Glorious Mysteries: The Ascension

Summary

Catholic Bible Study — Glorious Mysteries: The Ascension

Podcast: Catholic Bible Study
Host: Augustine Institute (Dr. Ben Akers, with guest Dr. James Prothero)
Date: December 18, 2025

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Overview

In this episode, Dr. Ben Akers is joined by Dr. James Prothero for the second installment in a five-part series on the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary. The main theme centers on the scriptural and theological depths of the Ascension of Jesus, exploring its significance within salvation history, its Old Testament roots, and its implications for Christian life today. The discussion is deeply rooted in biblical exegesis and is intended to help listeners meditate more fruitfully on the Ascension when praying the Rosary.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Scriptural Account of the Ascension ([00:00]–[07:36])

• Primary Text: Acts 1:6–11 offers the fullest account of the Ascension, though it is briefly referenced at the end of Luke’s Gospel.
• Timeline: The Ascension occurs 40 days after the Resurrection, on a Thursday (the “Thursday of the sixth week of Easter”), but sometimes its celebration is moved to Sunday in some regions ([01:40]).
• Significance of 40: Symbolizes a period of preparation and drawing near to God (e.g., Israel’s 40 years in the wilderness, Jesus’ 40 days in the desert) ([02:04]).
• The Disciples’ Question:
  “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” — Reflects anticipation that Jesus’ messianic mission involves a glorious, earthly kingdom ([03:35]).
• Jesus’ Response:
  “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons... But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you...” (Acts 1:7–8, paraphrased)
  He redirects them from curiosity about timing to their mission of global witness, emphasizing that the “kingdom” will not be narrowly national but universal ([05:00]–[06:14]).
• Memorable Quote:
  Dr. Akers: “God doesn’t always, like, you know, work according to our time schedule. But he’s never late.” ([04:51])

Theological Meaning: Old Testament Echoes & Messianic Fulfillment ([07:36]–[13:30])

• Old Testament Foundations:
  • Psalm 110: Central for understanding the Ascension, as it is a coronation psalm:
    “The Lord says to my Lord: Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.” ([09:08])
  • Jesus as New Adam & New David:
    The Ascension is Jesus’ enthronement as the new Adam (restoring dominion over creation lost by sin) and the new, eternal King from David’s line ([11:31]).
• Christ’s Kingship and Royal Identity:
  The Ascension is not simply a departure; it’s Jesus’ enthronement at the Father’s right hand—a visible sign that the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament is reigning in glory.

Priestly Dimension: The Ascended Lord as High Priest ([13:30]–[16:58])

• Christ as High Priest:
  Drawing on Hebrews, Dr. Prothero explains that Jesus’ Ascension marks Him not only as king but also as the eternal high priest.
  • Psalm 110 again is key:
    “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.”
  • Melchizedek Connection:
    Jesus’ priesthood, like Melchizedek’s, is unique—offering bread and wine, and extending forever by virtue of Jesus’ resurrection, not biological descent ([14:50]).
  • Perpetual Intercession:
    “His [Jesus’] intercession is eternal, it’s ongoing. His offering, his one time death on the cross, is always being presented before the eyes of the Father because He, in His glorified body that yet still has the scars… is always there before the Father.” — Dr. Prothero ([15:42])

The Ascension and the Gift of the Holy Spirit ([12:25]–[13:30])

• Necessity of Departure:
  Jesus says it is “better for you that I go” (John 16) because His Ascension makes possible the outpouring of the Spirit, who mediates Christ’s presence globally, “present in every heart” ([12:38]).
• Memorable Exchange:
  Dr. Akers: “That’s always been challenging... How is it better that Jesus would leave?”
  Dr. Prothero: “Because if I don’t go, I won’t be able to sit on my throne and send the Holy Spirit.” ([12:32]–[12:38])

The Ascension, Resurrection, and Christian Hope ([16:58]–[19:27])

