While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven (Luke 24:51)

Why did the Christ ascent after the forty days?

After His resurrection, the Christ stayed in our land for forty days in order to assure the disciples He had indeed risen, or in order for deep conviction in His true resurrection to be born within them. During this period, Christ showed Himself in different places so that the testimony of His resurrection may be confirmed. The Lord sometimes would appear to individuals and other times to two of the disciples. Some other times, He would appear to them while they were gathered so that they may inspect Him and make sure it is indeed Him. That is how Thomas was able to put his fingers in the hole made by the nails and his hand where the sword had been. He thus made sure himself that the person standing before him is indeed the Chris.t the Master then appeared to 5oo brothers at once, so that when He gets seen by many, it would be established as a true fact that the one who rose was indeed Jesus who had been crucified. Christ’s appearance was not a vision only seen by one of the disciples or a ghost that appeared to two of those who supported him forcefully. He appeared very clearly before so many groups, announcing to them that He was the Lord and the Master who had been crucified, died, and then rose from the dead.

Our Savior did not go to heavens until after he had established the truth about His resurrection upon solid foundations that cannot be shaken. There is no truth in ancient history or modern one that is more firm than the true resurrection of Christ from among the dead. The Master however did not stay for forty days just to prove His true resurrection, but also to comfort His disciples. Christ wept the tears His disciples had shed because of His death for He assured them that His death was not a disaster for them but rather to complete what the books had spoken about regarding the fact that Christ must die for sins to be forgiven. The Master also wanted to prepare them for the other sorrow that was awaiting them after His ascent to Heavens. He elevated their minds and souls. After Christ’s ascension we never heard of the disciples being sad or shedding tears. It was in their best interest that He leaves so that the Comforter may be sent to them. The Master also stayed with them for enough time to give them the adequate instructions and tell them how to behave.

The Master during these forty days was indeed the blessed leader who organized His troops, drew the road of the battle for them and prepared them for the foreseen victory. He told them all to wait in Jerusalem until they get power from above. Maybe to us, this is the order to proceed to the battle of service for unless we get powers from above; we cannot proceed on the path of service. The Master also wanted to speak to some in person, those with special needs. He encouraged the heart of Magdalene so that she may triumph over her sorrows. He had to appear to Thomas so that he may conquer his doubts. He had to warn Peter and encourage him to serve. He had to strengthen the disciples and get them ready for the battles to come.

The great shepherd of the sheep could not go back to His rest before preparing those – given to Him by the Father- for their eternal future. The forty days passed by quickly and were unique days, totally different from His first days on earth. In these days, no one dared bother Him as the Soferim and the Pharisees did not oppose Him. The evil ones among the Jews did not lift the stones to try and stone Him. These were peaceful days where birds sat peacefully by the calm waters and there were no waves to disturb them.

These days were similar to His coming kingdom as He is the king of peace; these days when the Master shall stand on earth again to end the wars before ending the universe. When the forty days were over, the Master continued on His way and went to His rest, for yes He went to Heavens. Forty days after the Christ’s resurrection, may He be glorified, from among the dead, with the might of His theology and ascended to heavens before the eyes of all His disciples and His saints, among them Virgin Mary, the queen and the mother. This ascension was before the eyes of all the other believers, the Jews and all those residing on top of the Olive Mountain; on the mountain, or standing beside it. This is a mountain where people live on top of it and beside it. They built their houses beside it and on it were built and still are so many villages and towns, among which the Bethany and the Bethphage. The place from which Christ ascended and went to heavens is still there and its traces still remain and are famous until this day. It is seen by all those who go to Jerusalem and up the Olive Mountain, at its highest peak.

In this place, there is alter where the Holy Mass is held on the Ascension Day Feast to commemorate the memory of this historic truth and extremely important event. We give thanks to the One who ascended to heavens toward the east side (Psalm 67:3). God was merciful to me and gave me the opportunity to visit Jerusalem to obtain the benediction from these blessed places and to perform the religious spiritual service, as I was one of those who served at the Holy Mass held on the Ascension Day Feast on that mountain on 1969. The Ascension Feast always comes on the fifty days following the fifth Sunday after the Resurrection Feast, i.e. at the end of the forty days.

The Bible narrates the story of the Lord’s ascension to heavens very clearly, as Saint Luke says: “When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy” (Luke 24:50-52). Also according to the Acts: “After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven. Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city” (Acts 1:9-12).

It was a weird thing that the disciples went back to Jerusalem in great joy so they were not scared by His ascension to heavens. They were not saddened by the loss of His physical presence among them for the Lord had bestowed a complete peace upon them, thus chasing away all the ghosts of terror and fright (John 14:17).

