting in the passage, feel free to post it to the group chat.

We’ve been studying the passage of Jesus’ Ascension this week in the book of Luke but Luke, the author, also writes about the Ascension in the opening chapter of his book, Acts, with more detail.Quick background on Luke, he was a physician and his books (The Gospel According to Luke and Acts) were written as a narrative to report what he had learned about Jesus and the early church to someone named Theophilus. When I was learning the books of the Bible as a kid, I would remember Acts as “Acts is the book of facts” because it reads like a history book of how the church began in the first century.Back to the main point, in the account of Jesus’ Ascension in Acts we learn that while the disciples, now called apostles, are looking up at the sky, two men in white clothing appear beside them. 11. They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.” Jesus will be back?!?! The ascension foretells of Jesus’ return to earth from heaven!So, when we look at the Ascension, we see that He’s setting everything up. He is going away so the Holy Spirit can come down, and He is coming back one day. This gives us the power to live where we are right now doing Kingdom work for the Lord, guided by the Holy Spirit, and the hope for even greater things to come when He returns. This is the foundation of our faith and our main purpose for living.

In John 16, Jesus tells the disciples that He must go so the Helper can come. The “Helper” is the Holy Spirit, the third member of the Trinity. Jesus’ “going” points to His ascension, making way for the Spirit to come as our advocate. But this isn’t just about God helping us from a distance.When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to live in us. That means we’re not alone in following Jesus. The Spirit is actively working within us, guiding us, convicting us, reminding us of truth, and shaping us to become more like Him. It’s not just about trying harder; it’s about learning to walk daily with the Spirit who is already present in us.So, when Jesus says it’s better that He goes, it’s because we gain something even greater, not just God with us, but God in us, wherever we go.

Jesus is now ruling with God. The ascension means Jesus didn’t just disappear, He stepped back into His rightful place, reigning alongside the Father in heaven. That’s why the early Christians didn’t just call Him “Messiah” (the promised Savior), but also “Lord.” That word Lord isn’t casual, it’s a title of authority, power, and even divinity.What’s amazing is that Jesus didn’t stop being human when He ascended. He is still fully God and fully man, and now He is being worshiped right alongside Yahweh. Personally, this is something I only realized recently. For the first Christians who were Jews that believed God was only one being (defined as strict monotheistic) this was a huge deal. They believed in one God, and yet they were boldly saying that Jesus deserves the same honor, worship, and obedience as God Himself.So, the ascension isn’t just about where Jesus went, it’s about who He is. He’s not just a teacher from the past or even just a Savior who died and rose again. He is the reigning King right now.

At the end of the 40 days after His resurrection, Jesus led His disciples out of Jerusalem to Bethany on the Mount of Olives, the same place where He had been betrayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. While He was there, He lifted His hands and blessed them, and then He was taken up into heaven. This wasn’t just a dramatic moment, it was real, visible proof to the disciples (now to be called apostles) that Jesus truly is exalted and reigning in power. But what’s surprising is how they responded. They didn’t leave sad or confused, they worshiped Him and went back to Jerusalem full of joy. The ascension marks the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry, but not the end of His work. It begins a new phase, where He reigns in heaven and continues to care for His people. Over the next few days, we’ll look at what His ascension sets into motion.