So the grave is empty. As he said, Jesus rose from the dead with victory. What happened the following day? Ascension was not immediately after the resurrection. 40 days It was between resurrection and ascension. And that day was important to the disciples and many others.
1 Corinthians 15, the apostle Paul gives us a list of physical appearances. “He grew up in the third day according to the Bible, and appeared in Cephus, and then to more than 12 brothers.
On the day of the resurrection, the disciples had Jesus’ physical appearance. Generally speaking, these appearances countered the horrors of the disciples. He said, “Peace with you” (John 20:19). He showed them his hands and sides, so that his appearance confirmed his physically elevated state (20:20). And his appearances included instruction for upcoming days (20:21-23).
During those 40 days, a unique and precious period of their earthly life to have such an encounter with the resurrected Christ.
Some of the instructions Jesus gave over the 40 days were about the Old Testament. He taught his disciples how to interpret this earlier revelation, taking into account what he had accomplished. “Then he opened their hearts to understand the Bible and said to them, “Therefore, it is written, Christ will suffer, and on the third day will rise from the dead, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be declared in his name to all nations beginning in Jerusalem” (Luke 24:45-48).
In one of the deepest and memorable post-resurrection scenes, Jesus was in Galilee with his disciples and gave them a great committee. He said, “All authority on heaven and earth has been given to me, and therefore I will make disciples of all nations, and I will baptize them in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe everything I have commanded you.
Multiple of his physical appearances included having food with his disciples. In Luke 24:41 Jesus asked them, “Is there anything to eat here?” And he ate the fish that had been grilled before them (24:42-43). Eating this fish showed that he was really present in the meat. “The spirit has no flesh and bones as I have,” he said (24:39). John 21 reports another scene this time with a fish next to the Sea of Galilee. Carrying the miraculous catch of fish, the disciples ate it with Christ. He gave them bread and fish (21:13).
During an episode with The Fish by the Shore, Jesus recovered Simon Peter with three questions. “Do you love me?” – because Peter denied him three times (John 21:15-17). Peter certainly declared his love for Christ, and he told him, “I will feed my sheep” (21:17).
The gospel account does not give us a record of what happened every day between the resurrection and the ascension of Jesus. We know just a few of the exterior, events, teaching and food. In Acts 1 we read a summary of that era.
We will reflect on the powerful effects these evidence and teachings have had on our disciples. During those 40 days, a unique and precious period of their earthly life to have such an encounter with the resurrected Christ. He shared his meals with them, built their faith through guidance and fellowships, and asked them to take the good news extensively.
Jesus’ final words to them are discovered in Acts 1:8, when he was physically with them.
That’s what this essay was like It was originally published Dr. Mitchell Chase’s subsack, Bible theology.
