The Death- the Resurrection and the ASCENSION of Our Lord into Heaven | ዕርገት

😇 በዓለ ዕርገት/ The Feast of the Ascension of our Lord into Heaven, after He spent forty days with His disciples is celebrated in Holy Church today, June 13, 2024

By the Ascension of the Lord, we mean His bodily Ascension.

In His divinity, He is everywhere; He does not ascend nor descend. Therefore, in the Liturgy of Saint Gregory we say “And You ascended into the heavens in the body…” This ascension is evidence that His Glorified Body is not subject to the earth’s gravitational laws and also of His Divinity. He ascended before His disciples as they were watching. This scene strengthened their faith because the Lord not only resurrected using His Divine power, but He also ascended into heaven in front of them.

In His ascension to Heaven, He did not leave His Church on Earth.

Before His ascension He told the Apostles, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20). Lord Jesus Christ stayed with the church and they did not feel His material presence only, but also His spiritual presence…He appeared to Saint Paul the Apostle more than once. He also appeared to Saint John the disciple on the Island of Patmos and gave him letters to the Seven Churches.

By His ascension, He sat on the right hand of His Father.

This is according to what was said in Saint Mark’s Gospel “So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.” (Mark 16:19). Sitting on the right hand of God fulfilled God’s promised Him in the Old Testament saying, “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.’” (Psalm 110:1). This event was witnessed by Saint Stephen the Archdeacon during the time of his martyrdom (Act 7:56). Saint Paul the Apostle also spoke about this in his epistle to Hebrews (1:20; 8:1; 12:2). And His ascension to Heaven, and sitting on the right hand of the Father, all that means the end of the statement “made Himself of no reputation.” (Philippians 2:7)

The statement, “on the right hand of the Father” means in the power and holiness of the Father. God who fills all does not have a right and a left side like limited beings. However, the right means the power and holiness (Psalm 118:16). So, sitting on the right hand of the Father means ending making Himself of no reputation, and going back to the form of power that He gave up in His Incarnation. The statement “sat” means settled, meaning that He will not go back to being of no reputation again. Therefore, in His second coming He will come in power and great glory (Matthew 25:31).........