The Ascension

Jesus of Nazareth, Rosary

The Ascension

Saint Luke gives us two accounts of Jesus’ Ascension, one at the end of his gospel, and one (more detailed) at the beginning of Acts. Let’s look at the gospel account first:

“Then he led them out as far as Bethany, raised his hands, and blessed them. As he blessed them he parted from them and was taken up to heaven. They did him homage and then returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and they were continually in the temple praising God.” (Luke 24: 50-53)

The apostles have been on an emotional roller coaster, from the utter despair of the Crucifixion to the joyful shock and awe of the Resurrection. The Risen Jesus has been with them only a short time, and now he is leaving them for good. Or is he? Matthew does not recount the Ascension, but he ends his gospel with the Great Commission, where Jesus tells his apostles “to make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Matthew 28: 19-20)

The apostles’ faith has grown exponentially through their encounters with the Risen Jesus. There are no shortage of gospel passages spotlighting their confusion and uncertainty during his ministry. But now they are joyful because they understand he is with them always, even after he has ascended to heaven. Do they understand fully at this stage (before Pentecost) how he will be with them in a special way when they receive the Holy Spirit, or how the Spirit will transform their lives? Do they understand fully that he will be really present, Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, in the Eucharistic meal they share together? Even if they do not yet understand these things fully, they clearly understand them partially, for they are filled with joy at his parting. The Lord has saved them by his cross and resurrection, and he remains with them, even as he watches over them from heaven, giving them the grace they need to share his joy with the whole world. “I have told you this so that my joy might be in you, and your joy might be complete.” (John 15:11)

The longer account of the Ascension found in Acts begins with the apostles asking Jesus if he is going to restore the kingdom to Israel. Even after the Resurrection, their understanding of the Lord’s messianic mission is still incomplete. Jesus presides over no earthly kingdom. He came to defeat the powers of darkness and lead us to his eternal kingdom with the Father. Jesus responds to their question this way:

“It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established with his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 2:7-8)

Jesus is telling the apostles not to concern themselves with earthly kingdoms, for his Father is in control of all things. Amidst the tumult of our everyday lives, this is no small consolation! The apostles’ mission, and ours, is to lead people to his holy kingdom in heaven. This is Luke’s version of the Great Commission: “You will be my witnesses… to the ends of the earth.” Jesus gives his friends a straightforward command. He knows the trials his witnesses will face, so he promises to send the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to guide them in all that they do and say.

In Acts, as the apostles watch Jesus ascend into heaven, two men dressed in white suddenly appear beside them. It is easy to imagine the apostles, gazing in wonder as Jesus slowly disappears from their sight, being startled by these two newcomers. If they didn’t realize immediately that these two were angels, they must have understood it soon enough. “Men of Galilee,” the two asked, “why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.” (Acts 2:11)

The Nativity of God’s beloved Son was a masterpiece of subtlety. Only his mother, foster father, the shepherds and the magi knew of the great miracle that had occurred. The rich and powerful, slaves and free men, righteous and sinners alike, went on with their lives unaware that God had taken his dwelling among us in such an intimate, humble fashion. Likewise, Jesus’ Ascension was witnessed only by his chosen few apostles (much as Mary’s comings and goings at Fatima were seen only by the three shepherd children).

The Second Coming, however, will not be subtle. “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming upon the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a trumpet blast, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to another.” (Matthew 25:30-31; see the parallel verses in Mark 13:26-27 and Luke 22:27-28).

The two thousand years since Jesus ascended into heaven are the final age of this earth. This age may end tomorrow, or may extend for two thousand years more. Both Saint Paul in his First Letter to the Corinthians and Saint John in the Book of Revelation cite a favorite prayer of the early Church: Marana tha! Lord, come! (1 Corinthians 16:22; Revelation 22:20 – the penultimate verse of the Bible)

Do we as Christians today wait in joyful anticipation of the Lord’s coming? In Luke’s gospel Jesus tells the apostles, “When these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.” (Luke 22:28) Or do we ask Jesus to hold off another week, or year, or two? Are we concerned for our own souls? We have Reconciliation for that. Are we concerned for our loved ones? Jesus tells us to spread the Gospel, “teaching them to follow all I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:20)

Just as Jesus did not tell his apostles when the kingdom would be restored to Israel, he has not revealed when he will come again. But he exhorts us over and over again to be on guard for that day. In his Great Commission, he charges us to spread the Good News throughout the world until his return. And he reminds us that, even during this time between the first and second comings, he remains with us, most especially as we receive him in the Eucharist. Pope Benedict XVI notes that the Aramaic “Marana tha” can also be translated “Maran atha,” meaning “The Lord has come.” (1) He has indeed. His is with us now, through the Holy Spirit and in his Body and Blood. He will come again to judge the living and the dead, and his Kingdom will have no end. Amen!

For further reading:

This reflection on the Ascension by Jimmy Akin is excellent, in particular the section on Jesus’ role now as our Advocate at the right hand of the Father.

(1) Pope Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week: From the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection, (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2011), 289.

Image: The Exhortation to the Apostles by James Jacques Tissot (downloaded from Wikipedia Commons).

Michael Haverkamp

Michael Haverkamp is a lifelong member of the Roman Catholic Church. He is grateful to his parents for raising him in the faith. He resides in Columbus, Ohio with his amazing wife and three sons. By day he is a (usually) mild-mannered grant writer.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *