Ascension

The idea of Jesus ascending into heaven is based on the then Jewish idea of a three tier universe (see diagram). The symbolic language used at this time may prove a barrier to children's understanding of the importance of this festival to the Church.

 

Forty days after Easter comes Ascension Day which always falls on a Thursday. Ascensiontide celebrates the day when Jesus appeared. to His disciples for the last time before returning to His Father.

In some churches the Paschal candle will have been burning since Easter Day and this will be put out on Ascension, symbolising the end of the forty days of Jesus' resurrection appearances. It is also a time for traditional open air processions of witness, in imitation of the journey of Jesus and His disciples from Jerusalem to the Mount of Olives.

The Ascension Stories Matthew chp 28 vss 16-20 *(Mark chp 16 vss 19-20) Luke chp 24 vss 44-52 Acts chp 1 vss 6-11

All four gospels tell of resurrection appearances of Jesus but ultimately there had to be a time of final parting; for Matthew and John this occurs in Galilee, for Mark(*) and Luke it is Jerusalem. The . stories contain different elements but all include a promise of a special gift of power from God (c.f. Acts chp 2) and a commission to spread the message of Jesus to which they were witnesses throughout the earth.

Having blessed the disciples Jesus is described as being taken up into heaven in a cloud. The cloud (shekinah) was a traditional sign of the presence of God (e.g. in the Exodus story) and it is natural that those watching, who believed in a flat earth with God's dwelling above, would think in terms of a literal ascent by Jesus at this point. What actually happened is still debated but the effect of these events is clear - the disciples were charged up to proclaim Jesus throughout the known world. The episode in Acts ends with a promise from angelic messengers that Jesus will return. The promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit was fulfilled at Pentecost when the promised growth of the Church began.

 

* Note: These verses are not part of the original Mark's Gospel, whose ending was apparently lost at an early date

Celebrating Ascension

 

Analogy, Metaphor and Symbol

This is an opportunity to explore common phrases in everyday speech which should not be taken literally (eg raining cats and dogs). Especially one should search for expressions in which `up' is portrayed as good or superior and `down' as bad (top of the class, over the moon, down in the dumps). Explore the class' ideas about God (eg is God a person or a power?) and whether all Biblical descriptions of God should be taken literally (eg Psalm 40 vss if, Hosea chp 6 vs 1, Psalm 110 vs 1). This should move pupils towards discussing what the story of the Ascension actually tells us about how Christians think of Jesus.

Kingship and Authority

For Christians Jesus' status is of the highest and the idea of His being acclaimed as heavenly King is an integral part of the beliefs surrounding the celebration of Ascension. Older pupils may undertake work on the role and duties of kings and queens in order to answer the question "What kind of king is Jesus?" It would be particularly helpful if a member of the local Christian community was prepared to explain how he/she saw Jesus as king of their life.