• Connection to Christian Life:
  • The Ascension is the foundation for the believer’s hope of resurrection, as seen in Philippians 3:20–21:
    “Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Saviour... who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body...”
  • Universal Kingship:
    The Ascended Christ is sovereign over every event in our lives—even the difficulties—because “everything is under His feet” ([18:50]).
• Baptism and Ascension Link:
  1 Peter 3:21 ties the efficacy of baptism to Jesus’ resurrection and ascension.
• Living Confidence:
  “Nothing can beat his promise. Nothing can touch him. Everything is under his feet. Even the bad things in our life we know are still under the power of Jesus and that he’ll guide and direct everything as the One who’s at the steering wheel of the universe for our good, ultimately.” — Dr. Prothero ([19:11])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On God’s Timeliness:
  “God doesn’t always... work according to our time schedule. But he’s never late.” — Dr. Akers ([04:51])
• On the Ascension’s True Meaning:
  “The Ascension is not celebrating an absent God... but it’s, ‘I’m ascending to the right hand of the Father so that I can be with you by sending you the Spirit.’” — Dr. Akers ([19:27])
• On Christ’s Perpetual Priesthood:
  “Jesus is sinless and he’s eternal. So when he intercedes for you, his intercession is eternal. His offering... is always being presented before the eyes of the Father.” — Dr. Prothero ([15:42])
• Reflecting on Hope and Sovereignty:
  “Nothing can beat his promise. Nothing can touch him. Everything is under his feet.” — Dr. Prothero ([19:18])

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:00–01:23]: Introduction, context, and overview of the Glorious Mysteries–Ascension focus
• [01:23–06:14]: Reading Acts 1:6–11, context, and meaning of “40 days”
• [06:14–07:36]: The “New Joshua”—Jesus’ mission moves from local to universal
• [07:36–13:30]: Old Testament roots—Psalm 110, messianic implications, why the Ascension matters
• [13:30–16:58]: Christ as eternal High Priest—Melchizedek, Hebrews, ongoing intercession
• [16:58–19:27]: The Ascension’s impact on Christian hope, baptism, and confidence in Christ’s kingship

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Conclusion

This episode richly explores the Ascension as more than a departure; it's a pivotal, multi-layered reality marking Christ’s enthronement as King and High Priest. The hosts connect the Ascension with Old Testament prophecy, Christ’s ongoing intercession, the sending of the Holy Spirit, and the foundation for Christian hope. Listeners are invited to see the Ascension as the locus of Christ’s sovereign power—a reality that shapes prayer, trust, and devotion, especially when meditating on the Rosary’s Glorious Mysteries.

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Next Episode Teaser:
The series continues with Pentecost, exploring the descent of the Holy Spirit ten days after the Ascension.

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“May the good Lord bless and keep you.” — Dr. Ben Akers ([19:27])

Transcript

[A]

Hello and welcome to form. Now, my name is Dr. Ben Akers and my guest today is Dr. James Prothero. And we're in part two of a five part series going through the glorious mysteries of the Rosary. Last time we talked about The Resurrection with Dr. Michael Barber. Today we're talking about the mystery of the Ascension and what we've been doing with these, going through these different passages that we meditate on our Rosary, but we've been going to Scripture, trying to mine the depths of Scripture so that we can pray more fruitfully these mysteries. And Pope St. John Paul II said that the Rosary is a compendium of the Gospel and so that we can actually, we're actually praying the Gospel. And so that's what I've really enjoyed about this series is having conversations with the professors at the Graduate School of Theology to help me pray more deeply these mysteries. So where do we want to go in Scripture with the Ascension?

[B]

Sure. So the best place, the fullest account that you get of the Ascension of Jesus in Scripture really is in the first chapter of the book of Acts. You get a little bit of it at the end of the Luke's Gospel, but it's just kind of a short end of the book preview before Luke starts his second book, which is Acts. And this is where we get the fullest account here in Acts chapter 1, especially verses 6 through 11. So should we read these out?

[A]

Yeah, that's great. Yeah, let's do it. So we're in Acts chapter one. And where do you want to start?

[B]

Let's start with verse six. So he's been with his disciples after the resurrection for 40 days and he's been talking with them and now they're gonna ask him a question, he's gonna correct them, and then he's going to ascend and they're gonna be sort of left with this.

[A]

Well, that's a good place to just reminder that. So it's 40 days after Easter Sunday. So we're on the Thursday of the sixth week of Easter is when we celebrate this. Sometimes, though, depending on where you live in the world, the Thursday is transferred to a Sunday celebration. So Jesus is actually gonna ascend into heaven on a Thursday. So he picked a. What's the significance of 40 just before we read this?

[B]

Well, it's kind of everywhere. So 40 is this number in scripture that has a lot of different significances, but it always has to do with people growing closer to God and at the same time not being there yet. So you think about the Israelites in the wilderness for 40 years. They're growing closer to God. They're making some mistakes and getting some discipline for it, but they're growing closer to God. And it's after the 40 that they will receive the sort of fullness of their inheritance and God's promise. And at the end of Luke's gospel, Jesus says, hang out in Jerusalem until I send the promise of my Father. That's the Holy Spirit, Pentecost. And so Jesus has 40 days with them where they're in his presence, Right? They're with him and they're learning from him. And it says he taught them and proved that he was really raised by various signs. But then they're going to receive after the 40 days on the day 50 on Pentecost for the next mystery. They're going to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit that really brings everything that God has promised together.

