May 14, 2015 – Ascension Day

“While he (Jesus) was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and they were continually in the temple blessing God.” Luke 24:51 – 53

The Ascension of Our Lord, which occurred 40 days after Jesus Christ rose from the dead on Easter, is the final act of Christ for our redemption — it is the conclusion of the work he began on Good Friday. On this day, the risen Christ, in the sight of His apostles, ascended bodily into Heaven. This is the account we have from the Gospel of Luke above. Pentecost then will come 10 days later, Pentecost (which literally means 50th day) which is the giving of the Holy Spirit to the disciples and to the church. The Ascension of our Lord is important to remember because it is the day in which all things that had been prophesied for Jesus comes to a conclusion. But, it is not the end of his ministry – because in the giving of the Holy Spirit, the ministry of Jesus continues. His ascension does not mean he has left us for good. Yes, Christ ascended into heaven, but he continues to be present in our lives in many ways. And one of the most evident is through the work of the Holy Spirit.

During the forty-day period before Jesus ascended into heaven, it is believed that Jesus preached to and continued to interact with his apostles and disciples. It is during this time that Jesus confirmed for his disciples that the resurrection was real – that he did rise from the dead and has accomplished all he told us he would accomplish.

According to tradition, Ascension Day was first celebrated in 68 AD, however the first written evidence of the Ascension Day feast occurred in 385 AD. Today, Ascension Day is celebrated primarily by our friends in the Catholic and Anglican churches. Take time today to remember the Ascension of Jesus and to find ways to make the presence of Jesus through the Holy Spirit more palpable in your lives.

Pastor Dave