Posts Tagged With: 49 days

Jesus Heals a Blind Man

Posted on April 27, 2022 by tricialathrop

Day 10 of 49

Sixth Sign: Jesus Heals a Blind Man. John 9:1-41.

This narrative contains many facets which will be mentioned in several of the upcoming devotionals. Today I want to focus on verses 9:1-12.

As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 

2 And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 

3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. 

4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 

5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 

6 Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud 

7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing. 

8 The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” 

9 Some said, “It is he.” Others said, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” 

10 So they said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” 

11 He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed and received my sight.” 

12 They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.” 

Jn 9:1–12.

Jesus passed by and saw a blind man. His disciples asked a question which revealed the belief of many first century Jews. “Who sinned?” Illness, especially extreme illness was considered a result of sin. I think it’s interesting that they would think the man could have sinned since he was blind from birth…hard to sin in the womb. 

Jesus told them this blindness wasn’t because of sin but so that God’s works would be displayed in him. That man suffered blindness a long time before God’s works were displayed. He suffered the humiliation of people thinking he had sinned before he was born. His parents suffered accusation of sin, causing their son to be born blind. 

Too often I have judged another unfairly.

Jesus made mud out of his saliva and put it on the man’s eyes, told him to wash in the pool of Siloam. The man did, and once he could see, the people at the temple were amazed and wondered how it happened. 

Some things to note. John is the only gospel to mention this healing.

It took place on the Sabbath. Kneading clay (making mud) fell under the thirty-nine forms of work which violated the Sabbath. 

The obvious sign of Jesus as Messiah, he will open the eyes of the blind. 

The Lord sets the prisoners free; 

8 the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. 

The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; 

the Lord loves the righteous. 

Ps 146:7–8.

In that day the deaf shall hear 

the words of a book, 

and out of their gloom and darkness 

the eyes of the blind shall see. 

19 The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the Lord, 

and the poor among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel. 

Is 29:18–19.

Say to those who have an anxious heart, 

“Be strong; fear not! 

Behold, your God 

will come with vengeance, 

with the recompense of God. 

He will come and save you.” 

5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, 

and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 

6 then shall the lame man leap like a deer, 

and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. 

Is 35:4–6.

Comparison of blind man and lame man:

  • Jesus approached both of them. He did not wait for them to seek him out.
  • The blind man sat at the temple gate, the lame man lay down by an asclepion pool.
  • The blindness not a result of sin, the lameness probably a result of sin.
  • Both healings were on the Sabbath.
  • The blind man washed in the pool of Siloam, the lame man did not wash in the pool.
  • Both men went to the temple after the healing.
  • The blind man knew the name of his healer, the lame man did not.
  • Both did as Jesus commanded.
  • The blind man proclaimed faith in Christ, we don’t know about the lame man.

The man at the temple needed Jesus just as much as the man in the asclepion. Jesus reached out to both of them because neither could change their circumstances without his intervention. 

That young kid in church needs Christ just as much as the young kid who carries a gun into school. The mom who prays every morning with her children needs Christ as much as the mom who is passed out from drink. The man who serves as an elder in his church needs Christ as much as the man whose job is his god. 

We do not know the background of the people around us, but we need to love them as Christ did. Whether they come to believe in Christ or not is not our story, our job is to share the love of Christ with them. Jesus reached out and showed his love, even to those who would spit in his face, betray him, nail him to the cross, and mock him on the cross. 

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 

2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 

3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 

5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 

6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 

7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 

9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. 

Eph 2:1–10.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 

8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 

9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 

10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 

11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 

1 Jn 4:7–11.

Lord, thank you for reaching out to me before I knew I needed you. Show me how to love the people you created, even those who see things differently than I do. Help me to show mercy and grace to all that cross my path.

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Jesus Walks on Water

Posted on April 26, 2022 by tricialathrop

Day 9 of 49

Fifth Sign: Jesus Walks on Water

When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 

17 got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 

18 The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. 

19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. 

20 But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” 

21 Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going. 

Jn 6:16–21.

John records a shortened version of the narrative of Jesus walking on water. Once again, the other gospels fill out the lost information.

  • Matt 14:22-33: Jesus urged the disciples to get into a boat while he sent away the people he had just fed. The he went up onto a mountain to pray alone. Waves beat on the boat and the wind was against the disciples. Between 3 and 6 in the morning Jesus walked towards them on water, and they thought he was a ghost. Jesus told them to not be afraid because it was just him. Peter asked to walk to him, Jesus agreed, but Peter looked at the waves instead of Jesus. When they got into the boat, the winds ceased. Those in the boat said, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
  • Mark 6:45-52: Jesus made the disciples get into the boat while he dismissed the crowd, he went up the mountain to pray. Jesus saw that they were moving slowly against the wind. He came to them between 3 and 6 in the morning, and meant to just keep walking to the other side. They cried out, thinking he was a ghost, and he immediately spoke to them. When he got in the boat with them, the wind ceased. They were utterly astonished. Interesting statement: “They did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.” 