[A]

That's neat. And as you're talking, just. I thought about the bookends of his public ministry where he begins his public ministry with the baptism fall by 40 days in the desert now we've risen from the dead. He's defeated Satan, who was tested with at the beginning of his public mystery. Now kind of his last act of his public ministry is 40 days with the apostles before he ascends to the right hand of the Father.

[B]

Absolutely.

[A]

Okay, so we're in Acts, chapter one. And what's the question that they ask and get corrected?

[B]

So they all come together. It says in verse six, and they asked Jesus, lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? Remember, all the prophets had talked about the Messiah would come, right. And that he would be king.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And so they're kind of looking for like, all right, so now it's time. So when's it going to happen? Right. So you died, you rose, and now big kingdom.

[A]

Well, and kingdom is actually one of the words that's most used by Jesus. If you go just a word analysis, I think 90 times in the Synoptic Gospels, coming out of the mouth of Jesus, he's talking about kingdom. So it makes sense that they'd ask this question.

[B]

Yeah, absolutely.

[A]

We kept talking about this kingdom. Now tell me about it.

[B]

Yeah. It's not because they're dense. Right. It's just because they're looking for the fullness of the promise. And what Jesus is going to do is respond to them by telling them to wait. This is so often in scripture. If you think about the book of Revelation in Revelation, chapter 6, the Apocalypse, and the saints in heaven who are martyred are praying to God, saying, lord, how long until you avenge our blood and you wipe sin away from the earth? And God gives them a robe and tells them to wait. And then they wait. And then the seals continue to break, right? And everything continues to go. Because it's in God's time to bring everything in completeness.

[A]

Remember, one of the saints said something along the lines of, God doesn't always, like, you know, work according to our time schedule. But he's never late.

[B]

That's right.

[A]

He's always on time. He's never going to be late. We're late. We want him to act faster. But he's always on.

[B]

Second Peter, chapter three. People are objecting to, well, if he's coming back, why is it taking so long? And Peter says, God is not slow, as some count slowness. But anyway, so they ask him, okay, are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel now? And Jesus says to them, it's not for you to know the times or the seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth. So they've asked about, like, okay, so we're there now, right? Right. Aren't we done? You died, you rose. Ta da. Now restore the kingdom to Israel. And Jesus actually says, wait, it's not for you to know the times. But then he directs them toward their mission that they'll have once Pentecost comes, to go from Jerusalem to the rest of Judea and Samaria, those people of God who were kind of separate and pushed off and then to the ends of the earth. Right? So actually, what's going to happen really is that Israel, the people of God, is going to get a lot bigger because they're going to baptize everybody into the fellowship and the body of Christ.

[A]

This echo to the Old Testament reminds me of this new Joshua. Just as Joshua in the Old Testament said, go and take the land. Land is yours. Now we have the new Joshua, the resurrected Lord, telling his men to go and take the land. But it's not just this small piece of land, it's the whole world.

[B]

That's right, that's right, that's right, that's right. So in verse nine, then right after he said this, it says, and when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven, as he went Behold, two men stood by them in white robes like angels and said, men of Galilee, why are you standing looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven. And then they returned to Jerusalem and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And so here's the. This is the most detailed description you get in scripture of the actual event, physical event, of Jesus in his risen and glorified body ascending to heaven, being lifted up into the clouds and sort of disappearing from their sight. And then the two angels and messengers from God say, why are you staring at the sky?

[A]

He said, why are you looking up?

[B]

Yeah, right. He's going to come back the same way that he left, get about it. And then they leave. And they still have to pray and wait for the fullness of the promise at Pentecost to come to them.

[A]

Right. So it should be 10 days later. So I'm sure that there's hidden in here some Old Testament echoes in the way that Luke tells this story. Are there some that you can mine for us here?

[B]

Well, Luke's big on it. So in terms of echoes, where you're looking for a particular phrase being the same kind of phrase as somewhere else, you can maybe inform us on some of those. A lot of. A lot of biblical connections.

[A]

That's what I was thinking. Yeah. That's what. Yes. Kind of the echoes. Yeah.

[B]

Between the two. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So honestly, this was one of the hardest mysteries for me to pray before I really started studying it, because you usually, when I thought of the Ascension, I thought, okay, well, he's done here. Bye. Thank you, Jesus, for being done, or something like that. I didn't really get the significance of why he needs to ascend. But there's actually lots of places in Scripture from the Old Testament and then especially how the New Testament authors read the Old Testament that make this really significant. And they really open up, at least for me, and I hope for everybody else, too. They really open up a lot of different things to meditate on when I think about the meaning of the Ascension. So the most important passage in the Old testament is Psalm 110 for understanding the Ascension.

