Acts 1:2

Until that day in which he was received up, after that he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit unto the apostles whom he had chosen.

He was received up ... This statement makes the ascension of Jesus Christ to have been something God did for Jesus, and not something that Jesus did himself. This corresponds with Daniel's prophecy that "they brought him near before him" (Daniel 7:13), and also with the mandatory deduction from Luke's parable of the pounds to the effect that Jesus did not "set up" a kingdom, but he "received" one as a gift from the Father. It is often alleged that only Luke and Mark mention the ascension, but this is not correct. John's gospel has two references to it (John 6:62 and John 20:17), and Matthew's record of the great commission, "all authority in heaven and upon earth," may be understood only in light of the fact of his ascension.

Commandment through the Holy Spirit unto the apostles ... Here at the very beginning of Acts, Luke brought into view the work of the Holy Spirit which received such extensive emphasis throughout the book. The commandment in view here was given on the day Jesus was taken up, this commandment being in fact the enabling charter for all that the apostles were to do. This is a reference to the great commission; and, as McGarvey said, "This is the key to the whole narrative before us; and in Acts are recorded the counterpart of its terms and the best exposition of its meaning."[4]

Before the Holy Spirit was given to the apostles, they were not fully capable of proclaiming the gospel of Christ, due to their misunderstanding of the nature of the kingdom; but after Pentecost, they were guided by the Holy Spirit into all truth.

Through the Holy Spirit ... All that Jesus did was "through" the Holy Spirit, for Jesus was in possession of the measureless gift of the Spirit throughout his ministry (John 3:34).