Someone inquired, “On what day did Jesus ascend back to heaven?” In the first place, it does not matter on what day of the week Jesus Christ Ascended. We are not trying to be dismissive, but simply acknowledge that the Scriptures do not revere the day of our Lord’s Ascension as an occasion as a special day on which to worship. Manmade religions, even those claiming an affinity for Christianity, have manufactured a number of holy days that God through the Bible has not designated. This is not a new practice, but it was occurring in the first century, too (Galatians 4:10-11).
Secondly, for centuries beginning with the Catholic Church, Thursday has been associated with Jesus’ Ascension and set aside as a manmade holy day as well. Two days prior to the Sabbath the year Jesus Christ was crucified, our Lord observed the last divinely authorized Jewish Passover meal, instituted the Communion and was later arrested. The following day (Friday) He was crucified and died. On the third day (including Friday), Jesus Christ arose from the grave on the first day of the week (1 Corinthians 15:4; Matthew 28:1). On the 40th day after His resurrection (including the day of His resurrection), Jesus Christ Ascended back to heaven (Acts 1:3, 9). Forty days from the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the first day of the week (Sunday on our calendars) occurs on a Thursday.
In addition, the church was established on the first Pentecost following the death, burial, resurrection and Ascension of Jesus Christ. Pentecost always occurs on the first day of the week, calculated 50 days from the Sabbath following the Passover, seven Sabbaths plus one day. Jesus resurrected on the day following the Sabbath from which one counts to arrive at Pentecost day. Allowing for the 40 days Christ was on earth after His resurrection and before His Ascension and 10 more days afterward until that fateful Pentecost, one can count backward from that Pentecost Sunday 11 days (the 10 days between 40 days and Pentecost and one more day to the day of Ascension) and determine that the Ascension of Jesus Christ occurred on a Thursday.
However, we need to be more concerned with what Scripture authorizes and requires of mortals instead of spiritualizing Christianity with manmade holy days. For instance, the New Testament teaches that Christians are expected to assemble regularly (Hebrews 10:25) on the first day of every week for worship, during which they observe the Lord’s Supper and preaching (Acts 20:7), contributing to a collection (1 Corinthians 16:1-2), and praying and singing (1 Corinthians 14:15).
