The Ascension of Christ

The Ascension by Giotto di Bondone 1313 AD Italy

Acts 1:1-11 So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set 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, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’ Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers. 

Setting the Scene:  We are approaching the end of Eastertide; we have made our way through the book of Acts immersing ourselves in the power of the Holy Spirit.  Always when we work with the lectionary, we are not working with a chronological story (what happened when) as much as we are working with a theological story (what this tells us about God).  So now we come full circle.  We are back at the beginning of the end, once again … and we begin again. 

Let’s review the important details:  Jesus appeared to his followers for 40 days following his death and resurrection.  He spoke about the kingdom of God.   He asked them not to leave Jerusalem so that they would receive the power of the Holy Spirit … Why?  Jesus calls all those who would follow him to be witnesses in the community (Judea and Samaria) and in the world (to the ends of the earth).

And then Jesus left …

The Community was left to develop their belief (and ours) about Jesus Christ.   The Apostle’s Creed may be the oldest official “affirmation of faith” that we know about.  The word “creed” comes from the Latin word credo which means “I believe.”  This Apostle’s Creed originally emerged as a baptismal confession.   Many people believe that the roots of this statement of Christian faith came from the teachings of the Apostles in the early church beginning right after the ascension.   Here is what the creed says as a “witness” to Jesus:

I believe … in Jesus Christ, [God’s] only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
      born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried;  the third day he rose from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father Almighty.
   from thence he shall come again to judge the quick (living) and the dead.


Making Connections:  Have you any recollection of reading or reciting the Apostle’s Creed during worship?  As you read over these words, what thoughts come to your mind?  Is this what you believe?  Why or why not?


Going Deeper:  Several years ago I went to see the “Passion Play” in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.  It is quite a production … one of the best I have ever seen.   I can still remember the gasps of awe from children and adult alike when Jesus was lifted up into the heavens right before our eyes.   It was so well done that Jesus seemed to just disappear into the sky.  I knew it was just a production, I knew that this man wasn’t Jesus, and I knew this wasn’t actually happening but that didn’t stop the overwhelming sense of “drama” from washing over me.  

Do you know what clouds are?  Have you seen outer space?   For me … the ascension is one of the hardest biblical narratives to wrap my mind around.  We read … “a cloud took him ...”   So where exactly did those little bitty water droplets take Jesus?  How literal are we to take this mysterious little passage of Scripture.  Do I have to check my brain at the door in order to have faith in this man called Jesus, this man who floats into the clouds?     Dear God, what are you trying to tell, me??? 

All of these questions, which are inevitable in the skeptical world we live in, obscure the power of the message of the ascension.  The ascension lays the ground work for the promise of the Holy Spirit to be realized and the power of the Holy Spirit to propel the fledgling Christian community into action.   BUT WAIT!  Oh … and while you wait, PRAY!  

Acts 2:33 says, Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you both see and hear.  As we read and experience the ascension, we simply know that Jesus has joined God, not in a physical way, but in a metaphorical way.  In the culture, one who stands or sits “at the right hand” shares authority with the one who is established.   And yet, Jesus not only stands, he is exalted and he has shared his power, the power of the Holy Spirit with his followers. 

In Acts 2: 4 … suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them.  All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.   

Looking forward to find a “glimpse of what will be” gives our “what’s happening now” context and hope.

Pondering:  Throughout his ministry and in the end of his time with humanity, Jesus speaks of the kingdom of heaven, which really (in most instances) is better translated as “reign of God” because it isn’t a physical place but a spiritual disposition manifested in the ascension.  Jesus returns to God but we are not left alone.  We follow with hearts overflowing as we are filled with the Spirit.  Does God in Christ reign in your heart?  What difference does that make in the way you live your life as a witness to Christ?  

Praying:  Let this prayer of St. Augustine of Hippo (AD 354-430) become your daily Prayer of Eastertide:

Breathe in me O Holy Spirit that my thoughts may all be holy;
Act in me O Holy Spirit that my works, too, may be holy;
Draw my heart O Holy Spirit that I love but what is holy;
Strengthen me O Holy Spirit to defend that is holy;
Guard me then O Holy Spirit that I always may be holy.  Amen.