Rejoice on Ascension Day

The Christian holiday of Ascension Day, also known as the Feast of the Ascension, celebrates when Jesus ascended to heaven.  This feast day is one of the ecumenical feasts of Christian churches, along with the celebrations of the Passion, Easter, and Pentecost. Ascension Day is generally observed on a Thursday, the fortieth day after Easter.

"No one has ascended into heaven except He who descended from heaven, the Son of Man." ~ John 3:13

Jesus' Ascension in Scripture

Forty days after He rose from the grave, Jesus ascended into heaven. Here is how Luke described the event:

Therefore, when they [the disciples and the risen Christ] had come together, they asked Him saying, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?"

And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 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 in Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

"Now when he had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up and a cloud received Him out of their sight..." (Acts 1:4-9, New King James Version).

Citation: https://www.christianity.com/jesus/early-church-history/church-holidays/what-is-ascension-day.html?amp=1

Deacon Ken: Ascension is important… just as important as Christmas, Easter.

The apostles rejoiced on ascension day, they were not sad that Jesus ascended. Bae cause as was planned by God, Jesus tose to his father, there by solidifying his existence as the Son of God. Those who believe in Jesus and follow his teachings, will ultimately ascend to him.

The word “rejoice” alone is too weak a translation. The Greek word means to exult or to be exuberant. Jesus mentions His own joy on at least two other occasions (John 15:11; 17:13), but here alone it says that He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit. What He rejoiced greatly about was the news of how God’s sovereign grace had resulted in the salvation of souls through the ministry of the 72 (or 70, depending on the textual variant). If thinking on these matters of sovereign grace caused Jesus to exult, then the same should be true for us as we grow to be more like Jesus.

God’s sovereign grace in salvation brings great joy to Jesus and should bring great joy to us.