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Monday 1 March 2010

Acts 1:6-11

The disciples still did not fully understand, their thinking was fixated on what was going to happen to Israel (maybe some Christians today have the same problem! - see comments that follow before you stone me). Now notice Jesus' answer. He does not deny that kingdom will be restored to Israel, and chapters 9-11 of Romans make clear that Israel is part of God's plan, and is indeed central to it. However, God's plan was much bigger than they imagined. God's plan was made clear to Abraham when He said that all peoples would be blessed through Abraham. God was now going to engage in the "all peoples" bit. If you focus on Israel to the exclusion of other things then you are up a gum tree, equally if you think Israel is no longer part of God's plan, then you are up a different gum tree.

Notice what Jesus does tell them. First, they are not to concern themselves with times or dates. Some people who are obsessed with the end times should take note. Instead they are to get on with the job of making disciples of all nations. We receive power from the Holy Spirit, and this power is directed towards taking the gospel to all the world.

Jesus was then taken from them, but two angels (who appeared as men) warns them not to continue looking up in the sky. Jesus would one day return to the earth.

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