The Ascension is not Jesus disappearing — it is Jesus being enthroned. Forty days after the resurrection he was taken up into heaven (Acts 1:9-11), where he now sits at the Father’s right hand as our High Priest, praying for us (Hebrews 4:14-16). He left the disciples with a promise, not a hole: the Spirit was coming, and he himself would return.
“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
— Hebrews 4:16
Most of us picture the Ascension as a sad goodbye — the disciples staring at an empty sky. But Luke, who tells the story twice, says the opposite: the disciples “worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy” (Luke 24:52). Why would anyone be joyful when Jesus leaves?
It Was a Promotion, Not a Departure
After his resurrection, Jesus appeared to his followers over forty days (Acts 1:3). Then, as they watched, “he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight” (Acts 1:9). The Bible’s language for what happens next is royal. Jesus takes his seat “at the right hand” of God — the place of authority (Ephesians 1:20-21). The Ascension is a coronation. The carpenter from Nazareth, crucified and risen, is now enthroned over everything.
Someone Is Praying for You Right Now
The most personal payoff of the Ascension is in Hebrews 4:14: “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.” A priest stands between people and God. Jesus, having ascended, does that job permanently — and, as Hebrews 7:25 says, “he always lives to intercede for them.” The Westminster Confession, which the PCEA holds as its standard, says the same: Christ ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father, making intercession. Your prayers do not travel to a distant, indifferent throne. They are carried by someone who knows exactly what being human feels like.
“Why Do You Stand Here Looking Into the Sky?”
Two angels break the disciples’ stare with a gentle rebuke: “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). Two things are packed in there. First, Jesus is coming back — the Ascension points forward. Second, staring upward is not the job. The disciples are sent to Jerusalem to wait, then out to the world (Acts 1:8). The Ascension moves Christians from looking up to getting on with it.
Why Leaving Was Good for Us
Jesus told his friends it would be “for your good that I am going away” (John 16:7), because the Holy Spirit would come. In the flesh, Jesus could be in one place at a time. Through the Spirit, he is with every believer in every village, estate and parish at once. That is the bridge into Pentecost, and the next article in this series picks up exactly there.
What the Ascension Changes on an Ordinary Tuesday
It is easy to file the Ascension under “church calendar” and forget it. But Paul builds daily life on it: “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1). Three practical things follow.
First, you can pray with confidence. You don’t have to find the right words or the right moment, because your High Priest is already in the room. Second, you can face the news with perspective. Whoever holds power in Nairobi or anywhere else, Christ holds more. That is not a reason to switch off; it is a reason to serve without panic. Third, you have a job to do. The angels’ question in Acts 1:11 is a nudge: the mission Jesus gave, to be his witnesses “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8), begins in your workplace, home and neighbourhood, not in the sky.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Ascension Day?
It falls forty days after Easter Sunday, always on a Thursday. In 2027 it was 6 May.
Where does the Bible describe the Ascension?
Mainly in Luke 24:50-53 and Acts 1:6-11. Later letters explain its meaning, especially Ephesians 1:20-23 and Hebrews 4:14-16.
What does “right hand of God” mean?
It is a picture of the highest place of honour and authority. It does not mean God has a literal body or a chair; it says Jesus reigns with the Father’s full authority.
Final Thoughts
The Ascension answers a question every believer eventually asks: where is Jesus now? He is not absent. He is enthroned, interceding, and coming back — and until then, he has sent his Spirit to be with us. That is a reason to be joyful, exactly as the first disciples were.
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General devotional content (Luke 24; Acts 1; Ephesians 1; Hebrews 4, 7; John 16; Westminster Confession ch. 8); no organization-specific claims. Ascension Day 2027 fell on 2027-05-06.