9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

10 They were looking intently up 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.” Acts 1:9-11

For forty days after Jesus rose from the dead, He taught His disciples about the Kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). They didn’t know how long He would remain with them.

When I talk with my Aunt on the telephone, it frequently ends with her talking quickly about one topic, then without missing a beat says, “Oh, gotta go. See you. Bye.” And just that quickly the phone goes dead. I often ask myself, “What just happened?”

I suspect Jesus’ ascension was similar to my Aunt’s hasty goodbyes. His quick departure into the sky certainly left the Disciples asking, “What just happened?”

At this point they probably didn’t have time to get nervous about the loss of their friend. The two angels seemed to calm them down a bit.

Now the real task would begin, the task of proclaiming the Kingdom of God. This time, however, they would be without their friend, mentor, and teacher. They would be on their own.

Or would they?

That’s the beauty of the Gospel. The Disciples were certainly not on their own for any of the upcoming tasks. They had the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to guide them. Jesus even made a point of telling them to wait to be baptized by the Holy Spirit before going out. Plus they had the unique experience of actually seeing the Messiah living and walking among them. No one before them and no one since has/had that kind of first hand experience.

Still, Jesus was no longer with them. On a human level, it had to sting a bit. Certainly they would be reunited with Him later, but He was not there anymore.

What’s important to note, though, is that we are not alone in this world. We all experience death and loss, and that loss can sting. We need to “lean in” to the Holy Spirit – to the Comforter – especially in those times of loss. To be sure, we need the Holy Spirit every second of our lives, but when it all feels hopeless and out of control, the Holy Spirit – the third person of the Holy Trinity – will be our comfort.

As Believers, we are not alone. Ever.