Posted on 04/16/2020 1:15:27 PM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege
Q: Why did Jesus stay around for 40 days after He came back from the grave, instead of going immediately into heaven? This came up in our Bible class the other day and no one seemed to have an answer.
A: One reason Jesus stayed on earth for 40 days after His resurrection instead of ascending immediately into heaven was to demonstrate to His followers that He truly was alive.
After all, they knew the Roman authorities had put Jesus to death, and that His body had been taken down from the cross and sealed in a tomb. And when that happened, they were filled with despair and fear; many even went into hiding. They had believed Jesus was the promised Messiah – and now their hopes were shattered. They had forgotten His promise that He would return from the grave, and they felt they had no future.
But when Jesus appeared among them after the resurrection, their lives were changed. The greatest miracle in all history had just taken place: Jesus Christ was alive! During those 40 days, He appeared to various groups of disciples, proving beyond doubt to them that he had been raised from the dead by the power of God. Over two decades later, the Apostle Paul wrote that “he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living” (1 Corinthians 15:6).
Another reason, however, why Jesus stayed on earth then was to teach His disciples, and prepare them for the task of telling the world about Christ. Is your faith in the risen Christ, and are you seeking to share His message of salvation with others?
(Excerpt) Read more at billygraham.org ...
Well, he wasn’t waiting for his stimulus check, that’s for sure.
Changes in travel required advance notice.
Please provide New Testament references to this “40 days after resurrection “
From my reading of the Bible this period was very short before he ascended to the throne of heaven
The period between resurrection. The 500 witnesses. And ascension
Thank you
In Jesus name.
Witnesses are essential to the testaments.
Act 1:2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:
Act 1:3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
Acts 1:3 New International Version (NIV)
3 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
“Please provide New Testament references to this “40 days after resurrection “”
Will this do?
Acts 1:3 King James Version (KJV)
3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God
Acts 1:3 International Standard Version (ISV)
3 After he had suffered, he had shown himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during a period of 40 days and telling them about the kingdom of God.
What did Jesus do during His 40 days on Earth after His resurrection?
By: Steve Shirley
https://jesusalive.cc/ques424.htm
A: The Bible tells us that Jesus appeared at least 10 times over 40 days (Acts 1:3) after He arose from the dead. It is during these encounters that we see what He did. We also learn some interesting things. So, first let’s look at who He appeared to, then we will see what He said and did.
***Note: We do not know where Jesus was during the times He wasn’t appearing. That is a matter of some debate.
The people Jesus appeared to after He arose:
#1. Mary Magdalene: (Mk 16:9-11)(Jn 20:11-18)
#2. Two people, one named Cleopas, on the way to Emmaus: (Mk 16:12-13)(Lk 24:13-35)
#3. Peter: (Lk 24:34)(1 Cor 15:5)
#4. The 10 disciples in the upper room (without Thomas): (Lk 24:36-49)(Jn 20:19-23)
#5. The 11 disciples in the upper room (with Thomas): (Mk 16:14-18)(Jn 20:26-29)(1 Cor 15:5)
#6. The 7 disciples while fishing in the Lake of Tiberias (Galilee): (Jn 21:1-23)
#7. The 11 disciples on a mountain in Galilee: (Mt 28:16-20)
#8. The disciples before His ascension at the Mount of Olives: (Mk 16:19-20)(Lk 24:50-52)(Acts 1:3-11)
#9. More than 500: (1 Cor 15:6)
#10. James (Jesus’ brother): (1 Cor 15:7)
(Acts 1:2-3) mentions three primary things Jesus did during His 40 days: #1. to give “commandments to the apostles (through the Holy Spirit),” #2. “to present Himself alive.... by many infallible proofs,” #3. “to speak(ing) of things pertaining to the kingdom of God.”
The fact that Jesus appeared to all of the people listed above would certainly seem to fulfill #2.
As for the “commandments to the apostles,” I find three of these.
