Luke provides two versions of Jesus' Ascension. The first, given in Luke 24:51, appears to have occurred on Easter evening. Jesus' Ascension into glory provides a dramatic, uplifting ending to Luke's first book. Why then does he repeat this scene - with several notable differences - at the beginning of Acts?

Luke gives his revised version of these events in 1:1-3, moving Jesus' Ascension back an additional 40 days from his resurrection. The 40 days of instruction the disciples receive from their risen Lord echo the 40 days Moses spent on Sinai. Just as God spent 40 days with Moses to effect the creation of a people, so Jesus spent 40 days with his disciples in order to create the church. The apostles, like Moses, are fully instructed and informed. In Acts, Jesus' Ascension at the end of th…