After the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus sends the disciples in a boat, then went to pray alone. They waited awhile, hoping he would join them, but when it became night they took off. Storms often appeared on the Sea of Galilee, especially at night, but this group had at least four seasoned fishermen, should be no problem. They tried to make headway against the wind to no avail, and up on the mountain, Jesus watched them struggle. He let them struggle.

Superstitions about the Sea of Galilee concerning evil spirits inhabiting the sea and causing storms intimidated the people of the land. Tired and weary from rowing, seeing Jesus walking towards them in the wee hours of the morning, fear took hold and behold, a ghost. 

The disciples had been on a boat with Jesus before, Jesus fell asleep and a storm came. At that point, he calmed the storm and fear filled the disciples, “Who is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?” (Lk 8:25). The other three gospels include this narrative, John does not. (Mt 8:23-27; Mk 4:35-41; Lk 8:22-25).

Why did John include this narrative, and not the one where Jesus slept? Why didn’t John mention Peter’s attempt to walk on the water? Questions for which I have no answers.

The passage does reveal anew the power of Jesus Christ over the elements of nature, revealing his relationship to God. For any who held onto superstitions, he revealed that he is a great king above all gods.

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; 

let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! 

2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; 

let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! 

3 For the Lord is a great God, 

and a great King above all gods. 

4 In his hand are the depths of the earth; 

the heights of the mountains are his also. 

5 The sea is his, for he made it, 

and his hands formed the dry land. 

6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; 

let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! 

7 For he is our God, 

and we are the people of his pasture, 

and the sheep of his hand. 

Ps 95:1–7.

The people watched Jesus. They saw that he stayed behind after the disciples left. They saw that he did not get on a boat to cross the sea. At the other side, people saw him arrive in the boat with the disciples.

When they ask Jesus how he arrived, he did not answer them. Instead, he said they only sought him because they ate bread. How discouraging, Jesus held out the Word of Life, and they just wanted physical bread.

Jesus Christ offers us forgiveness for all our sins, eternal life, peace and contentment…and we can’t see beyond our physical needs. The Almighty God who controls the smallest particles of the universe desires a relationship with us, and we worry about what color shirt to wear.

Lord, you are more than we can even imagine. You control the elements. You determine the times. You reveal the destinations. You love us with a love that has no dimensions.

You are beautiful beyond description

Too marvelous for words

Too wonderful for comprehension

Like nothing ever seen or heard

Who can grasp Your infinite wisdom

Who can fathom the depths of Your love

You are beautiful beyond description

Majesty, enthroned above

And I stand, I stand in awe of You

I stand, I stand in awe of You

Holy God to whom all praise is due

I stand in awe of You

Composer: Mark Altrogge

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Feeding 5000

Posted on April 25, 2022 by tricialathrop

Day 8 of 49

Fourth Sign: Feeding of 5000

After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. 

2 And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. 

3 Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. 

4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. 

5 Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” 

6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. 

7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.” 

8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 

9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” 

10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. 

11 Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. 

12 And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” 

13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. 

14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!” 

15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself. 

Jn 6:1–15.

One of the most memorable miracles of Jesus, it publicly displayed his power over nature and his ability to provide for one’s needs. 

Since the miracle at Cana, Jesus spent the year consistently healing, preaching the Kingdom of God, and gaining popularity among the people. A lot of the people followed him to get help for themselves or for their family. A lot followed him because he did spectacular miracles.

In the 60’s and 70’s, we saw similar gatherings, especially among the charismatic and pentecostal element of the church. Faith healers like Oral Roberts, Kathryn Kuhlmann, Kenneth Copeland, Kenneth Hagin, Derek Prince, and Benny Hinn traveled the world, drawing huge crowds, and bringing hope in Jesus Christ to people in pain. Today others continue the healing ministries on television and in huge arenas.

While I don’t agree with the teaching that lays the blame for a lack of healing on the unbelief of the sick person or that everyone will be healed and wealthy if they have enough faith…after all, God is sovereign…I know that God heals today. I have experienced it. I have seen it in the lives of others. And I believe that there are some people who are blessed with the gift of praying for others to be healed (I Cor 12:9, 28; read all of chapter 12 for a list of the gifts). 

My point in this is not the validity of these faith healers, my point is that sensationalism draws big crowds. Jesus, by the sheer magnitude of the healings he performed, drew huge crowds. 

