The text for this lesson is John 21:1–19
Key Point
- Jesus, our risen Savior, ascended to heaven to prepare a place for us there with Him.
- Law: I sin when I live as if the ascended Christ is no longer active in my life and the world.
- Gospel: Jesus ascended into heaven to prepare an eternal home for me, and I can trust His promise to be with me now and always.
Discussion Points
- On Ascension, the paschal candle is extinguished after the reading of the Gospel, which symbolizes Jesus’ removal from the sight of His disciples. We now live by faith, not by sight. However, the other candles in the church have been lit from the paschal candle, and they continue to burn. In Matthew 5:14, Jesus tells His disciples, “You are the light of the world.” Psalm 119:105 says God’s Word is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path. In view of these verses, what might the candles that remain lit after receiving light from the paschal candle symbolize?
- Where is heaven? What insights do Philippians 2:9–11 and Ephesians 4:8–10 give us concerning Christ’s ascension and exaltation?
- In Acts 1:4–5, Jesus tells the apostles to wait for the promised Holy Spirit to come. Some people argue that water Baptism does not give the Holy Spirit, but that there is a separate Baptism of the Holy Spirit. How do John 3:5; Ephesians 4:5; and Acts 2:38 refute the idea that the Lord ordained more than one kind of Baptism for the Church?
- The two disciples on the road to Emmaus had hoped Jesus would be a powerful earthly Messiah who would restore Israel to greatness. How does the question from the apostles in Acts 1:6 demonstrate that they had not yet gotten it? What do John 18:33–38 and 19:1–3, 18–19 teach about Jesus’ kingdom? When would the apostles finally get it? How does Peter’s sermon in Acts 2:29–36 demonstrate this?
- Acts 1:9 says that Jesus “was lifted up, and a cloud took Him out of their sight.” The cloud was a sign that Jesus was not really leaving but just changing His mode of presence with the apostles. According to Exodus 13:21–22 and 14:24–25, what was the significance of the cloud over Israel during the exodus? According to Exodus 40:34–38, where did the cloud reside with Israel? What might the cloud at the ascension have to do with that Old Testament cloud?
- Acts 1:11 states, “This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven.” What exciting thing for believers does Luke 21:25–28 tell us about Jesus’ return? According to Mark 13:32, when should we expect Jesus’ return to happen? What should be the Christian’s constant expectation and prayer, according to Revelation 22:20?
- The disciples’ separation from Jesus was not sad: “They worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God” (Luke 24:52–53). Based on Matthew 28:20, why were they so joyful? How does the celebration continue in Acts 2:42? What pattern did their worship set for the Church of all ages?
- What words in John 14:1–3 show us that to be in heaven is to be where Jesus is? Why is the passage so frequently used as the text for funeral sermons?