I think most would agree that the primary “commandment” He gave to the apostles was what we call “The Great Commission.” This is found in (Mt 28:18-20). In these verses, Jesus told them to do three things:
#1. To “make disciples of all the nations.”
#2. To “baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”
#3. To “teach them to observe all things that I have commanded you.”
(*** These things also apply to us today.)
Secondly, in (Acts 1:4-5,8) and (Lk 24:49), we see that Jesus commanded them to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit to come (the “Baptism of the Holy Spirit”). (This happened at Pentecost.)
Thirdly, we see in (Acts 10:42) that Jesus commanded the disciples “to preach... that He was ordained of God to be the Judge of the quick (living) and dead.”
Now, let’s look at a few other key things Jesus said and did during His 40 days.
He “expounded” on how things in the Old Testament pointed to Him (Lk 24:27), and how His death and resurrection fulfilled Old Testament prophecy (Lk 24:44-48).
***Note: I love this verse (Lk 24:32) at the end of “The Road To Emmaus:” “And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?”
We learn that between His death and resurrection, Jesus had “Not yet ascended to the (My) Father.” (Jn 20:17) (More on this at the link below.)
Jesus gave the disciples a foretaste of the Holy Spirit in (Jn 20:22).
Jesus displayed His omniscience in (Jn 21:6), telling the disciples where to cast their net to catch fish (they caught 153: Jn 21:11).
Jesus restored Peter after his denial (Jn 21:15-17).
Jesus again displayed His omniscience, telling Peter how he would be martyred (Jn 21:18-19), and hinting that John would not be martyred (Jn 21:20-23).
Finally, Jesus ascended into Heaven (”The Ascension”) (Mk 16:19-20)(Lk 24:50-51)(Acts 1:2,9-11).
As I discuss in the next question, during the 40 days that Jesus was on the Earth after His resurrection, He was in a glorified body. This is the same body we will one day get (Phil 3:21)(1 Cor 15:48-49)(1 Jn 3:2). As such, it is interesting to see some of the things He did in His glorified body that we should be able to do in ours. He was able to instantly appear (Lk 24:36) and disappear (Lk 24:31) from sight. He could pass through closed doors (Jn 20:19,26). He ate food (Lk 24:42-43)(Jn 21:12-15).
***Note: It is also worth noting that His glorified body had the scars in His hands and side that He died with (Jn 20:20,27)(Lk 24:39-40).
It is also interesting to note that when Jesus began His ministry, He spent 40 days in the wilderness (Mt 4:1-11)(Mk 1:12-13)(Lk 4:1-13), and at the end of His ministry, during His resurrection, He was on Earth for 40 days.
[Steve Shirley]
This is what gives me hope for the 2020 election. If the Dead in Christ are raised from the Dead on September 28, 2020 AND stay around for the same 40 days that Jesus did, we will have the Dead In Christ voting Republican on November 3, 2020. All the States that institute “same day registration” will get a big surprise!
Weekend and Holidays Airline Ticket prices.
In Biblical times, 40 days, or 40 years was a way of saying “a long time”. It was a convention when nobody was keeping a real count.
It’s an auspicious parallel to Noah’s “40 days and 40” nights.
Internet down so He had to personally talk to people?
The Israelites had moved about in the wilderness forty years until all the men who were of military age when they left Egypt had died, since they had not obeyed the LORD. For the LORD had sworn to them that they would not see the land he had solemnly promised their ancestors to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.
So that was a long time and a literal forty years as it says here.
ALSO Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness after his baptism by John. Add to that the fact that the Passion was over Passover and that celebrates the Exodus which also has a '40' tag (years)!
Acts 1:3; however this is an interesting read about 40 days.
https://www.gotquestions.org/40-days-Bible.html
“From my reading of the Bible...”
Stopped reading right after the Gospels??? Didn’t even make it to Pentecost??? Interesting theological grounding there...
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