[A]

So this psalm has something to do with, if I remember correctly, the coronation of a king.

[B]

That's right. That's right. Except when the New Testament authors read it, it ain't just any king. So the psalm starts off. Psalm 110 starts off like this. The Lord says to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your Footstool.

[A]

So this will sound familiar to our readers who were paying attention during the Passion going into Christ. This is kind of a trick, a passage that Jesus will throw out to stump people.

[B]

That's right. So when Jesus will ask people, after, there's a period where he's in Jerusalem teaching, after he's overturned the money, changers tables, and people start asking him all these questions to kind of test him. And then he throws one back and he says, all right, I got one for you. How is the Messiah, David's son, if David says, the Lord said to my Lord. So David is praying and he sees the king, right? God's anointed king, the capital M, Messiah. Right. But he's not David's grandkid. He's in heaven talking with the Father. He's already there. So Jesus is like, ah, huh, Is he just David's great grandson now?

[A]

And no one offers a response.

[B]

That's right. And nobody can answer many questions. Yeah, that's right. And so that's a big deal. When Jesus is on trial in front of the Sanhedrin, and they ask him, are you the Christ in Mark's Gospel, he says, I am. And he says, and you'll see the Son of man sitting on the cloud, sitting at the right hand of power, sitting at the right hand of the Father and coming with the clouds in heaven. And so when the New Testament writers read this passage, they think about Jesus ascending and they think about how it shows in a definitive way, Jesus being the Messiah, being the Christ, right, Being the Davidic king. And then if we think further past that also, it's not just proof that he is the king, it's also like him getting up and sitting once again glorified on his divine throne. So when I think about the ascension, one of the first things that I do is I think about, like our new Adam and our new David that we, you know, Adam's made to have dominion and rule over the things of the earth.

[A]

And.

[B]

And yet he fails in that, right? He fails to be like God in a way that cares for and governs the creation because he sins. And the new Adam, now a human being, but a divine and perfect human being glorified, is on the throne in heaven at the right hand of the Father. It's from there that he rules and reigns in Providence over us. It's from there that he judges. So when we think about the mystery of he will return to judge the living and the dead, we right, well.

[A]

This is where he's returning from.

[B]

That's Right. This is where he's coming from. Yeah, exactly, exactly. So that's really, really key. And then another aspect is in John's gospel in chapters 14 through 16, where he's talking with the disciples the night that he's going to be betrayed. They're sort of worried about all of his talk of like, I'm going away. You're not asking me where I'm going.

[A]

Right.

[B]

Don't ask me that question. Right. And he's sort of talking to them and they don't understand. And he says, it's better for you that I leave.

[A]

That's always been a challenging. Yeah. Whenever I get there. And students will ask, what does he mean by that? How is it better that Jesus would leave?

[B]

Yeah, that's right. So he says, it's better for you that I go, because if I don't go, I won't be able to sit on my throne and send the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit, of course, is able to be everywhere all at once to make Jesus present in every heart in a way that when he's walking around in Galilee with his body and a nose and hands, and he can be in one place at one time, physically at least, he can't do that. So the Holy Spirit comes to shed and share his graces abroad and to live in us and infuse graces into us by dwelling in us, so that the Lord can actually be present in us and we can be connected to his body. And so the Ascension and then his sending the Spirit. Right. All the stuff that we get at Pentecost that we want to meditate on with Pentecost, that's because of the Ascension according to John, which is huge.

[A]

Yes. Yeah.

[B]

Also, so the book of. Some other things with that. Okay, so just. Sorry, I'm going to.

[A]

No, this is great.

[B]

I'm just rolling.

[A]

No, no, this is great because when. With Psalm 110, it also made me think of besides the Royal Messianic Psalm, where you are a priest forever. That's what it seems like. So you said new Adam, New David. And I'm thinking that's also priestly language. Right. What is Jesus actually doing at the right hand of the Father until he comes back again?

[B]

That's right. So the book of Hebrews, the letter to the Hebrews talks this way. It does a whole bunch. If you want to see somebody in the New Testament, really work with Psalm 110, read Hebrews chapter 7 and 8. And he walks through this Psalm and he says, okay, we know Jesus ascended and he Sat down at the right hand of the Father. Right. Well, he's our high priest and he has a special eternal high priesthood. Well, how do we know this? Well, because in Psalm 110 he says, the Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand. I'll make your enemies stool or put the enemies under your feet. The scepter of power has gone out. Rule in the midst of your enemies. The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind. You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. Melchizedek. This funny character that we meet in Genesis 14 who blesses Abraham and brings him bread and wine. And wine. Interesting.

