He Is Coming Back

And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up 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. —Acts 1:10, 11, KJV

The disciples had been with Jesus for a few years, but it may have seemed like a lifetime because they had bonded and become a family.

Jesus taught them so much about themselves and about life, and they could not imagine living without Him. One of the hardest things for them to cope with was the fact that Jesus had been killed after being falsely accused.

Although He gave them hope for what was to come, they could not find the hope they needed to live without Him. After His resurrection, they felt everything would go back to normal—Jesus would teach them, and they would listen. In their minds, Christ was going to deliver them from the Romans, and then He would take His rightful position as King.

They did not want to lose their Savior ever again.

It must have been difficult to realize that although He was alive, He would not remain physically present with them. But He promised to send the Holy Spirit to comfort them and give them the power to minister to others (Matthew 28:18–20).

When Christ was lifted up in a cloud out of their sight, I imagine their faces were filled with dismay. As they stood with their eyes fixed toward heaven, two men in white clothing stood beside them. These men explained that there was nothing to worry about.

Jesus, their best Friend, would come again in the same manner He had left.

Now the disciples were hopeful. Christ had not abandoned them.

With this newfound hope, the disciples went on to teach others about God’s promise and love (Mark 16:19, 20). The promise still holds today.

He has never broken a promise. He reminds us, “Behold I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book” (Revelation 22:7, KJV).

While Christ keeps His promise to us, we must keep our promise to Him and live according to the teachings found in His Word.

My friends, let us cling to the promise that someday soon, Christ will come to take us home.

Diantha Hall-Smith