At the beginning of the book of Acts, Luke, the physician and companion of Paul, told his friend named Theophilus that in his first book he wrote about all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day when he was taken up to heaven.
Now after Jesus was crucified and resurrected, he had shown himself to these men and given many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. There are two particular appearances we want to mention.
On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
On a second occasion the apostles asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 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.”
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. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, suddenly, two men stood by them in white robes, 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 disciples worshiped Jesus and then returned to Jerusalem with great joy and awaited the promised Holy Spirit.