[A]

Yeah. The fact that Abraham brings this priest or gives him tithes, gives him homage, and then he does this mysterious sacrifice.

[B]

That's right. And Hebrews says, right, well, this is a priest, but he's not like anybody else because this priesthood, this Melchizedek priesthood that the Messiah has, is forever. And what does that mean for us? Well, number one, right. It fits with Jesus because he has the power of an indestructible life. He doesn't get his priesthood by being the grandson of the high priest or the great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandson of Aaron. He gets his priesthood because of the fact that he took his life back up again, that he lives forever. And because he lives forever, then it says he's not like a normal priest. He was going to go and intercede for you and pray for you and then he's going to die. And then who knows what the next one will do.

[A]

And who's sinful?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And who's sin like the other priests are sinful? He's sinless.

[B]

Yeah, exactly. Jesus is sinless and he's eternal. So when he intercedes for you. Right. His intercession is eternal. Right. It's ongoing. His offering, his one time death on the cross is always being presented before the eyes of the Father because he in his glorified body that yet still has the scars. Right. Like in Revelation. Right. Like a lamb who was slain, but standing up. Right. Who rose again is always there before the Father. And the value of his sacrifice is always there. And it can be given to us again and again every day in the Eucharist. So when we pray about the Ascension, one of the things you can think about is you can think about Jesus high priesthood. Right. We usually think about his death with that. But in Hebrews it's the fact that he died and rose and ascended just like a priest would walk into. Right. Present the offering to God in the holy of Holies or in the holy place beyond the veil, would walk through to present the offering on the great day. Jesus has done that by in his sacrificial body, also being our priest and ascending to the heavenly sanctuary is what.

[A]

He received, being constantly present to the Lord, to the Father, offering intercession for us.

[B]

That's right. That's right. And because connected with that right, you have Pentecost and you have the Holy Spirit. That also means that Jesus as the one who rules in the midst of his enemies, right? And the one who sends forth his power promised to the Church in the Holy Spirit. It also means that his being ascended connects to everything else. So here's a couple of little notes. So in Philippians chapter three, Paul talks about the salvation that we know we have in Christ the Savior we have and that we're looking forward to the day that we we're raised from the dead with bodies just like Jesus is. This is Philippians 3, 20, 21 says, our citizenship is in heaven. And from it, from heaven we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body. And you're like, yeah, that's wonderful. And you think like, okay, Jesus resurrecting power to raise us is because he was raised well, yes, but also the resurrection and the ascension go together. And so what does Paul say? He'll transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body according to the power that enables him to subject all things to himself. Well, what's having all things under his feet, all things subject to him? That's ascension language. That's about him sitting at the right hand of power. So Jesus seat and his throne and his rule that he has as our ascended Lord, right, is the sort of like the seat from which he gives all of these other gifts and graces, the one from which we hope we will be raised from the dead, right? The one from which he sends out the Holy Spirit. In 1 Peter 3, 21 says the same kind of thing, except with baptism. He says, we have baptism. We have this clean conscience with God, right? Not removal of dirt from the body, but a clean conscience with God by the resurrection of Christ, who ascended to put everything else under his feet. And if he's the one who's caring for us and loving us and giving us a share of his life and his power, well, then we know we can trust it, and we know we can rejoice in it always. And we know that we ought to give him all of our allegiance because he's the king that's over everything. Nothing can beat his promise. Nothing can touch him. Everything is under his feet. Right? And even the bad things in our life we know are still under the power of Jesus and that he'll guide and direct everything as the One who's at the steering wheel of the universe for our good, ultimately.

[A]

That's beautiful. Thank you for sharing all those wonderful insights and helping us understand that the Ascension is not celebrating an absent God who's, you know, good luck, guys. I'll see you whenever I return and, you know, however many thousands of years. But it's, I'm ascending to the right hand of the Father so that I can be with you by sending you the Spirit. And then, and we know that in confidence that Jesus gave us the assurance that I will be with you to the close of the age and the way that he's going to be with us to the close of the age. One of the ways is through the sacramental economy of the Church and his sacraments is where we meet Christ. So thank you, Dr. Prothero, for joining me and helping me understand and helping us understand some of the mysteries that's found in the Ascension. Please join us next time when we talk about Pentecost, which happens 10 days after the Ascension of Christ. And thank you for supporting us through Mission circle. We're grateful for your support and may the good Lord bless and keep you.