Luke 24:50Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

This arrangement may also have been made to allow for the noble act of faith and its ultimate reward, as proclaimed by Christ: "blessed are those who have not seen and have believed" (John 20:29). In contrast, the ascension of the Lord was witnessed by many as it unfolded. This was the case because the faith of numerous individuals had matured, making them ready for this divine revelation. The Holy Evangelist Luke attests that the risen Savior, and what seems to be the ascended Lord, was seen not only by the eleven Apostles but also by others "who were with them" (Luke 24:33).

If the Lord Himself has elected to make His divine presence so evident, let us also direct our thoughts to follow those who witnessed it firsthand, so that, if possible, we may perceive more closely and distinctly what the heavens behold with as much awe as the earth. Let the Gospel account be our path, and the holy Evangelist Luke our guide. He writes, "led them away as far as Bethany" (Luke 24:50). This event took place on the fiftieth day during which the risen Lord "appeared" to the Apostles and "spoke the things concerning the kingdom of God" (Acts 1:3), first appearing to them in Jerusalem; then, leading them, He guided them through the city's streets and exited through the gate that led to the Mount of Olives.

What about Jerusalem? Did it not see the Risen One who had been crucified, and in its hardness of heart fail to believe what its own eyes had witnessed? Or did it see Him yet, due to disbelief, prove itself unworthy of recognizing Him, as once occurred with those who, while believing, were nonetheless shaken by doubt on the road to Emmaus? Or, in the blindness of their unbelief, did they fail to see Him entirely, even though believers at that same moment saw, heard, and touched Him? Regardless, what terrible blindness! What a tragic state! Christ appears amidst the city that condemned Him, not yet as a Judge but as a Savior; He stands ready to hear cries for repentance and offer forgiveness: yet the self-condemned city "understandeth not ... the time of its visitation" (Luke 19:44), as the Savior moves through its walls, preparing to fulfill His earlier proclamation: "Behold, your house is left unto you desolate" (Matthew 23:38).

Dear brethren, let us be wary of unbelief. Let us be mindful of our inattentiveness to God's gracious visitations, which could ultimately lead to a devastating blindness. Some may ask, "Why harbor these doubts and fears? Are we like the Jews of old? What visitation from God have we overlooked?" Indeed, we may not be the Jews of yesteryear; by God’s grace, we constitute the new Israel. Nevertheless, we recognize that the ancient Israel, chosen by faith and grace, faced punishment for its unbelief, for disobedience to the law, and ultimately, if unwilling to accept correction, was left to its own destruction. Who can assure us that the new Israel is exempt from similar threats? Gracious visitations are, however, more frequent than many realize. When the Gospel is read in the church, is it not Christ the Savior passing before us? Does He not speak to us? Does He not perform miracles before our eyes? And if, after this, some depart the church as if they have witnessed nothing of the sort, continuing to live driven by their passions and desires, as if the teachings and example of Christ pertain to another realm entirely: are they not akin to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who, failing to perceive Christ, are forsaken, and "left their house empty"? Who knows how long Christ, in His mercy, will seek to gather those inattentive and disobedient children of the New Jerusalem "as the hen gathers her chicks under her wings" (Matthew 23:37), and whether He will withhold the judgment that states: "Behold, your house is left unto you desolate"?

Let us return to the Evangelist and follow him further. "And He led them away as far as Bethany, and lifted up His hands and blessed them" (Luke 24:50). The risen Lord revealed Himself not only in Jerusalem but also along the road to Emmaus, in Galilee on the mountain, and by the shores of the Lake of Tiberias: why then did He appear in Jerusalem initially, leading them away from it? It is certain that every act of His Divine wisdom, including this one, is imbued with profound significance. It signifies that grace has been withdrawn from the old Jerusalem, which rejected the promised Christ, "in His own coming" (John 1:11), who poured out His blood for the salvation of the world upon those who would condemn themselves, preparing their own abandonment and doom through disbelief and the act of killing Christ. As He came not to ruin the souls of men but to save them from the perishing, He has begun to choose for Himself those destined to be saved, extracting the finest stones from the old city, and through the divine artistry of salvation, He has cleansed and readied them for a new construction. Thus, to demonstrate that He no longer serves the outdated, He does not patch the old garment with new cloth or pour new wine into old skins, but instead, He creates a new garment of salvation, new vessels of grace, and establishes a living city of the heavenly kingdom here on earth. He carries the living stones selected from the old city to a free, pure, elevated place, where He may bless His newly established Church, just as He once blessed His new creation in paradise. "He led them away as far as Bethany, and lifted up His hands, and blessed them." He raised His hands toward heaven and stretched them out over those He blessed, symbolizing that He confers a blessing both celestial and expansive, reaching as far as His hands extend, which encompass "all the ends of the earth" (Psalm 94:4). What words accompanied His blessing? St. Luke does not specify, but we believe it was a flow of divine grace, life, and power that not only filled those present but extends throughout the entire Church of Christ to every true believer before His second coming. It is highly probable that this blessing includes the words of Christ spoken through St. Matthew: "Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20).

Once the Holy Spirit had descended upon them, they were to bear witness to their Lord, beginning in Jerusalem, spreading to Judea, Samaria, and ultimately to the ends of the earth. These were the final words spoken by the Savior to His disciples.

