What Is Ascension Day and How Can We Observe It?

Although you may know what Ascension Day signifies, your church may or may not observe it as a formal holiday. Growing up in a Roman Catholic church, I remember Ascension Day as a holy day of obligation, celebrated 40 days after Easter—meaning we were in church on a Thursday, not a Sunday, to commemorate this special event. At the time, I didn’t fully grasp the significance of what took place on that first Ascension Day or the profound meaning it holds for Christians. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the events and significance of Ascension Day, and explore how we can observe it with reverence while understanding how it fits into God’s perfect plan for eternity.

What Is Ascension Day?

Ascension Day is an annual commemoration of when Jesus ascended bodily into heaven 40 days after He rose from the dead. In that one sentence, we have two of the most miraculous events in history that we dare not gloss over. The disciples and other witnesses encountered Jesus alive after His torturous death and burial, and then, after his resurrection, watched as Jesus was literally lifted into the sky to return to His Father in heaven.

To celebrate Ascension Day is to study these events in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, and consider what it means for us that Jesus returned to heaven.

Where Is the Ascension Recorded in Scripture?

For such a monumental event, it’s interesting that the Ascension is not recorded in all four gospels written by Jesus’ disciples. It is mentioned only in the Gospel of Mark and the Gospel of Luke:

“So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God” (Mark 16:19).

“Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising God” (Luke 24:50-52).

Why Matthew and John chose not to include the events that day is a mystery.

But we read much more about the Ascension in the Book of Acts following the gospels. Luke writes about what Jesus said to the disciples before He ascended:

“And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, ‘you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now…But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.’ And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight” (Acts 1:4-5;8-9).

Some believe that the “cloud” was actually angels that ushered Jesus into heaven.

Jesus Ascension

What Happened after Christ’s Ascension?

Again, as Luke mentioned, the disciples returned to Jerusalem, the place that they feared because of those who killed Jesus, and went to the temple continually singing praise to God. But in the Book of Acts, we learn even more about what happened at the Ascension, perhaps what caused them to sing for joy. Luke tells us that “...while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you in heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven'” (Acts 1:10-11).

He’s coming back! But what has Jesus been doing since that awesome day? We can't possibly know everything, but we have some knowledge from the Scriptures. According to Hebrews 7:25, Jesus "is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them…”. So Jesus is before the Father interceding on our behalf as our High Priest. Not only that, but He told the disciples in John 14:2-3, "My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."

Why Does Jesus’ Ascension Matter for Believers/Why Do We Celebrate It?

I pray that we never lose sight of the fact that the God of the Universe sent His only begotten (not created) Son to the earth. And that was just the beginning of God’s plan to “set things right” after the sin of Adam and Eve brought evil into the world. Not only was Jesus sent, he lived as a human, experiencing life as we do–yet without sin.

Fast forward to the events that took place in the last week of His 33 years on earth. All were foreordained by the Father, but the way they unfolded shocked His disciples and followers. First, Jesus and the disciples went to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover, and Jesus was heralded as the King of the Jews. They thought He was planning to start his earthly reign and would overthrow their oppressors. They never expected that Jesus was planning to allow Himself to be tortured and crucified, die and be buried in a borrowed tomb. He essentially became the lamb that was normally sacrificed during Passover to atone for sins, except His atonement was “once and for all.”

Second, the disciples were even more amazed when Jesus rose from the grave. He spent 40 days appearing to His disciples and others; in fact, in 1 Corinthians 15:6, the Apostle Paul said Jesus appeared to “more than 500 brethren at once.” At the end of those 40 days, Jesus rose bodily into heaven in front of many witnesses. Again, Mark’s gospel says that He was then seated at the right hand of God. Therefore, people were able to see Him arrive at His Father’s throne. The sight must have left them awestruck.

We celebrate Ascension Day for several reasons:

As fulfillment of prophecy. Jesus prophesied twice that He would ascend back to the Father. First, in John 6:62, he said to the disciples, “Then what if you were to see ‘the Son of Man’ ascending to where he was before?” Second, He told Mary Magdalene when she saw Him alive on Easter morning, “...Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father…” (John 20:17).
As fulfillment of the redemption plan. Jesus’ resurrection and ascension marked the end of His earthly ministry, opening the way for the coming of the Holy Spirit (which He promised/prophesied). This happened at Pentecost, ten days after the ascension, when the disciples and other believers were filled with the Holy Spirit–suddenly emboldened to complete the mission of telling the world about the gospel of Jesus the Christ.
It sets up His plan to return to rule and reign. Now Jesus serves as our Mediator and Advocate with the Father in heaven, but He will come again in glory “to judge the living and the dead–and His kingdom will have no end” (from the Nicene Creed).
It gives us hope for our future. This world is not our home, and Jesus, out of His tremendous love and mercy, will come back to renew the earth and keep His promise of eternal life for those who put their trust in Him for salvation.

