Hello, my wonderful young friends! Today I want to share with you the amazing story of "Jesus Taken Up Into Heaven" - the incredible moment when Jesus returned to His Father after completing His mission on earth. This event, called the Ascension, marks the end of Jesus' physical time on earth but the beginning of His worldwide mission through His followers.

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After His resurrection, Jesus spent 40 days appearing to His disciples, teaching them, and preparing them for what would come next. The Ascension wasn't the end of Jesus' story but a new chapter in God's plan. As we explore this remarkable event together, we'll discover Jesus' final instructions to His followers and the special promise He made about what would happen after He left.

Jesus Taken Up Into Heaven

Chapter 1: The Risen Lord

For forty days after His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples multiple times, proving He was truly alive again. The Bible tells us in Acts 1:3, "After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God."

These appearances weren't just brief glimpses. Jesus spent time with His followers, ate meals with them, allowed them to touch His wounds, and continued teaching them about God's kingdom. Imagine their joy and amazement at seeing their beloved teacher alive after witnessing His terrible crucifixion!

During these forty days, Jesus helped His disciples understand everything that had happened. He opened their minds to see how His death and resurrection fulfilled many prophecies in the Old Testament Scriptures. Luke tells us, "Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, 'This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day'" (Luke 24:45-46).

The disciples were overjoyed to have Jesus back, but they still had questions about what would happen next. Some wondered if Jesus would now establish His kingdom on earth and restore Israel to greatness. They didn't yet fully understand that God's plan was much bigger than just one nation.

Chapter 2: The Final Instructions

As the forty days drew to a close, Jesus gathered His disciples together for one final meeting. They may have sensed this was a special occasion, though they didn't know exactly what was about to happen.

On this important day, Jesus gave them their mission - instructions that would guide their lives from that point forward. In Matthew's Gospel, these famous words are recorded: "Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you'" (Matthew 28:18-20).

This command, often called the Great Commission, expanded the disciples' understanding of their mission. Before Jesus' death, He had sent them only to the people of Israel. Now He was sending them to "all nations" - the entire world! Their task was to share Jesus' teachings with everyone, everywhere.

In the book of Acts, Luke records similar final instructions: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

Jesus was giving them a global mission that would start in Jerusalem (their home city), extend to Judea and Samaria (nearby regions), and eventually reach "the ends of the earth." This worldwide mission might have seemed overwhelming to this small group of followers, but Jesus also promised they wouldn't have to do it alone.

Chapter 3: The Special Promise

Along with this big mission, Jesus gave a special promise to His disciples. He knew they couldn't accomplish such an enormous task by themselves, so He assured them that help was coming.

"Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 1:4-5).

Jesus was promising to send God's Holy Spirit to live within them and empower them for their mission. This would be different from anything they had experienced before. The Holy Spirit would give them wisdom, courage, and spiritual power to be Jesus' witnesses throughout the world.

But the disciples were still thinking in earthly, political terms. They asked, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" (Acts 1:6). They were hoping Jesus would overthrow the Roman rulers and make Israel a great independent nation again.

Jesus gently redirected their focus: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:7-8).

Jesus wanted them to understand that God's kingdom would grow through their witness, empowered by the Holy Spirit, rather than through political power. Their mission wasn't to restore one earthly kingdom but to invite people from all nations into God's eternal kingdom.

Chapter 4: Taken Up Before Their Eyes

After giving these final instructions and promises, something amazing happened. While the disciples were still listening to Jesus, He began to rise up from the ground!

The Bible describes this incredible moment: "After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight" (Acts 1:9).

Imagine the disciples' astonishment as they watched Jesus float upward, higher and higher, until a cloud obscured their view of Him. This wasn't like Elijah being taken up in a chariot of fire, or Enoch who "was no more." Jesus visibly ascended into heaven while His disciples watched in amazement.

This visible ascension was important for the disciples. It showed them that Jesus was returning to His Father in heaven - not just disappearing or going away, but being exalted to the highest place. The Ascension demonstrated Jesus' divine nature and the completion of His earthly mission.

Luke's Gospel adds another detail about this moment: "While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven" (Luke 24:51). Jesus' last action on earth was to bless His disciples - a beautiful picture of His love and care for them even as He departed.

The disciples stood there, eyes fixed on the sky, perhaps wondering if Jesus would reappear or if they should continue to wait. They might have been feeling a mixture of awe, confusion, and even sadness at seeing their Lord leaving them.

Chapter 5: The Angels' Message

As the disciples stood gazing upward at the spot where they had last seen Jesus, two men in white suddenly appeared beside them. These were angels with an important message.

"They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. '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'" (Acts 1:10-11).

The angels' message contained both a gentle redirect and a wonderful promise. First, they were essentially telling the disciples, "Don't just stand here staring at the sky - there's work to be done!" Jesus had given them a mission, and now it was time to begin preparing for it.

But the angels also gave them a promise that brought comfort - Jesus would return someday! And not only would He return, but He would come back in a visible, physical way just as He had left. This promise of Jesus' second coming would become a central hope for the early church and for Christians throughout history.

