Looking Ahead: The Risen King Reigns
Month 7: He Is Risen! — Why We Believe · Family Worship
Today's Scripture
Read together: Acts 1:9-11
9 After He had said this, they watched as He was taken up, and a cloud hid Him from their sight. 10 They were looking intently into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.”
Memory Verse
“He is not here; He has risen, just as He said! Come, see the place where He lay.”— Matthew 28:6 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Isaiah 58–62
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Around Day 210 of 365 — Isaiah looks ahead to the coming Anointed One and the year of the Lord's favor.)The Heart of It
Yesterday we looked back at the empty tomb. Tonight we look up. Jesus had risen, and He spent forty days proving He was truly alive. Then His friends watched as He "was taken up, and a cloud hid Him from their sight" (). Jesus didn't fade away or stay hidden. He went up to the throne of heaven, where He reigns right now as the living King. The resurrection was never the end of the story. It was the beginning of His reign. The same Jesus who walked dusty roads and ate breakfast with His disciples is, at this very moment, ruling over all things and praying for His people.
But the angels didn't let the disciples stand there staring at the sky forever. They said, "This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven" (). The risen King is coming back. He will come visibly. He will come in person. It will be the very same Jesus. That changes how a family lives between now and then. We are not waiting around nervously. We have work to do and a King to trust. Because He lives and reigns, we can face tomorrow without fear. We can keep telling others the good news. And we can look forward with real hope to the day we see Him face to face. The story that began "In the beginning, God" is heading toward "Even so, come, Lord Jesus."
Around the Table
Jesus went up to heaven on a cloud, and one day He's coming back! We get to wait for Him with happy hearts.
Let's do it: Look up and wave: "We can't wait to see You, Jesus!"
Jesus is alive and ruling as King in heaven right now — and He promised to come back the very same way He left.
Let's talk: If you knew Jesus was coming back tomorrow, what is one thing you'd want to do today?
The ascension means the risen Jesus reigns as Lord right now. And His return, in person and in plain sight, is our "blessed hope" ().
Let's go deeper: How should knowing the King is coming back shape the way you spend your time and treat people?
💬 Conversation Starter
Think of a time you were waiting for something really good, like a trip, a birthday, or a visitor. How did it change the way you acted while you waited?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
When someone says, "Believing Jesus is coming back is just make-believe," we can gently point something out. The same eyewitnesses who reported the empty tomb and the risen Jesus also reported His ascension. And they staked their lives on it. If their testimony about the resurrection holds up when you investigate it, and it does, then their report of His ascension and promised return stands on the same trustworthy ground. We hold this hope confidently, but also "with gentleness and respect" (). It rests on the One who already conquered the grave.
For Dad · Go Deeper
The ascension is the doctrine busy Christians most easily forget, yet it anchors everything practical about leading a home. A King who reigns means your family's outcomes don't finally rest on your performance. They rest on the One seated on the throne, interceding for you (). And His promised return gives us urgency without anxiety. You raise disciples not to escape a scary future, but to be found faithful when the Master comes. Tonight, as you close out this month, cast the vision forward for your kids. We belong to a living King who is coming back. The family that knows it lives with steadiness, with hope, and with a holy eagerness to be ready.
Draws on: Tony Evans, Theology You Can Count On.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You that Jesus is alive and reigning as King right now. And thank You that He is coming back, just as He promised. Help our family to live with hope. Help us do the work You've given us. And keep us glad and ready for the day we see Him. In Jesus' name, amen."
My King is alive. He reigns right now. And He is coming back. So I can live today with hope.