Considering that Jesus’ ascension into heaven was such a monumental miracle, how should we celebrate or observe it?

Ways to Observe Ascension Day

Many orthodox and mainline Protestant faiths will hold special services on Ascension Day, which include appropriate readings, prayers, and hymns (like “Crown Him With Many Crowns” since it talks about the Lamb being on His throne).

One exceptional way to observe Ascension Day is to share the gospel with those who don’t know all that Jesus did while He was on earth. Since Jesus led the disciples out to the Mount of Olives before returning to heaven, maybe you can plan a special hike in your area to an elevated spot, and share the story. Perhaps plan a special event (that includes youth) where you release something into the sky to represent Jesus’ ascension (doves, balloons (if allowed in your area), bubbles, etc.)

We can also have a personal observance through prayer and meditation, or in reading through the Scripture accounts together as a family. Here are some prompts and verses to help get you started.

Ascension Day Prayers and Bible Verses

Prayers:

Heavenly Father,

Thank You that You love us so much that You sent Your only Son to die for the sins that separated us from You. Father, how we rejoice in His resurrection from the dead, when Jesus defeated death once and for all. We stand in awe that You would allow mere humans to experience the Ascension, another incredible miracle. And we praise you for all that is to come when Jesus returns. Please keep us mindful of how we can walk closely with You, and give us the words to speak to those who don’t know You.

Most Gracious Lord,

To think that Jesus is coming back the same way that He ascended into heaven is such a message of hope for those who trust in Him. We pray that in the meantime we will do those things to be ready for You–loving You with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength, and loving our neighbors as ourselves. Lord, we know that your return can happen any moment, and we pray for those who don’t know You. Please prompt us to set aside our egos and fears, and open our mouths to be part of the Great Commission to take your gospel throughout the world.

[A prayer about Ascension Day attributed to Martin Luther]:

Dearest Lord God, our merciful Father in heaven, we see that this festival of the ascension of our Lord Christ is full of comfort and joy, and for this we praise and thank you. We pray that you would keep us in your grace, and finally grant us a blessed end, for the sake of Jesus Christ your Son, that we may follow where he has led us and enjoy eternal life and salvation, sitting at his right hand. Grant this to us, dearest Lord. Amen.

[From the Lectionary of the Episcopal Church]:

Grant, we pray, Almighty God, that as we believe your only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to have ascended into heaven, so we may also in heart and mind there ascend, and with him continually dwell; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

Bible Verses for Ascension Day (in addition to those above):

“That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come” (Ephesians 1:19-21)
“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess” (Hebrews 4:14)
“...who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to Him” (I Peter 3:22).
“No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man” (John 3:13)
“ I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father” (John 16:28).

Living in the Power of Christ’s Exaltation

The ascension of Jesus was not merely the end of His earthly ministry, but the beginning of His heavenly reign. Seated at the right hand of the Father, Christ now intercedes for us, empowers us through the Holy Spirit, and reigns as Lord over all. His exaltation proves our faith is grounded in the One who defeated death, and now invites us to join in His triumph. As followers of Christ, we are called to walk in boldness, hope, and purpose—confident that the same power that raised Jesus from the grave and lifted Him to glory is alive and at work in us today.

But we are also to wait in eager anticipation of His imminent return, when God’s grand plan will be completed. We will not only dwell with Him on a renewed earth, but we will enjoy the fullness of His presence in perfect joy and peace.

Mary Oelerich-Meyer is a Chicago-area freelance writer and copy editor who prayed for years for a way to write about and for the Lord. She spent 20 years writing for area healthcare organizations, interviewing doctors and clinical professionals and writing more than 1,500 articles in addition to marketing collateral materials. Important work, but not what she felt called to do. She is grateful for any opportunity to share the Lord in her writing and editing, believing that life is too short to write about anything else. Previously she served as Marketing Communications Director for a large healthcare system. She holds a B.A. in International Business and Marketing from Cornell College (the original Cornell!) When not researching or writing, she loves to spend time with her writer daughter, granddaughter, rescue doggie and husband (not always in that order).