As we begin a unit that focuses on the life of the early church as pictured in the book of Acts, it's a good idea to pay close attention to the introduction that Luke writes to his friend Theophilus:

• "In my former book . . ." (that is, the gospel of Luke)

• "all that Jesus began to do and to teach . . ." (notice the began, since Luke now intends to continue to tell about what Jesus is doing and teaching)

• "until the day he was taken up into heaven . . ." (Even though Jesus physically leaves, he continues to lead and guide his church)

• "through the Spirit to the apostles he had chosen." (The Holy Spirit, personally sent to the church by Jesus, will now lead it to carry out the Great Commission)

So Acts isn't merely a history of the early church; it's an account of what the ascended Lord Jesus Christ is continuing to do as he builds his church. In Acts, the primary actor is the Holy Spirit sent by Jesus, who empowers Jesus' disciples to bring the gospel to the ends of the earth.

In the story of Jesus' ascension the disciples appear to be agitated and full of questions, while Jesus serenely speaks with absolute authority and confidence. He points to a new future in which the disciples will have a huge and important calling---to disciple the nations.

"You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." That's not just a geography lesson---it's an outline of the book of Acts. It's fascinating to see how the little church, sometimes because of persecution, moves from Jerusalem up into Samaria, and, before it's over, all the way to Rome. But in this outline we also see the church's mission today. It starts at home; it spreads into adjacent, but somewhat unfamiliar territory; and eventually it moves to the whole wide world.

The growing church has little to do with the power or ingenuity of the apostles. It's all about the Holy Spirit. Interestingly, while Jesus tells them "go" in Matthew 28, the word in Acts 1 is "wait." Prayerful waiting on the Spirit emphasizes that this is a Spirit-led, Spirit-empowered movement. We will see hints of that all the way through.

The story of the ascension is strangely austere---just one sentence. There are no descriptive adjectives, no recorded reactions, and certainly no grieving. There's no attempt to explain its meaning apart from the few cryptic words of the "men in white."

But that one sentence is dense with meaningful hints. Jesus goes up, but he does not ascend like a rocket until he fades from view. "A cloud hid him from their sight." In the Bible, Old and New Testament alike, clouds always evoke the idea of God's presence: the pillar of cloud, the shekinah cloud that descended in the temple, and the cloud that enveloped Jesus and the disciples at his transfiguration. Here too the cloud that receives him is the divine presence. Maybe God's heavenly dwelling isn't so far away in outer space, but closer than we think, in another dimension of reality we cannot see.

In Matthew 28, Jesus promises to be with us always, but in Acts 1 he leaves. Jesus' presence with us today is not the same as when he was on earth. It's a presence we may, at times, experience authentically and deeply, but it comes by faith and not by sight. Jesus has sent his Spirit to give that assurance to our hearts. The disciples never doubted from that day on that Jesus was leading the way to the future.