Thursday 21 May 2009

Background

In the Christian calendar, today is Ascension Day. Jesus'ascension is an event which Christians observe on the 40th dayafter Easter, thus on a Thursday, and ten days beforePentecost.

Luke records the event in remarkably few words. At the conclusionof Luke's Gospel account (Luke 24:50-53), hereports that Jesus led the disciples to the vicinity of Bethany,less than two miles from Jerusalem. The exact place is the Mount ofOlives (Acts 1:12) and Jesus is taken to heaven as he was blessingthem (Luke24:50-51).

As the disciples witness the Ascension, they must have realisedthat the periodic visits of the resurrected Christ were over. Inessence, the physical presence of their leader had come to an end.And from that moment on, Jesus appears to the Apostles only invisions (eg Acts 18:9).

Ascension was no problem for Luke since he most likely shared thecommon perception that heaven was literally above earth. Going toheaven meant quite literally 'ascension' or 'taken up' into heaven(verse 11).

Transportation by a cloud was a regular feature of visions ofheaven in the Bible (Daniel7:13, 1Thessalonians 4:17). Many heroes of the past were thought tohave been transported to heaven in a similar way to Jesus (Genesis5:24, 2Kings 2:11). The variation to this pattern, however, was thatJesus is believed to have died and been raised from the dead priorto his ascension.

To Ponder

In these days of space rockets, satellites and aproven cyclic world, what do you make of verse 11, "This Jesus, whohas been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same wayas you saw him go into heaven"?

What would your feelings have been if you hadbeen one of Jesus' disciples when he was taken "out of their sight"(Acts 1:9)?