Ascension

A reflection for Ascensiontide

In Luke’s second book, The Acts of the Apostles, he described Jesus’ ascension, setting the event on the Mount of Olives.

The disciples asked Jesus, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”  He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” And when he had said these  things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:6-11)

What do you think are the five most important events, or days in the Christian year?

The birth, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost are probably the five most important events, but only two always occur on a Sunday – sometimes Christmas Day falls on a Sunday, but Ascension Day is always on a Thursday; why?

In Acts 1:3 Luke tells us that Jesus appeared to the disciples for forty days following his resurrection, making Ascension Day a
Thursday, forty days from Easter Sunday; that's Thursday14th May 2026. Forty is mentioned 146 times in the Bible; it’s a number with significance. It rained for 40 days and nights after Noah built his ark. The Hebrews wandered for 40 years in the wilderness. Moses was on Mount Sinai for
40 days and nights, on two separate occasions receiving God's laws. Jesus spent 40 days and nights in the wilderness, and there were other 40s too. Forty, generally symbolizes a period of testing, trial, or probation, and often God’s presence and guidance.

Cloud is another indicator of God’s presence.  The Hebrew nation were led through the desert those 40 years by a pillar of cloud by day,  When Moses went up the mountain to receive the Ten Commandments it was covered by cloud; and the Psalmist wrote , “O Lord my God …you make the clouds your chariot” (Psalm 104).

Jesus was taken up in a cloud, to sit at the right hand of God.  But where is up. Once we get out into space, up really has no meaning at all. We might speak about going up to Inverness for a holiday, but actually we’d be going down as Inverness is about 13 metres above sea level whilst Hereford is about 60 metres. So, ascending has a particular meaning, just like we might say that getting a promotion is going up in the world.

The disciples looked into the sky with amazement. So, what is the Ascension about? 

Jesus’ resurrection and ascension is about Jesus conquering death and being enthroned as ruler of the world at whose name every knee shall bow and every tongue confess him as King, as the ancient Christian hymn so eloquently puts it (Philippians 2:10-11).

Jesus’ Ascension is about Jesus fulfilling his promise to the disciples that he would go and prepare a place for his faithful people,
reassuring them that, “I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” (John 14:4). So, this place where Jesus now is, is a place with God the Father and a place where we can be too.

Jesus’ Ascension is about our having someone who speaks up for us in the heavenly throne room. The Apostle Peter wrote; Jesus “has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.”. (1 Peter 3:22).  Jesus sitting at God’s right hand conjures up a delightful image of Jesus leaning across the arm of the heavenly throne talking to God the Father on our behalf. As John puts it, “if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (1 John 2:1). Paul wrote to the Romans; Christ Jesus was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. (See Romans 8:34.) Jesus is actively intervening, speaking to the Father on our behalf. Now that’s reassuring.

Jesus’ Ascension means that God is with us every moment of every day through his Holy Spirit. At the Last Supper, Jesus had promised to send another comforter, (John 14:16-17) or helper, the parakletos (someone who is alongside), the Holy Spirit. He could not come until Jesus had ascended (John 16:7). The coming of the Holy Spirit, on the Day of Pentecost, is crucial to the continuing work of building The Kingdom. That’s a work of mission and it should not be lost to us that Jesus’ last words spoken prior to his ascension were words of mission; “you are to be given power when the Holy Spirit has come to you. You will be witnesses to me, not only in Jerusalem, not only throughout Judea, not only in Samaria, but to the very ends of the earth!” (Acts 1:8) Matthew’s
account records Jesus saying; “go and make disciples of all the nations and baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19-20) We are to be a missionary people, a missionary church proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ and make him known in the world.

The ascension of Jesus means that we can have confidence in our final destination. We have assurance that we who have received life in Jesus Christ will enjoy that life with him for all eternity.

Prayer (Adapted from Liturgies from Lindisfarne)

Risen, ascended Lord, you descended to earth that earth might ascend to heaven. You descended to the dead that the dead might rise to life. In our struggles, in our tiredness in our despair lift us up out of darkness into the glorious light of your radiance. Lift us
out of sadness into joy, out of failure into trust, out of pride into humility. Lift us Lord out of doubt into faith, out of death into life. Lift us to be with you for all eternity. Amen.