The Feast of the Ascension is a feast of the Lord that is special in its miracle as it involves the Lord Christ alone. That is, it includes a miracle that did not occur with any human being, but was for the Lord God alone, like: the virginal birth, His resurrection by the power of His divinity, His coming out of the sealed tomb, the transfiguration on Mount Tabor, and His ascension to heaven and sitting at the right hand of the Father.
He ascended by Himself, not like the prophet Elijah, who was taken in a fiery chariot and ascended by it (2 Kings 2:10,11), nor like Enoch, who was gone because God took him (Genesis 5:24), but the Lord Christ ascended by His own power, without any external force.
His ascent was an ascent of His humanity, for His divinity is present in every place; on earth and in heaven and whatever is between them. Therefore divinity does not ascend nor descend. In the Gregorian Liturgy, we say to Him: “And at Your ascension into the heavens in the body” and we explained this point before.
Christ’s ascension to heaven was not a separation for His Church on earth…
He was not separating from the Church, nor leaving her, nor abandoning her, because the He said: “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). He also said, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). He is therefore with us in the Church and in every spiritual meeting. He is with us at the table in every liturgy. “He is Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us”” (Matthew 1:23).
His ascension raised the level of the disciples, and was evidence of their spiritual maturity:
He raised them from the level of the senses to the level of faith. At the beginning of their relationship with Him whilst He was on earth, they needed to see, touch, and feel His presence in the flesh. When they reached a degree of faith, He left them in the flesh, because they became able to see Him in the spirit, and to feel His presence with faith. Certainly after His ascension, they did not feel for one day that He left them.
The miracle of His ascension was not against the laws of nature, but above it.
When the Lord established the laws of nature, He placed them in order for nature to submit to them, not for Himself to be subject to them. Rather, they remain submissive to Him; to the one who established them. Nevertheless, in His ascension, He ascended with the glorified body; the spiritual and heavenly body which we will be raised with (1 Corinthians 15: 44, 49) in the likeness of His glorious body (Philippians 3: 21).
The miracle of the Ascension was not in the victory over the laws of earthly gravity, but the miracle was in this spiritual and heavenly body which can ascend upwards. It is therefore an elevation of nature, not a contradiction to it. It is a kind of transfiguration for the nature of the body.
The miracle of the Ascension gives us a color of hope from two aspects:
The first is that those who were shaken by the Cross of the Lord and the humiliations and pains that accompanied it, were strengthened by the glory of the Resurrection, followed by the glory of the Ascension. Faith was restored to the people who thought that everything ended with the Cross. We now have hope that after every cross there will be a resurrection and ascension. This hope accompanied the martyrs and confessors of every generation.
The second aspect of hope is that we will have the same:
Just as Christ ascended with a glorified body, we will also have a glorified body (Philippians 3:21). Just as a cloud took Him out of the disciples’ sight in His ascension, so on the last day we will come with Him on the clouds, “at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints” (1 Thessalonians 3:13). When the “Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all” (Jude 14 +15). When He comes on the clouds and “every eye will see Him” (Revelation 1:7). “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Indeed, how great is this hope!
The ascension of the Lord was with three promises:
The first promise it is to send the Holy Spirit to be with us forever. He previously said to them: “I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you” (John 16:7). This was fulfilled, and He sent them the Holy Spirit ten days after His ascension.
The second promise was His words to them: “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:18). He also said: “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). He has also fulfilled this promise and is still continuing to fulfill it. Saint John the Beloved saw Him in the midst of the seven Churches (Revelation 1: 13-20) and He held the seven angels of the seven Churches – meaning their shepherds – in His right hand (Revelation 2:1).
As for the third promise, He said to His disciples:
“And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself” (John 12:32).
He draws us to Him, so that we may ascend with Him to heaven, as He said: “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:2+3).
He promised to be with us, and we will be with Him, on earth and in heaven. On earth: “I am with you always” and , “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). And in heaven: “Where I am, there you may be also.” Saint Paul the Apostle said: “We shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). How great is this glory!
The ascension of the Lord was the conclusion of the phrase: “He humbled Himself.”
This phrase was said in His incarnation for our salvation: “He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8).
But now, He has carried out the work of salvation, saying: “It is finished.” He trampled death, and arose. He then ascended to Heaven, and “sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:3). The phrase “humbled Himself” has come to an end.
Therefore, when He comes in His Second Coming, He will come “in His own glory, and in His Father’s” (Luke 9:26). Yes “He will come in the glory of His Father with His angels” (Matthew 16:27). To Him be the everlasting glory, Amen.