Resurrection, Ascension, Pentecost 

The Ascension of Jesus Christ to Heaven 

     So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right 

hand of God.  (Mk 16:19). 

     Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, 

he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem 

with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God.  (Lk 24:50 53). 

     Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day's 

journey away .  (Acts 1:12). 

    The Gospel of Mark mentions the Ascension briefly in a single verse (Mk 16:19),  but does not give any 

information as to the time and place of the Ascension. The Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles 

provide the most information about the time and place of the Ascension. 

    According to the Acts of the Apostles, the Ascension occurred from the Mount of Olives; Acts clearly 

describes the Apostles returning from the Mount of Olivet after the Ascension (Acts 1:12). This mount is 

located across the Kidron valley, a Sabbath day's journey (a short walk) from Jerusalem. A sabbath day's 

journey was considered to be 2,000 cubits

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 (which is approx. one half to two thirds of one mile, or about one 

kilometer).

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 The Gospel of John tells us that Jesus and the Apostles crossed the Kidron valley to get to the 

garden where the Passion of Jesus began (Jn 18:1). This garden was on the Mount of Olives (Lk 22:39; Mk 

14:26; Mt 26:30). 

    Though Jesus met with His disciples in Galilee after the Resurrection, the Ascension of Jesus Christ 

occurred near Jerusalem, not in Galilee. The Gospel of Matthew ends with an event in Galilee, but this event 

was not the Ascension (Mt 28:16 20). This passage does not describe Jesus being raised up to Heaven, but 

instead ends with the words of Jesus teaching the Apostles and giving them the authority to continue His 

ministry. 

    The Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles were both written by Saint Luke (cf. Lk 1:1 4 and Acts 1:1 

2). But in the Gospel of Luke, the only place mentioned in association with the Ascension is Bethany. Luke 

tells us that Jesus led the disciples out  as far as Bethany,  that he blessed the disciples, and that the Ascension 

of Jesus Christ to Heaven occurred while Jesus was blessing them (Lk 24:50 53). And Luke tells us in Acts that 

Jesus Ascended to Heaven from the Mount of Olives. 

     When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of his 

disciples, saying, `Go into the village opposite, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one 

has ever yet sat; untie it and bring it here.'   (Lk 19:29 30). 

    The town of Bethany was not far from Jerusalem; the center of Bethany was less than two miles to the east 

from the city walls of Jerusalem.

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 The Mount of Olives is also to the east of Jerusalem, across the Kidron 

Valley. The town of Bethany was located on the eastern slopes of the Mount of Olives.

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 The Ascension of 

Jesus occurred from the top of the Mount of Olives, and not from the center of the town of Bethany. However, 

the top of the Mount of Olives may well have been considered a part of the town, since it was certainly located 

on the outskirts of the town of Bethany. Similarly, Jesus was born in a cave on the outskirts of the town of 

Bethlehem, not in the center of the town where most of the buildings were located. Yet we still truly say that 

Christ was born in Bethlehem.

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    That is why Sacred Scripture tells us that Jesus and His disciples went out of Jerusalem  as far as Bethany  

at the time of the Ascension of Jesus to Heaven. They went as far as the outskirts of the town of Bethany, on 

the Mount of Olives, but not to the center of the town. There was a huge crowd of disciples gathered around 

Jesus at the time of the Ascension.  The multitude that here surrounded Jesus was so great that I could no 

longer count them. 

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 So then, there were disciples gathered over a large area of the Mount of Olives, and 

certainly also down the east side, approaching Bethany. 

The Month and Day of the Ascension 

     To them he presented himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days, 

and speaking of the kingdom of God.  (Acts 1:3). 

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