The message was clear: Jesus' departure wasn't the end of the story. As a cloud took Jesus from their sight, one day the clouds would part and reveal Jesus returning in glory.

Chapter 6: The Joyful Return

After witnessing Jesus' ascension and hearing the angels' message, the disciples returned to Jerusalem. But notice their emotional state: "Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God" (Luke 24:52-53).

This joy might surprise us. Wouldn't the disciples be sad that Jesus was leaving them? Yet they returned to Jerusalem "with great joy." They had seen their risen Lord, received His commission, heard His promise of the Holy Spirit, and been assured of His future return. These truths filled them with joy and worship rather than sorrow.

The disciples went to the upper room in Jerusalem where they were staying. Acts 1:14 tells us, "They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers."

In obedience to Jesus' instructions, they waited in Jerusalem, praying together and preparing for the promised Holy Spirit. The group included not only the eleven remaining disciples but also several women who had followed Jesus, Mary His mother, and Jesus' brothers who now believed in Him.

Their waiting wasn't passive or fearful. They were actively praying, worshiping, and preparing for whatever God would do next. Their joy and unity show that they trusted Jesus' promises even though He was no longer physically present with them.

Chapter 7: The Continuing Mission

Ten days after Jesus' ascension came the festival of Pentecost, when the promised Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples with power. Filled with the Holy Spirit, they began boldly proclaiming the good news about Jesus, starting in Jerusalem just as Jesus had instructed.

The Ascension wasn't the end of Jesus' work but the beginning of a new phase. Through His Spirit-empowered followers, Jesus' mission would continue and spread throughout the world. The book of Acts records how this happened, as the good news extended from Jerusalem to Judea, to Samaria, and eventually to distant parts of the Roman Empire.

The Ascension reminds us that Jesus now sits at the right hand of God the Father, where, as the apostle Paul writes, "God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth" (Philippians 2:9-10).

From heaven, Jesus continues to lead His church, hear our prayers, and prepare a place for us. And one day, just as the angels promised, He will return visibly to earth to establish God's kingdom in its fullness.

The story that began with Jesus' birth in a humble stable culminated with His exaltation to the highest place in heaven. And we, like those first disciples, are invited to be part of His continuing mission on earth while we wait for His glorious return.

What Can We Learn from This Story?

1. Jesus gave us an important mission - Before leaving, Jesus commissioned His followers to share His message with the whole world. As His followers today, we're part of that same mission to tell others about Jesus.
2. God empowers us for the work He calls us to do - Jesus didn't expect the disciples to fulfill their mission alone. He promised the Holy Spirit to give them power, and that same Spirit helps us today.
3. Jesus is in heaven but still with us - Though Jesus physically ascended to heaven, He promised, "I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:20). Through His Spirit, Jesus remains present with His followers.
4. We have the promise of Jesus' return - The angels assured the disciples that Jesus would come back visibly, just as He left. This gives us hope and purpose as we serve Him while waiting for His return.
5. Joy comes from trusting God's promises - The disciples returned to Jerusalem with great joy, not sadness, because they believed Jesus' promises. When we trust God's Word, we can have joy even in times of change or uncertainty.

Fun Activities for Kids

1. Ascension Cloud Craft
   Create an "ascending Jesus" craft using a paper cup, a small Jesus figure, cotton balls, and string. Cut a hole in the bottom of the cup and thread the string through it with the Jesus figure attached to one end. Glue cotton balls around the cup to represent clouds. Children can pull the string to make Jesus "ascend" into the clouds. As ministrytokids.com suggests, "Cloud crafts help children visualize how Jesus was taken up into the clouds."
2. Global Mission Map
   Draw a simple map showing Jerusalem at the center, then Judea, Samaria, and the rest of the world in expanding circles. Help children color the map and place stickers or drawings representing people sharing Jesus' love in each region. Talk about how Jesus' command to be His witnesses has reached all around the world, including to us!
3. Waiting Game
   Play a game where children must wait patiently for a signal before doing an action (like waiting for a bell to ring before finding hidden objects). Afterward, discuss how the disciples waited in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit, and how sometimes we need to wait for God's timing while continuing to pray and prepare.
4. Promise Balloons
   Write promises from Jesus (like "I am with you always," "I will come back," "I will send the Holy Spirit") on slips of paper. Put each slip inside a balloon before inflating it. Let children pop the balloons and read the promises. Discuss how these promises gave the disciples joy and can give us joy too.
5. Looking Up Telescope
   Make simple telescopes from paper towel tubes decorated with stars and clouds. Have children look up through their telescopes while you read Acts 1:11 about the angels saying Jesus would return. Talk about how we can be busy doing Jesus' work while also looking forward to His return.

If you enjoyed learning about "Jesus Taken Up Into Heaven," I think you'll also love exploring "The Day of Pentecost"! This exciting story tells what happened just ten days after Jesus ascended, when the Holy Spirit came with power upon the disciples. With the sound of rushing wind, tongues of fire, and the ability to speak in different languages, the disciples received God's power to be Jesus' witnesses. It marks the birthday of the Church and shows how God's Spirit empowers ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Check it out next time for another amazing chapter in God's story!