The feeding of the 5000 is mentioned in all four gospels. We gain additional details from these gospels.

Matthew 14:13-21: Jesus had tried to get to a desolate place, probably to pray, but the people followed…actually they raced ahead on foot and met him at his destination. He had compassion on them and healed the sick.

Mark 6:30-44: Jesus had sent the 12 disciples out two by two to proclaim that people should repent, to cast out demons and to anoint with oil those who needed healing (Mk 6:7-13). They had just returned and Jesus tried to take them to a desolate place for some RandR. The people beat them to the destination. Jesus had compassion and taught them until it was late.

Luke 9:10-17: We find out the name of the place, Bethsaida, after the disciples returned from their venture. It says that Jesus welcomed the people who followed, spoke to them about the Kingdom of God, and healed those in need…until late.

Some of the disciples wanted to send them into the towns to get food…can you imagine an influx of 5000 people into a small town? Jesus told them to feed the people. Philip gave voice to the disciples’ dilemma, “200 denarri is not enough to buy bread for all these people.” Andrew brought the boy with five loaves and two fish, saying “What is this for so many?”. 

Five of the disciples, including Andrew, witnessed the turning of water into wine. All of them witnessed the healings and the casting out of demons. They had just returned from their journeys where they were the ones healing and casting out demons. 

This was a challenge in belief, five loaves and two fish to feed so many people? But Jesus told them to have the people sit down, and they obeyed him…a step of faith, despite the doubt. 

Everyone ate until satisfied, and they collected 12 baskets of leftovers. Some say that the 12 baskets (kophinos) represent the 12 tribes of Israel. 

Matthew 15:29-39 and Mark 8:1-10 mention the feeding of the 4000. They had seven loaves and a few fish that fed everyone and they gathered seven baskets (spyris) of leftovers.  There is some thought that this second feeding was to show the inclusion of the gentiles into God’s kingdom. 

The kophinos was a basket used almost exclusively by the Jews. The seven represented the seven Gentile nations: Canaanites, Amorites, Girgashites, Hittites, Hivites, Jebusites and the Perizzites. 

What does this reveal to us about Jesus as the Messiah?

He had compassion for his people, as sheep without a shepherd.

“In those days and in that time, declares the Lord, the people of Israel and the people of Judah shall come together, weeping as they come, and they shall seek the Lord their God. 

5 They shall ask the way to Zion, with faces turned toward it, saying, ‘Come, let us join ourselves to the Lord in an everlasting covenant that will never be forgotten.’ 

6 “My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray, turning them away on the mountains. From mountain to hill they have gone. They have forgotten their fold. 

Je 50:4–6.

“For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. 

12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. 

13 And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. 

14 I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. 

15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. 

Eze 34:11–15.

“I will strengthen the house of Judah, 

and I will save the house of Joseph. 

I will bring them back because I have compassion on them, 

and they shall be as though I had not rejected them, 

for I am the Lord their God and I will answer them. 

Zec 10:6.

The people perceived that he was the prophet who was to come. Jesus departed because they wanted to make him king.

Later they ask him for proof that he was the Messiah…they wanted more bread. That leads to the discussion of Jesus as the Bread of Life, which we will touch on in a later devotional. 

Lord, thank you for the sacrifice you made to bring us eternal life. Thank you for being a shepherd with compassion on us. Help us to seek your face in gratitude of your love and mercy that you poured out on us. When we see your gifts manifested through your followers, help us to not focus on the gift or the one with the gift, but on you, the one who gives. 

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Healing a Lame Man

Posted on April 24, 2022 by tricialathrop

Day 7 of 49

Third sign: Healing the Man by the Pool

After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 

2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. 

3 In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. 

5 One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 

6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” 

7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” 

8 Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” 

9 And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. 

Now that day was the Sabbath. 

10 So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.” 

11 But he answered them, “The man who healed me, that man said to me, ‘Take up your bed, and walk.’ ” 

12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” 

13 Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. 

14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.” 

15 The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. 

16 And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. 

17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” 

Jn 5:1–17.

This pool of Bethesda always confused me. It seemed so contrary to how the Lord does things. We don’t read anywhere else in scripture about an angel stirring the waters for healing or about Bethesda.  

God used water to heal. He healed Naaman when he dipped seven times in the Jordan River (2 Kings 5). He healed the blind man when he washed in the Pool of Siloam (John 9). 

I’m taking a class that talks about the relationship between the Old and New Testaments. The professor gave an explanation for this pool which could explain why we don’t hear more about this pool.

