“Taken Up”

Acts 1: 2, 9, 11: “Until the day when He was taken up … He was lifted up while they were looking on … this Jesus, Who has been taken up from you …” These terms St. Luke uses to describe the ascension - ‘taken up’,’ lifted up’, ‘carried’ (see Luke 24: 51) area all passive terms from Jesus’ point of view. In other words, He didn’t ascend by His own power or will, He was brought up by another force (the Father). His return will be the same way - on a day which “the Father has fixed by his own authority” (v. 7). That’s why the angels told the eleven, “Don’t stand here gazing; the same Father Who took Jesus up will send Him back in His own good time.” But some people still gaze anyway …