Before their eyes, a phenomenon occurred reminiscent of what Elisha had witnessed when Elijah ascended; however, this was in a far more glorious manifestation. Instead of a chariot of fire, symbolizing earthly purification, a cloud of glory, previously a vehicle for God alone, took up the glorified body of Jesus from the Mount of Olives. As He ascended, He raised His hands in the gesture of blessing, imparting His blessing upon the apostles, akin to the blessings of Elijah and Moses. The apostles heard from the angels, in addition to the Lord's reassurance, the promise that He would return to earth just as He was ascending, yet the timing of this return remained unknown to them.

His ministry to them over the forty days following His resurrection had so thoroughly prepared them for this moment that they rejoiced and returned to Jerusalem, praising God. They were no longer subject to rebuke for their past lack of love, as conveyed by His words at the last Passover meal: "If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, 'I am going to the Father, for My Father is greater than I'" (John 14:26). Furthermore, they were not rebuked for their previous doubts, as He had reminded them, "I am going to Him who sent Me. None of you ask Me, 'Where are you going?' Your hearts are filled with sorrow because I have said these things. But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you" (16:5-7). In their transformed state, they embodied the identity the Lord had described in His high priestly prayer (17:6-19): "I have revealed Your name to those whom You gave Me out of the world... and they have obeyed Your word. Now they know that everything You have given Me comes from You. For I gave them the words You gave Me, and they accepted them and knew with certainty that I came from You, and they believed that You sent Me."

By contrast, Luke indicates that the apostles truly commenced their preaching of the Risen One ten days later, on the day of Pentecost. During this ten-day period, the disciples remained in Jerusalem, following Christ’s command (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4). Luke alludes to this obedience to the Lord's directive in his account. He also highlights that, upon returning to Jerusalem, the apostles “were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God.” This implies their presence in the temple during prayer times, and at other times, they gathered with approximately 120 fellow believers in a private space, specifically in an upper room, which served as a place of solitude and prayer, as was customary in Eastern culture (Acts 1:13; 1:16). The ascension of Jesus took place on the Mount of Olives (Acts 1:12), situated about six stadia from Jerusalem and near Bethany, which lies on the eastern slope of the mountain, approximately fifteen stadia from the city (Luke 24:50; John 11:18).

This mountain was also where Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, receiving enthusiastic acclaim from the crowd, who hailed Him as the King of Israel, proclaiming “Hosanna!” Here, Christ also shared with the apostles insights about the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven, as well as prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem. It is evident that the apostles, now brought to this mountain, were eager to witness the realization of the Messiah's kingdom. They had no doubt that the resurrected Christ was indeed the Messiah; however, they questioned when He would establish His kingdom. With forty days elapsed since His resurrection, they perceived a delay in this significant mission. They approached Jesus with the inquiry, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). Their understanding of the kingdom of God was still unclear, as they conflated it with the kingdom of heaven or the nation of Israel, which they believed the Messiah ought to revive; their confusion stemmed from not yet having been enlightened by the Holy Spirit. Consequently, Jesus refrained from directly answering their question, indicating that they would soon find clarity when the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, arrived to impart understanding of the matters that were currently beyond their grasp. He responded, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has set by His own authority, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:7-8).

Along the roadway and beside the Kidron stream, olive and palm trees bowed sorrowfully: from these very trees, deceitful individuals had taken branches to lay before Jesus during His triumphant entry into Jerusalem, and from the nearby trees, they had fashioned a cross to crucify Christ. After crossing the bridge over the stream and passing the Garden of Gethsemane, the travelers began their ascent of the mountain. Now standing atop the mountain, the Mount of Olives presents a breathtaking view that stretches far beyond the landscape. Just below, the bustling city with its magnificent temple and vibrant square - Haram - lies nestled; to the west, the tranquil blue of the Mediterranean Sea glimmers; to the southeast, the Dead Sea floats like a coffin in the sunken basin that lies far beneath the Mediterranean's level; at the eastern slope rests Bethany, the home of Martha and Mary, alongside their resurrected brother Lazarus; while to the north, the expansive hills of Galilee unfold, through which the swift-flowing Jordan resembles a blue ribbon; and to the south stands Bethlehem. How much nostalgia and how many thoughts this panorama still evokes! For the disciples and their Divine Teacher, this scene resonated with the life they had shared; every detail bore evidence of their activities, feelings, joys, and sorrows. Their eyes instinctively surveyed the surroundings: there near Bethlehem stood shepherds watching their flocks - perhaps these were the same shepherds who first revered the Divine Child; and there were the familiar Galilean hills, where the Master and most of His disciples had spent their early years; below remained the lawless city, indifferent to goodness, which had rejected the prophets... echoing, ‘Jerusalem, Jerusalem!…’ Beyond Bethany, the barren branches of a fig tree reached out: thus, shall it be for Jerusalem… But that city is unheeding, wrapped in its own pride, unaware that soon it would be utterly devastated... Such a sight was rare for the disciples, and struck by its magnificence, they momentarily forgot the poignant significance of the farewell and posed a question to the Teacher, revealing their limited understanding of Christ's mission: ‘Is this the time, Lord, when You will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ they inquired. Until now, they were more sons of the ‘kingdom of Israel’ than of the ‘kingdom of Christ’… ‘It is not for you to know the times or dates that the Father has set by His own authority,’ the Teacher responded. ‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’

9:22). - 'Blessed them': the specific words of blessing are not detailed here. Might they not be partially echoed in Acts 1:9, akin to those in Luke 24:49, befitting the Master Redeemer as He bids farewell to His disciples, who are to become the future heralds of the gospel of Christ throughout the world?