Bethesda was likely an Asclepion, a pagan place of healing. In the 300 quiet years between the Old and New Testaments, the Greeks held a lot of power and influence in the region. While the Maccabeans did succeed in removing the pagan gods from the temple, other places of pagan worship would have remained.

Sick Greeks and Romans would seek the favor of Asclepius with an offering, and remain in the Asclepion until until they heard from god…through the interpretation of the priests. Treatment started with a temple sleep after which the dream was interpreted. Some people remained a long time, not receiving an answer.  

If we consider this place an asclepion, it adds a new dimension to the narrative. Jesus entered a pagan god’s stronghold to redeem one of his own. 

Jesus’ encounter with the man begins with the question, “Do you want to be healed?” The response is an excuse, “I have no one to help me.” I’ll leave you to ponder the implications of that question.

Jesus healed the man and told him to make up his bed and walk. The man obeyed and was accosted by Jews who let him know he was breaking the Law of Moses. He did not disobey the Law of Moses, he disobeyed one of the oral traditions built up around the keeping of the Sabbath. 

This was often the source of contention between Jesus and the Jewish authorities. Jesus said that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath (Mk 2:27). The oral traditions built up such a wall of rules around the Sabbath that it did not allow the people to enjoy the day. 

When confronted about carrying the bed the man said, “The man who healed me told me to carry my bed.” The Jews who confronted him did not care that he had been healed after 38 years, just that he carried his bed.

Jesus found the man in the temple, perhaps he had gone to the temple to thank God for his healing. Jesus told him “Sin no more, so that nothing worse happens to you.” Was his first illness a consequence of his sin?  

The man goes and tells the Jewish authorities that Jesus had healed him.

We don’t hear anything more about this man. Did he come to believe in Jesus? Did he continue to sin? We don’t know. 

The narrative ends with a comment by Jesus about his Father. “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” The Jews had no problem with God working on the Sabbath, he took care of the world. They did have problems with Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God, making himself equal with God.

How does this reveal Jesus as the Messiah?

  • If it was an asclepion, then Jesus entered a pagan god’s stronghold to deliver one of his own
  • Jesus healed a lame man.

Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. 

He will come and save you.” 

5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 

6 then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. 

Is 35:4–6.

Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples 

3 and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” 

4 And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 

5 the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. 

Mt 11:2–5.

  • Jesus continued to reach out to this man, knowing what he would do.
  • Jesus did the work of God, even on the Sabbath 

Lord, thank you for reaching out to us in our pain and in our sin. Thank you for being our source of healing and hope. Help us to look no farther than you for all that we need. 

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49 Days

Posted on April 18, 2022 by tricialathrop

Day 1 of 49

The Lord is risen.

He is risen indeed!

Today we celebrate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Many spent the forty days prior to this in contemplation, sometimes giving up a food or activity, allowing them to consider the Messiah’s sacrifice on the cross.

I will try something different this year, using the next 49 days to contemplate the ministry of Jesus Christ. What interactions did he have while on earth? What miracles did he perform, and what do they tell us about his purpose here? What questions did he ask…and what questions did others ask him? What did his teaching reveal about our relationship to God and to one another? 

You may be wondering, why 49 days?

The crucifixion of Jesus happened on the day before Passover, the day the people in Judea killed the Passover lamb for their Seder celebration. Paul referred to Jesus as the Passover lamb in 1 Corinthians 5:7 when he told the people to clean out the leaven of malice and evil, because Christ the Passover lamb had been sacrificed.

Jesus rose again on the Day of First Fruits. The people brought the first produce from their crops along with other sacrifices to honor God who provided the yield of the crops. And again, Paul refers to Christ as the firstfruit for all who will be made alive at Christ’s second coming (1 Corinthians 15:23). 

This began the Feast of Weeks, Shavu’oth, which concluded with a pilgrimage to the temple in Jerusalem on what we call the Day of Pentecost. The people were to count 7 weeks from their first harvest, 49 days, then bring a freewill offering to give as the Lord had blessed them on the fiftieth day. God commanded them to rejoice including their servants, the Levites and any sojourner within their town (Deuteronomy 16:10-12). Over time it changed from a harvest celebration to a time associated with covenant renewal and the giving of the Law. Christians know it as the day the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples.

During this 49 days of counting, Jesus appeared to his disciples and continued to teach them for 40 days. Then he told them to wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came to them. So about 120 disciples, including women and Jesus’ brothers waited, devoting themselves to prayer, in one accord…I find that to be a miracle in itself.

They may not have known what to expect, but they remained faithful.

I’m not really sure what to expect in this 49 day journey, but I will try to be faithful to contemplate the ministry of Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

Lord, open our hearts to your truth, as we wait for you.

He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 

4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 

5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 

6 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.” 

 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ac 1:3–11.

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