Ascension Day countdown: Why Christians should care
The Ascension Day countdown covers 40 days from Jesus Christ’s resurrection until His ascension to Heaven. This biblical event is celebrated in Christianity on the sixth Thursday after Easter.
In our quiet moments, we ponder: How will I go to Heaven if I am saved? Will I also ascend into the clouds up above like Jesus?
Ascension Day only attracts attention from many Christians and people compared to Christmas or Lent. But this holy day unpacks a bundle of significance when it comes to our faith, salvation, and the commands of God.
What is Ascension Day?
“After He said this, He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid Him from their sight.” – Acts 1:9
One of the most remarkable events in humanity’s history is Christ’s resurrection from the dead. The ascension of our Lord, after rising from the dead, finally capped His earthly ministry of saving humankind from sin.
After His glorious resurrection on Easter Sunday, Jesus gathered His apostles and embarked on a 40-day journey of victorious proclamation.
Ascension Day signifies the time Jesus ascended into Heaven before His disciples at Bethany, near Jerusalem. The people, Pharisees, and many others witnessed this spectacular event that nullified all their doubts and difficulties about Jesus being the Messiah and Savior of humanity.
The resurrection and ascension revealed the final triumph of God over evil. Christ conquered the last enemy: Death itself.
Ascension Day countdown: The 40-day timeline
“If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.” – 1 Corinthians 15:13-14
The Ascension Day countdown involves counting the days between the resurrection and ascension. We will see that Jesus still stayed for 40 days on earth.
One reason Jesus stayed on earth for 40 days after His resurrection was to console and offer hope to His followers. They had witnessed the Romans executing Him, seeing with their own eyes His body being taken down from the cross and entombed.
It was an utterly bone-chilling experience, plunging them into despair and fear, forcing some of them to hide. But then He miraculously appeared among them alive from the grave.
Then, beyond any reasonable doubt, He had been raised from death by God’s power; Jesus presented Himself to crowds of disciples over those forty days. Decades later, Paul wrote about more than five hundred believers who saw this incredible event together, many of whom were still around.
Another purpose for Jesus’ extended stay within those 40 days was to equip His followers to spread the news of Christ worldwide. With gentle guidance and instructive words, He prepared them for their mission ahead by setting a solid example they could follow in future endeavors.
Resurrection
According to the Bible, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day, which is celebrated as Easter Sunday. The resurrection is an actual event in Christianity, telling victory over sin and death.
On the first day of the week (Sunday), women went to the tomb of the Lord and found it empty. They met an angel who told them the Lord rose from the dead. Later, the resurrected Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene and other disciples.
Post-Resurrection appearances
After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples and various individuals over 40 days. These appearances are recorded in the New Testament, particularly in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, as well as in the Acts of the Apostles.
Jesus Christ appeared several times to His followers and other believers after His resurrection. Some notable appearances include:
- On the same day as His resurrection, Jesus appeared to two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35).
- Jesus appeared to His disciples in a locked room, showing them His wounds and eating with them to prove His physical presence (John 20:19-23).
- A week later, Jesus appeared to Thomas, who initially doubted the resurrection, and invited Him to touch His wounds (John 20:24-29).
- Jesus appeared to a group of disciples by the Sea of Galilee, where He performed a miraculous catch of fish and restored Peter after His denial (John 21:1-14).
- Jesus appeared to more than 500 people at once, many of whom were still alive at the time of the accounts (1 Corinthians 15:6).
Ascension
The ascension of Jesus Christ transpired on the Mount of Olives, near Bethany.
According to the Gospel of Luke (Luke 24:50-51) and the Book of Acts (Acts 1:9-11), Jesus led His disciples to this sacred place, blessed them, and ascended into Heaven. While they watched, two angels appeared and told them that Jesus would return as He ascended.
After the ascension, the disciples returned to Jerusalem and waited for the arrival of the Holy Spirit, which took place on the day of Pentecost.
The significance of the Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus Christ
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” – Matthew 28:19-20
Unveiling of the Great Commission
Before Jesus ascended into Heaven, He left behind the second most important “great commandment: the Great Commission.
This command is a Christian directive to share the good news to all people, the gospel of Jesus Christ. In this passage, Jesus Christ appears to His disciples after His resurrection and gives them His final instructions: to share the gospel’s message and good hope with all humanity.
The Great Commission sends excellent command of God, a call to action for all believers. It reminds us that we are not called to believe in Jesus Christ but share our faith with others. We are called to witness His love, glory, and grace.
The Promise of the Holy Spirit: The Pentecost
“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” – John 14:26
The Promise of the Holy Spirit and the event of Pentecost hold special spiritual and historical meaning in the Christian faith. The meaningful moments occurred after the ascension of Jesus Christ.
Before His ascension, Jesus Christ told His disciples that He would send the Holy Spirit to them as a guide and helper. He knew that without His presence, they would need His spiritual company. Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as the “Advocate” or “Comforter” who would come after His departure.
The Holy Spirit came upon them and equipped them with spiritual gifts, courage, and understanding. Since then, the disciples have gone out into the world, proclaiming the message of Jesus Christ and establishing great numbers of believers.
A reminder of the Second Coming of Christ
“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.” – Acts 1:11
As Jesus Christ ascended into heavenly glory, two beautiful angels proclaimed to His Apostles that He would one day return. Since then, true believers have held a deep reverence for and anticipation of the event we call the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
When our Savior returns, it shall be with power and majesty like no other before, ushering in a new reign upon this earth. It will surely be an awe-inspiring event for the righteous who have been faithful through all times but a time of terror for those whose lives were not pure and just.
Top inspirational Ascension Day quotes
“At His Ascension, our Lord entered Heaven, and He keeps the door open for humanity to enter.” – Oswald Chambers
“In His life Christ is an example showing us how to live in His death He is a sacrifice satisfying our sins in His resurrection a conqueror in His ascension a king in His intercession a high priest.” – Martin Luther
“Ascensions into heaven are like falling leaves sad and happy all at the same time going away isn’t really sad especially when your going enables a new kind of presence to be born.” – Ernest Hemingway
“Immanuel, God with us in our nature, in our sorrow, in our lifework, in our punishment, in our grave, and now with us, or rather we with Him, in resurrection, ascension, triumph, and Second Advent splendor.” – Charles Spurgeon
“Presumably what happened to Jesus was what happens to all of us when we die. We decompose. Accounts of Jesus’s resurrection and ascension are about as well-documented as Jack and the Beanstalk.” – Richard Dawkins
Our own Ascension Day countdown: Looking forward to Heaven
Image: Danist Soh|Unsplash
“After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” – 1 Thessalonians 4:17
The Ascension Day countdown of Jesus on Earth is filled with great significance and symbolism. The Ascension of Christ is presented in Scripture as the culmination of Jesus’ triumphant witness. The forty-day period, full of powerful imagery, embraces Jesus’ spiritual victory over the temptations of Satan in the desert.
The world is fast streaking towards Armageddon.
As prophesied in the Bible, the world is getting more evil every day. Abortion, hate crimes, mass shootings, terrifying floods, mighty tornadoes, pandemics, endless wars, increasing divorces, family separation, and other tragedies inundate our lives. Satan and His minions are on a final onslaught to conquer humanity.
But God is the light of the world. He alone can conquer the crippling sins and darkness within and outside our lives.
Our Ascension Day countdown beckons. The day will finally arrive when we leave this sinful and decaying earth and ascend to Heaven, where our Master awaits. When our identity rests in Christ, our glorious eternity is secured.
