Ascension of Our Lord
May 25th, 2017
Introduction to the Ascension of Our Lord:
The Ascension of Our Lord, which occurred 40 days after Jesus Christ rose from the dead on Easter, is the final act of our redemption that Christ began on Good Friday. On this day, the risen Christ, in the sight of His apostles, ascended bodily into Heaven (Luke 24:51; Mark 16:19; Acts 1:9-11).
Date celebrated on: Forty days after Easter Sunday
History:
The reality of Christ's Ascension is so important that the creeds (the basic statements of belief) of Christianity all affirm, in the words of the Apostles' Creed, that "He ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead." The denial of the Ascension is as grave a departure from Christian teaching as is denial of Christ's Resurrection. Christ's bodily Ascension foreshadows our own entrance into Heaven not simply as souls, after our death, but as glorified bodies, after the resurrection of the dead at the Final Judgment. In redeeming mankind, Christ not only offered salvation to our souls but began the restoration of the material world itself to the glory that God intended before Adam's fall.
What Does First Lutheran do to Celebrate this Day?
We at First Lutheran have a tradition of holding a service on Acension day the commemorates Christ going to be with God the Father in heaven. The service focuses on the themes of the resurection and new life that we have in Christ and includes Holy Communion. After the service the tradtion at First Lutheran is to enjoy having Rootbeer Floats to celebrate afterwards.