Acts 1:6-11

Up and Away

In this passage, the disciples misunderstood what Jesus meant when He was referring to God's kingdom. They thought He meant a sovereign nation of Israel with Him, God's Son, at it's head. They were confused about the nature, domain, and timing of the kingdom.

The nature of the kingdom

The kingdom Jesus spoke about is a heavenly and spiritual kingdom, not an earthly one. It's not about politics and armies, it's about God's rule and God's word. It does not advance by taking earthly victories over territory and alleigances rather as the gospel advances, so does the kingdom.

The domain of the kingdom

This kingdom is not a nation, like Israel. In fact, Jesus sums up the domain right now so there is no confusion:

"You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the Earth."

There is no ambiguity here. Jesus' kingdom will be a universal one, finally uniting a world that has been divided for so long.

The timing of the kingdom

The disciples thought that Jesus would go away for a while, then come back shortly to claim His kingdom. They weren't 100% wrong, but they didn't quite get what the kingdom meant for them in that moment.

The kingdom is now

The angel said it well - what are you doing looking up? They had a job to do - the kingdom had already come and so it was time to advance it. That role still exists for all who believe - we become part of the already existing kingdom, expand it with our arrival and then work hard to continue that expansion by sharing the gospel. The power of the Holy Spirit is like our passport confirming our citizenship of this established kingdom, and it empowers us to be able to witness to others about how they can become part of this kingdom.

The kingdom is not yet

On the other side, the kingdom is also not quite complete. It's king is yet to return and claim His throne. Jesus will come again to complete the work we are doing and rule over His perfect kingdom. We work in anticipation of that day.