Acts 1:3-8
Chapter 1
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Promise of the Holy Spirit
After his passion, he presented himself to them, giving many signs that he was alive. Over a period of forty days, he showed himself to them and taught them about the kingdom of God.4
Once, while he was eating with them, he told them:
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John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit within a few days.”
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Ascension of Jesus
When they had gathered together, they asked him:
“Is it now that you will restore the kingdom of Israel?”
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He answered:
“It is not for you to know the time and the steps that the Father has fixed by his own authority.
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But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the earth.”
Commentaries
Promise of the Holy Spirit.
Before recounting the history of the Church, Luke shows two stages of preparation for the disciples: one of 40 days during which the risen Jesus interacts with the community, and another, before the coming of the Holy Spirit, where the disciples dedicate themselves to prayer. Between these two stages, he describes Jesus’ Ascension into heaven. The 40-day period symbolizes a time of trial, doubt, discernment, and faith, and the disciples go through such an experience, still confused by the resurrection. Luke stresses that Jesus is alive, risen, and present with them—the same Jesus they followed in his public ministry and who was crucified on a cross. Jesus leaves them with a task and a promise: not to leave Jerusalem, and that they will soon be baptized with the Holy Spirit.
Ascension of Jesus.
Luke is the only evangelist to mention this event. For 40 days, Jesus appears to his disciples, showing them that he is alive and the same person who was crucified. But this is only part of understanding the resurrection. The Ascension explains the other part: although Jesus’ presence among us still feels “real,” it is also different. The cloud that “hides” him as he ascends into heaven doesn’t mean he’s gone, but rather that his way of being present is changing. From now on, Jesus will be with us through his Spirit. Luke finishes this passage with a gentle rebuke to the disciples: “Why are you standing there looking at the sky?” (11). They need to return to Jerusalem, where the tough task of evangelization awaits them.