They were neither sad nor scared for they knew He had to return to the Father as He had told them: “I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father” (John 16:28) for He was from above (John 8:23), He was rather above all (John 3:31), and He therefore had to ascend to heavens and be with the Father (John 16: 5-16).

In His ascension, Christ did not need to cross distances for He is in the skies and on the earth and He is everywhere. Before His ascension to heavens He was already in the arms of the Father (John 1:18) and in heavens itself (John 3:13). He came down and went up but He fills the universe (Ephesians 1:23, 4:9-10). He told His disciples: “I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20) for heavens is His chair and His feet are on the earth. This faith is the answer to the secret of joy and peace that filled the hearts of the disciples. With this conviction, they went out to preach the name of their master before kings and heads of states and while being surrounded by wild animals and merciless troops. The church of Christ will always be there and stand firm in front of the forces of hell. It shall remain for Jesus is with it, and if God is with us, who can be against us?

The Bible states that the Christ had gone to heavens and sat at the right hand of glory above. This does not mean he needed to exit a place and be in another. Sitting by the right hand of glory is a metaphor to indicate the amount of glory and this word was mentioned several tomes to indicate grandeur and perfect glory and so on (Psalm 89:13, 18:16). This word is therefore a metaphor and refers to the double glory that the Savior got in heavens; His glory as the only Son of God. This glory He had even before the world was made. Also His glory as the slaughtered sheep for the redemption of the people’s sins. This is what the apostle said: “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs” (Hebrews 1:3-4).

Prophet Isaiah had seen the eternal glory of Christ (Isaiah 6:1-4) with (John 12:41). The glory was also seen by the church (John 1:14) now that He had completed the salvation process, He had to go back to His glory while getting a new one which is the glory of conquering the sin. Also, the glory of beating the forces and gates of hell. He got to this glory by the road of pain and death for the Spirit had already narrated the pains that await the Christ and glory that follows (1Peter 6:12). It had been written about Him: “rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:7-11). He was glorified as the savior of the church (Revelation 5:12), as the head of the church (Ephesus 5:23, Corinthians 1:18), as the first born from among the dead (Revelation 1:5), as the elderly among many brothers (Revelation 8:29, Hebrews 1:6), as the second Adam and the chief of faith and salvation, as the great head priest, and as the conquering lion. The stone which had been rejected by the builders had become the cornerstone.

The disciples’ faith was one of the great reasons that encouraged them to endure the most harsh pains and strongest persecutions. They shared the cup of the Lord and were like Him in order to share His glory. This is why they welcomed the pains and rejoiced with persecutions. They conquered all the fear they encountered since hardships were and still are the way to heavens and glory. Thank God that the disciples were not depressed by their Master’s ascension for the joy of resurrection filled their hearts and the blessing of Christ’s presence with them filled their beings. What a great joy that cannot be put into words and that is glorious. They were assured that Christ was resuscitated, went to heavens, and sat by the right hand of glory above all leaderships and might. He shall come again to take them with Him to heavenly glory and eternal joy. So would they be saddened by this matter? The power of Christ’s resurrection and the glory of His ascension changed the beings of the disciples and opened their eyes to eternal truth and heavenly instructions. Our instructor Luke the disciple says that the disciples after returning back from the ascension sight were at the altar all the time (Luke 24:53).

At the cross, they were scared and parted each one away from his brother, but after resurrection and the Christ’s ascension, they came back and stayed in the altar in a unique boldness and amazing unity. The power of resurrection and the glory of ascension turned them into heroes of faith. They knew that the resurrected Christ is the head of the church which is His blessed body: “And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church” (Ephesians 1:22).

Their mouths were filled with songs of praise and thanks while they were preaching the Christ’s resurrection and ascension to heavens to everybody. Not only that but they stayed in Jerusalem as per the Lord’s saying: “waiting for God’s promise” (Acts 1:4) which was fulfilled on the fifteenth’s day. Praise the lord who ascended to heavens to pave the way and open the gates of heavens with His precious blood. He is preparing heavens to become the home of sinners who were covered with blood as Jesus went ahead before us (Hebrews 6:20).

May the glory of resurrection and blessings of ascension fill our hearts so let us testify for Him and await His return. Finally, on the Olive Mountain and toward Jerusalem, our Lord ascended after having completed our salvation forever. It is there that will be the sight of His glorious return, so are you ready to welcome Him and accept Him joyfully if He appears now, ask yourself? May He be glorified and kneeled to, now and forever, amen.