“After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.” Acts 1:3 NIV
Have you ever wondered why Jesus did not go directly back to His Father in heaven after His resurrection? What did He do in those 40 days before His Ascension? Yes, as evangelicals we celebrate Easter Sunday and give a nod to the birth of the church as Pentecost but is there something we might be missing by glossing over Jesus’s final days on this earth in His Glorified body before His Ascension? I believe His incredible love for us kept Him here so that we would know that we are never alone, He is with us always, He would never leave us as orphans, He would send a helper to be with us all of our days until the end of the age.
I believe if we intentionally spend some time during this “Eastertide season”, the time between the resurrection and Ascension and Pentecost, the Spirit may have something for each of us. Something transformative. I invite you to press in and reflect on these accounts throughout the New Testament encountering the resurrected Jesus through His encounters with His disciples as people of post resurrection Jesus in Luke 24, Matthew 28, John 20-21, Mark 16, Acts 1, 2, and 9, 1 Corinthians 15.
We live in an age where fear is constantly perpetuated by the daily news and events of our world probably very similar to the days of the apostles after the crucifixion and death of their Rabbi…. Bewildered, broken hearted, and confused… their hopes shattered, many of them lived in fear of what was to come next and went back to their old lives or into hiding for fear of persecution, but everything was about to change for them.
Jesus began his earthly ministry with 40 days in the wilderness preparing himself for His mission, the purpose of which He became Emmanuel, God with us …to seek and save the lost. At the end of His ministry, He intentionally invested 40 days after His resurrection to prepare and mobilize His disciples for their mission, commissioning them/us to go to the ends of the earth as His witnesses. As they encountered Him in a new and empowering ways, I pray that we too, the beloved bride, the church, may encounter Jesus afresh in thisseason. Renewing us, filling us andsending us out into the fullness of the joy of a resurrected life committed tobringing the Kingdom here on earth in and through us
As I studied these accounts there are a fewthings I noticed. Jesus only appeared to His disciples during this time and remained hidden to all others. First were the women at the tomb comforting them, entrusting them with the task of telling all the other disciples that He is alive. He showed His love, value, and care for women in ministry. I like to think this is a glimpse of God’s original intent when He created Eve to work alongside of Adam in perfect harmony and what it be like when the New Heaven and the New Earth come to be.
Jesus’ appeared to Peter on at least three separate occasions. The most tender one being where Jesus restores Peter from one who denied and abandoned Him to now a man of pure devotion, transforming his weakness into boldness, charging Peter to feed his sheep. Peter stepped into this commission with a faithful resolve for the remainer of his days, organizing the church, boldly declaring the risen Christ to all he met regardless of the consequences.
The appearance to the two men on their way to Emmaus, expounding how all things in the Old Testament, from Moses to the prophets pertained and pointed to Him… the clarifying words He spoke to them opened their minds to deeper understand, connecting the dots so to speak. They commented “their hearts burned within them as Jesus spoke to them” His Spirit in us does the same for us today!!
The 10 disciples in the upper room, where he breathed a temporary infilling of the Spirit on them empowering them with the ability to carry out their mission. This reminds me of when God breathed life into man at creation…is this now a recreation where the disciples were born again? Jesus then returned a week later for the benefit of Thomas, assisting him to overcome His doubts. What a tender act of love and mercy Jesus extended Thomas. Not leaving any lost sheep behind but lovingly assisting them in their journey of belief.
It is also recorded that He appeared to the 7 disciples who had gone back fishing, this is also where He reinstated Peter as the rock of the early church, as well the 500, His brother James, and his disciples on the mount of Olives before His Ascension. Later in Acts 9, He shows Himself to the murderous Saul transforming him to become the fatherly minister to the gentiles.
You see friends, his finally forty days onthis earth were very intentional indeed!! They proved He was truly alive, fully affirming the truth of God’s Word. This further act of His incredible love for His beloved disciples strengthened their faith empowering them to fully step in and be mobilized for their mission. They became His witnesses, making new disciples, preaching the gospel, baptizing believers, teaching obedience, and a life surrendered to their calling preparing for His imminent return.
He is still present on earth, even though He is with His Father in heaven…How…? Through His people, you and I, His hands and feet bringing the kingdom here on earth wherever we go, bringing the Light of God with us into all the dark places of the world in which we live. I pray that we live out our mission, we do so as Jesus modeled for us, with love, kindness, mercy, grace, justice, and truth…He asks each of us “Do you love me more than these”…would fish, bread, orother earthly goods and materials take priority over matters of Jesus' heart...the commission to be witnesses to our communities and to the ends ofthe earth, feed his lambs, feeding his sheep, sharing the Good News as His people, to live the on earth as it is in heaven.
Fondly, Melody
