The International Sunday School Lessons By J. H. S.
LESSON XII.—December 20. — T he A scension .— Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1 : 1 - 11 . G olden T ext . — He was taken up; and a cloud received him out of sight. —Acts 1:9.
I. U nity of the G ospel and A cts . —1 :l-3. Luke and Acts are one history in two vol umes. The first, “the former treatise,” is the Gospel (Luke 1:1-4) and concerns what “Jesus began both to do and to teach"; the second is the Acts and concerns what, after His ascension He continued to do and to teach. There has been no cessation in our Lord’s activities. The "passion” was action for He “offered up Himself.’’ He “de scended into hell’’ (Acts 2 :22, 31 ; 2 Peter 3 :19), then resumed His body and Acts, the epistles and history tell of His unceasing mediation and rule. II. B etween the R esurrection and A s cension — 2-9. 1. The Resurrection Demonstrated. Ef forts to account for the conviction that Jesus rose on any other theory than that of the fact have proved and always must prove futile; not so much on the ground of the details as of the extended account itself, which could have no less a purpose than to affirm the actuality of the restoration of Jesus’ bodily life. The incarnation, cruci fixion, resurrection and ascension are the cardinal accomplished facts, of the Gospel. :The 'resurrection is the guaranty of all things involved. Its demonstration was es sential. Therefore Jesus "showed (as if for inspection) himself (the very same) alive (bodily) after his passion by many infallible proofs (recall them—proofs the same as had proved His reality before His passion ) ap pearing (the word implies optically) and speaking (oral proof) concerning the King dom of God.” 2. The Apostles Instructed. The nature of these instructions is recorded : Luke 24 : 25-27, 46-48; Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16: 15-18; John 21:15-22; Acts 1:4-8. These instructions are more fully found in the works and teachings recorded in Acts and
the epistles as brought to mind or enlarged by the Holy Ghost (John 14:26). 3. On the Eve of Ascension. Jesus “be ing assembled together with them (“eating with them,” marg.) commanded them . . . (to) wait at Jerusalem (Rom. 1:16; John 4:22; Isa. 2:3) for the promise of the Father” (Joel 2 :28, 29; Matt. 3:11; John 14: 26, 27; Acts 2:1-4). (1) Time spent in due preparation is never lost. (2) Man’s season is not necessarily God’s season. (3) With out the enduement of the Spirit we are without “power.” While they tarried they prayed while they prayed the power fell (Acts 1:12-14; 2:1-3). 4. The Question as to Time. They asked. “Lord, wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom?” Most commentators condemn the disciples for this; but they not the disciples err on the nature of the kingdom. Jesus said, “It is not for you to know times and seasons.” Their thought that He would “restore” the (previously existing) kingdom He did not reprove but accepted—had He not discoursed on it forty days,and more ? Had they been in error now He must have corrected them. His actions perplexed them. He spoke of restoring, yet of going away; they naturally sought an explanation. Nor did Jesus, like these modern critics, re buke them for it. III. T he A scension . —24:50, 53 ; 8, 9. 1. The Scene of It. This was the Mount of Olives. “He led them,” not “as far as” (A. V .) but “over against (R. V .) Bethany." To this same Olivet He shall return (Zech. 14:4). 2. The Parting Word. (1) He reiterated the promise o f the Spirit—essential to their encouragement, sufficiency and efficiency. (2) He reissued the Great Commission. They should be His witnesses to the facts seen, the words spoken, the power experi-
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