The Ascension: Not Up and Away, But Into God’s Realm

The Feast of the Ascension is one of the most important celebrations in our faith, even if we sometimes misunderstand it. For many of us, we grew up picturing Jesus rising into the sky like a rocket, disappearing somewhere “out there.” But that image misses the deeper truth.

The Ascension is not about Jesus going up into outer space. It is about Jesus entering fully into God’s realm.

Even the “forty days” we hear about is not meant to be taken as a literal countdown. In Scripture, forty is a symbolic number—think of the forty days of Lent, the forty years in the desert, the forty days of the flood. It always points to change, transformation, and a new direction. The Ascension marks that turning point.

This feast completes what we call the Paschal Mystery—the central mystery of our faith. And while we say that phrase often, it simply means this: the saving work of Jesus Christ. His suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension are not separate events, but one single act of salvation. Through this one act, Christ defeats sin and death, opens the way to eternal life, and restores our relationship with God.

The Ascension is the moment that saving work is brought to completion.

But what does it really mean?

It means that Jesus is no longer bound by earthly appearance. He doesn’t walk around with a physical body as before. Instead, He is fully present in God’s realm—what we call “heaven.” And heaven is not a distant location somewhere beyond the universe. Heaven is God’s presence.

Think of it like Wi-Fi. You can’t see it, touch it, or taste it—but it’s real, and it’s everywhere. That’s what heaven is like. God is everywhere, and now Jesus is fully present in that reality.

And here’s the powerful part: when Jesus ascends, He brings our humanity with Him.

The Ascension is the reverse of the Incarnation. At Christmas, God becomes one with us. At the Ascension, that union is carried back into full divinity. Jesus, who is both fully God and fully human, brings humanity into the very life of God. That means our destiny is not distance from God—but union with Him.

That is what heaven truly is.

So the Ascension is not about absence—it’s about presence. Jesus is not gone. In fact, in Matthew’s Gospel, the story begins with “God is with us” and ends with “I am with you always.” That promise doesn’t disappear at the Ascension—it becomes even more profound.

And because of that, we are given a mission.

“Go and immerse all nations,” Jesus says. Not just perform a ritual, but bring people into relationship with God. And how do we do that? Matthew tells us clearly: feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, care for those in need.

The Ascension also comes with a challenge. In Acts, the disciples stand there staring at the sky. And they’re asked, “Why are you standing around?”

In other words: don’t just look up—get to work.

We are now the presence of Christ in the world. We don’t have time to stand around watching the sky. There is work to be done. We are called to love. We are called to serve.

God made us for that.