Ascension of Jesus

The Ascension of Jesus is the Christian belief that Jesus Christ rose into heaven forty days after his resurrection from the dead. The Ascension is mentioned in the New Testament of the Bible a number of times, most specifically in the Gospels of Mark and Luke, and is described in more detail in the Acts of the Apostles (known more simply as the book of Acts). Christian tradition places the site of the Ascension on Mount Olivet, or the Mount of Olives, a series of hills east of Jerusalem. The event has been displayed prominently in art for centuries and is commemorated as a religious holiday by most Christians. In some countries, Ascension Day is a national holiday marked with festivals and community celebrations.

Background

According to Christian teachings, the biblical figure Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God, the human incarnation of the divine creator. Christians believe Jesus was the messiah, the promised savior of the Jewish people whose coming was foretold in the Old Testament. To fulfill his destiny, Jesus suffered at the hands of the Romans and was executed by crucifixion. Upon his death, Jesus was buried in a tomb, but he rose from the dead three days later. He appeared to his followers after his resurrection, preaching to them and encouraging them to spread his teachings. After forty days, Jesus led his disciples to a mountaintop, where he ascended into heaven before their eyes.

Most biblical references to the Ascension provide only fleeting mentions that it occurred without giving details. The book of Ephesians refers to Jesus as being taken by God who "seated him at his right hand," and the book of Timothy says that Jesus was "taken up in glory." The event itself is briefly described in the Gospel of Mark, recounting how Jesus finished speaking to his apostles and was "taken up to heaven, and is seated now at the right hand of God." The Gospel of Luke describes the event in slightly more detail, explaining how Jesus led his followers to a place near the town of Bethany, where he blessed them and "parted from them, and was carried up into heaven."

The most complete account of the Ascension is found in the book of Acts, which details the early days of the Christian Church. Acts begins with an account of the resurrected Jesus speaking to his followers. It is in this passage that the book mentions the time period of forty days and a mountain called Olivet. As his disciples question him about when the kingdom of heaven will be restored, Jesus responds that only God knows that answer and in the meantime they should go forth and spread his word across the earth. Then Jesus is lifted into the sky and disappears behind a cloud as his amazed followers continue to gaze up. Suddenly, two angels appear at their side and explain that Jesus was taken into heaven and that he will one day return in the same fashion.

Overview

Ancient people believed the earth was supported on enormous columns over an abyss and was separated from heaven by the dome of the sky known as the firmament. They believed that mountains or hills were physically closer to God, so it was not surprising that Jesus would have ascended into heaven from a tall place such as a mountaintop. Traditionally, the Christian church has considered the site of the Ascension to be on one of the three summits of Mount Olivet, a ridge of hills to the east of Jerusalem. Supporting this location is the fact that the town of Bethany mentioned in Luke is located on the slopes of one of the hills. The Chapel of the Ascension, a twelfth-century shrine on Mount Olivet supposedly built on the site of an earlier monument, is said to contain an imprint of the last footprint left by Jesus before he rose into heaven.

Christian art has portrayed the Ascension of Jesus in various forms over the centuries. Early artwork from about the fifth century shows Jesus climbing upward as if walking on a mountain. In some images, the hand of God is pictured reaching out from a cloud, assisting Jesus into heaven. Depictions of the Ascension a few centuries later show Jesus wrapped in heavenly radiance and being raised into the sky by angels. In many images he holds a scroll or banner in his left hand and makes the sign of a blessing with his right. Below him most often are the apostles and his mother, Mary, whose hands are uplifted in prayer. Some medieval artwork shows only the robe and feet of Jesus as he is taken up into the clouds. His apostles are below him, straining to look up as Jesus disappears. Mary is usually absent in these depictions.

The feast of the Ascension is one of the oldest and most important holidays in Christian tradition. In the late fourth century, St. Augustine wrote of Ascension Day being celebrated since the time of the apostles in the first century, though no historical evidence exists to support that date. Modern Christians commemorate the Ascension with church services on a Thursday, thirty-nine days after Easter Sunday. In the Roman Catholic Church, the day is considered a holy day of obligation on which Catholics are required to attend Mass.

In many countries, such as France, Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands, Ascension Day is considered a national holiday. Some English towns celebrate the Ascension with community festivals. Drinking wells are decorated in Derbyshire, while residents of Yorkshire take part in a traditional hedge-planting custom. In Sweden, people rise early and head to the woods to listen to the birds at sunrise; and in Germany, Ascension Day doubles as Father's Day, where men take advantage of the time off from work to celebrate with a day-long party.

Bibliography

"Ascension Day." TimeandDate.com, www.timeanddate.com/holidays/common/ascension-day. Accessed 17 Oct. 2016.

Dawson, Gerrit Scott. Jesus Ascended: The Meaning of Christ's Continuing Incarnation. P&R Publishing, 2004.

Deffinbaugh, Bob. "The Ascension (Luke 24:31; Acts 1:1–11)." Bible.org, 13 Dec. 2007. bible.org/seriespage/41-ascension-luke-2431-acts-11-11. Accessed 16 Oct. 2016.

"Feast of the Ascension." New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia, www.newadvent.org/cathen/01767b.htm. Accessed 17 Oct. 2016.

Kelly, Anthony J. Upward: Faith, Church, and the Ascension of Christ. Liturgical Press, 2014.

Robinson, B.A. "Location and Timing of Jesus' Ascension." Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance, 28 Mar. 2007, www.religioustolerance.org/ascension2.htm. Accessed 16 Oct. 2016.

Stracke, Richard. "The Ascension of Christ." Christian Iconography, www.christianiconography.info/ascension.html. Accessed 18 Oct. 2016.

Westcott, David C. From the Ascension to the Kingdom: Prophecies of Jesus' Olivet Discourse. West Bow Press, 2010.