The Ascension of our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ; The Holy Great Rulers Constantine (337) and Helen (330), Equals-to-the-Apostles
Feast of our Lord. Holy Day of obligation.
Read
Acts 1:1-12; Galatians 1:11-19; Luke 24:36-53; John 10:1-8
“[Jesus] was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.” The Ascension of Our Lord into heaven would have been a sight to behold. Jesus Christ, after 40 days walking the earth and being with His disciples after the Resurrection, is taken up out of their sight. After the initial wonder of seeing such a thing, one can imagine the fear the disciples felt now that their Master was no longer with them. And we know that fear would force them into hiding until the descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.
But for us, who are looking back at this event and are celebrating it today, there is a profound lesson to be learned. This lesson is that the Son of God, who had united Himself to our nature at the Incarnation, now raises our nature to the glory of heaven. Our God, who became one of us, now makes us occupants of the heavenly dwelling.
Perhaps it would be good to take a few moments today to contemplate this. We were created to dwell in heavenly glory with God, and, today, Christ reveals this. When Christ returns, this will be fulfilled for all who love Him.