The Festival of the Ascension of our Lord
Posted on May 14, 2026 by under
Scripture: Acts 1:1-11 (NKJV)
1:1 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, 3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
Devotion
The Apostles asked our Lord Jesus, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” They were eager for the consummation of all things to come to pass. We also wait eagerly for that Last Day. The signs of the end times are all around us every day. They are constant reminders to us that our Lord Jesus is coming again, and He is coming soon. The strife in this world, as it groans under the weight of mankind’s sin, makes us cry out daily in prayer in similar words as the Apostles’ petition to our Lord. Only our prayer is, “Come, Lord Jesus, quickly!”
As our Lord Jesus ascended into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God the Father, the Apostles “looked steadfastly toward heaven.” It was as if they expected the Lord Jesus to come back down almost immediately. They had to be reminded by two angels that now was not the time. But that time was coming! That time is coming. The Last Day quickly approaches. The signs of the end times are constant reminders to us that our Lord Jesus comes quickly. Until then, our Lord intercedes for us poor, miserable sinners. Let us continue to petition our Lord that our hearts may be ready when He comes; that we may eagerly remain in humble repentance until His return so that we may be with Him eternally.
Collect: Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that like as we do believe Thine Only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to have ascended into the heavens, so may we also in heart and mind thither ascend, and with Him continually dwell; Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
