Today’s Verse and Thought
“In my [the Apostle Luke] former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.
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 1:1-3)
He’s Alive!
In the first few years after Jesus' resurrection, the apostles began spreading the message of Jesus. This was a critical moment in Christianity and the message of Christ was primarily the responsibility of only a small group of people in the face of great opposition.
After Jesus' resurrection, I imagine that the apostles were still trying to wrap their minds around what had happened. They were trying to come to terms with the significance of the events, and to understand what their new role was as the Age of Grace and the birth of the Church began.
The night before Jesus was crucified and the disciples were participating in the Last Supper, Jesus told them He was leaving and then assured them that He wasn’t going to leave them without help; He promised that He would still be with them through the gift of the Holy Spirit.
““If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live..”(John 14:17-19)
After Jesus’ resurrection, He once again appeared to the disciples. This took place over 40 days (Acts 1:3). During these appearances, Jesus first offered proof that He was indeed alive again.
Imagine watching Jesus die right before your eyes, and then a few days later - He was back?
Wow.
If I was one of His disciples, I think I may have been like Thomas. I think I might have been in shock that He was really there. He actually came back to life!
“A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”
The disciples were together; the door was locked; and then suddenly Jesus appeared. But Thomas still didn’t believe it was Jesus until He revealed His wounds.
“Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’”(John 20:27)
Jesus wanted His disciples to understand how everything He had gone through was the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies about Messiah. He showed them how the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms…everything they had ever been taught in the Temple pointed to this historical moment.
The mystery that the Old Testament saints longed to see and understand - for centuries and centuries - was now being fulfilled and the disciples were witnessing it taking place.
“He said to them, ‘This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.’Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, ‘This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day…’”(Luke 24:44–46)
“Then he opened their minds so they could understand.”
Jesus “opened” the disciples' minds to help them comprehend the fulfillment of Scriptures. They needed a direct revelation to understand God's plan that culminated in His life, death, and resurrection.
“And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.”(Luke 24:27)
Even though the disciples had been with Jesus teaching and traveling for three years, at the time of Jesus death, they still didn’t really understand exactly what was going on. Defeat and depression filled their hearts during those three days Jesus was still in the Grave.
Did their hopes of Salvation die too?
“…but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place.”(Luke 24:21).
Regret, disappointment, fear, confusion…these men - like any of us - would have felt a range of human emotions since they had just spent three years believing in a cause that seem to have died with Jesus.
Because of the erroneous teaching of the Rabbis, the disciples were themselves confused about what kind of Savior to expect. Most Jews, remember, were looking for a great military or political leader. The disciples would have been influenced by this teaching and it makes me wonder what they thought was going to happen during the three years of His ministry.
Did they expect Him to take up arms at some point and start a revolution? Did they expect Him to usurp the Romans? Fighting seemed to be a possibility since Peter was ready with his sword when Jesus was arrested.
“Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.”(John 18:10)
Even though Jesus taught about His Kingdom, the disciples hadn’t yet fully grasped the significance of what was going on. They knew who He was, and they believed in His Salvation, but they didn’t understand that “the Kingdom” Jesus preached about was very different than what they thought.
After His resurrection, Jesus spent the next 40 days helping his followers comprehend the scope of what just happened and what they were supposed to do next. He also appeared to many people who witnessed His resurrection including Saul/Paul, who was the last to see Him.
“After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.”(1 Corinthians 15:6-8)
It was important that Jesus publically declare His victory over Death - announcing it to all the Powers and Principalities in the dark realm. He also appeared to many of his new disciples as well - 500 in all.
Death was now defeated and Satan knew his time was short.
Death no longer had any power over the people who believed in Jesus. Christians would still physically die, but like Jesus, Death had no power over our eternal existence. Because of Jesus, we live forever. This was the Good News of the Kingdom that Jesus preached and now commissioned his followers to carry out that same message to the whole world. Salvation was for everyone who believed.
“Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.”(John 8:51)
The Foundation For the Church's Mission
“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’”(Matthew 28:18–20)
Before ascending into heaven (Acts 1:9), Jesus gave the apostles what has been referred to as the “Great Commission”
During Jesus’ last 40 days on earth, He made the final preparations teaching the disciples what to do. And now at last, they understood. The Messiah that the Hebrew people had longed for was here. And His Kingdom - His rule and reign - began with the advent of the Church.
During those last 40 days, Jesus instructed all His disciples to go out into all the world and tell them the good news about the Kingdom Of God. But before they began, they were to wait another 10 days.
On day 50, something new was going to happen.
To be continued…
Today’s Question
Today’s Prayer
Father when I think about what I would have done had I been one of your early disciples, I would like to think that I would have the faith to instantly believe. But I’m afraid that I would have been in such shock that I would have been like Thomas.
Father when you revealed Jesus to the disciples after the resurrection, your Word tells us that you opened the minds of the disciples. Today I pray for all of us that you will open our minds as well. In our flesh, we can’t believe. We know that only through the Spirit can we “see” the truth. So I pray that you open our eyes wide. Open our minds to understand the reality of your Kingdom today. Help us to see that the next life is eternal and upon us.
And I pray for all of those we love whose eyes are squeezed so tight that you must pry them open in order for them to believe. The time is short now and there’s no more time to procrastinate. We are running out of chances. We live in urgent days and yet we act as if everything will just keep going on as it has been.
Today is the day of salvation. Whatever it takes, open the eyes of those we pray for and help them to finally see the truth. Save them Father. And I pray for the peace of Jerusalem today. I pray that your elect people of Israel finally “see” you. May all honor and glory be yours today. Amen❤️