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I am using readings from the 49 Week Bible Challenge as the basis for these devotions. I encourage you to join me in this discipline. Today’s readings are Acts 1; Psalm 69; 109; Micah 1.
Acts 1:6-11
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
We have been using Zach Zehnder’s Questions Jesus Asked blog post which listed 305 questions Jesus asked. They range from challenging to inviting. And they all offer opportunity for repentance and faith. God has been asking questions from the dawn of time. From, “Adam, where are you?” in Genesis 3, to “Have you considered my servant Job?” in Job 1, God asks probing questions. But they are never asked because God doesn’t know the answer. God asks questions for our sake; to cause us to reflect and come to grips with our need for him.
Then comes this question by the angels just after Jesus’ ascension. “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven?” I love this question! The reason? Because I could so easily answer: Because I’ve never seen anything like this before in my life!”
To be sure, the apostles had seen water changed into wine. They had been aboard the boat when Jesus stilled the storm by his command. They saw Jesus cast out demons. They had seen plenty, including Jesus’ death on the cross and his scarred body after his resurrection. But this seems to me a very different sight. A man taken up into heaven before their very eyes. This is different.
But this is not unexpected to the angels. Their moments of amazement were the 33 years during which the eternal Son of God laid aside his glory(!) to live in a fallen world with fallen people. That had to be completely amazing to them. Why would he do that? But when he ascended back into heaven they surely thought, Now it’s back the way it should be! Jesus is back on his throne. He reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit!
We do not understand all the ways of God. We have questions. People will say, “When I get to heaven, I’m going to ask…” The angels’ question alerts us to the ways of God which we may not understand, but are the ways of life, salvation, and hope. It also reminds us that there will come a time when Jesus returns to receive his people and usher them into the fullness of his reign and rule. What an amazing day that will be! There is no question about that.
David Bahn - Reflections 
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