These were the words of Jesus when He began His ministry in Galilee. Jesus demonstrated Himself to be the Christ, the Son of God by many signs and wonders. (Jn. 20:30-31) The gospel is His teaching ministry and His sacrificial death on the cross for the sins of His disciples and His victorious bodily resurrection from the dead. All authority has been given to Him in heaven and on earth. He commissioned His disciples to go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that He commanded them. (Mt. 28:18-20) He promised the Holy Spirit to accompany them on the way. (Jn. 15:26-27) These men witnessed His ascension into heaven and were told by two angels that He would return in the same way in which they saw Him go into heaven. (Acts 1:1-11) Christ is now seated at the right hand of the Father God (Heb. 1:3, 13) and will return with His angels on a day and hour of the Father’s choosing to judge the earth. On that day all the dead will rise to face Him. (Jn 5:25-29) It will be a great and glorious day; eternal life for those who received Him and eternal punishment for those who rejected Him. (My 25:31-46)
