Ascension of the Lord.

(Luke 24:50-53 and Mark 16:19-20).

Evangelist Luke has the most detailed narrative on the final appearance of the Resurrected Jesus Christ, which concludes with His ascension into Heaven. Evangelist Mark also speaks about this briefly. This appearance took place in Jerusalem, where subsequently — after 40 days — the Apostles again arrived from Galilee, during which time the Lord appeared to them several times, teaching them about God’s Kingdom. Saint Luke conveys this in the first chapter of the Acts (1:2-5). The Lord gave instructions to the Apostles to remain in Jerusalem, until they are endued with powers from above, pledging to send upon them the Promise of His Father. This has to be understood as the sending down of the Holy Spirit, to assist in their task of preaching throughout the world. The Lord then led His disciples out of Jerusalem to Bethany, situated on the eastern slopes of the Mount of Olives, where “He lifted up His hands and blessed them,” and evidently pronouncing traditional words that were customary in the Old Testament, which the Evangelists didn’t record. The symbolic act of lifting hands during a blessing, is well known in the Old Testament e.g. Leviticus 9:22.

“Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into Heaven.” “What a wonderful kind of act,” — comments Moscow Metropolitan Philaret on this event: “The Lord is blessing and doesn’t stop but continues while ascending into Heaven. What does this mean? It means that He doesn’t want to cease His blessing, but continue endlessly to bless His Church and all that believe in Him. Let us ponder brethren, that even now His hands are lifted toward us, and His gaze, and His blessing. What shame and fear to those who forget this in the earthly hustle and bustle. What joy to those that love Him.” The disciples “worshipped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.” This joy emanated from the fact that they have now witnessed with their own eyes the glory of their Lord and Teacher, and were anticipating the realization of His promise to send down the Holy Spirit. It was as though they were born again — no doubt, as a result of the Resurrected Lord’s 40-day stay with them, Who taught them the mysteries of God’s Kingdom. In this prayerful state of elevated spiritual ascension, they “were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God” for everything that they had to endure, see and hear, and for their forthcoming vital mission of preaching the Gospel’s teachings.

Saint Mark adds that the Lord, having ascended into Heaven, “sat down at the right hand of God.” This is a figure of speech, based on a number of visions (Acts 7:36), which means that the Lord had assumed Divine authority over humanity and the whole world with God the Father, because being placed on the right hand side, in the Biblical tongue, means separation of authority from the one that is already seated.

Saint Mark concludes his Gospel with the testimony of what transpired after the descent of the Holy Spirit: about how the Apostles, “went out” of Jerusalem and of course ”preached everywhere,” throughout the whole world, with “the Lord working with them,” with God’s help, “and confirming the Word through the accompanying signs,” — i.e. substantiating the truth of their words in the accompanying sermons with miracles. This is detailed in the Apostolic Book of Acts.

All Gospels end with the word: “Amen,” which means: to ratify solemnly i.e. it was truly so, as narrated in the Gospel.