This past month, we celebrated Resurrection Sunday also known as Easter. For Christians, this holy holiday commemorates and solidifies the promise God has made for his creation in the book of Genesis
This glorious story does not end there.
After the resurrection of Jesus, He lingered here on earth before He ascended to the Father.
Why? He already declared that “ It is finished” willfully giving up His life on the cross. Many months prior he openly responded to the accusing religious leaders that “If they destroy this temple [meaning His body] He would raise it up again.” And to Jesus’ dear faithful disciples He gently yet factually shares with them that He will be leaving, yet comforting them by reassuring that they will never be alone because He will send the Holy Spirit to come, guide and lead us. “ And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”
So with of this detailed instruction and instructive readiness, why did Jesus linger? From a human perspective, my view and my thoughts would be “Wouldn’t Jesus be in a rush to get home? Wouldn’t He have longed to see His Father face to face and cling to Him once again? Wouldn’t He have grown so tired and weary of the burden of the wicked and perverse world? So much so, that he could not wait to rush back to a holy, sinless surrounding in His holy ordained role, basking in the precious of angels reaffirming His shear true pure excellency, (something denied to Him on earth in many a situation) crying out “Holy, Holy, Holy.”
The answer to all of my human questions is NO He wasn’t. He wasn’t in a rush to get home, because His heart was on His people. What was on the mind of Jesus?
It was not on Himself, but in a true holy example of perfection, His mind was on others.
His mind was on the commissioning of Mary, the comfort of His disciples, the restoration of Peter, and the deeper growth and understanding of who He was and what just happened on the cross... to a common people...prior to His ascension where he currently sits on the right hand side of God.
Mary, in the middle of anguishing grief and sorrow was in an emotional state of despair at the death of her Savior. She comes to the tomb only to find that the body of the Lord was no longer there, thus increasing her disaster of anguishing pain to a whole new level. Jesus not only lingered outside but dialogues with Mary who assumed he was the gardener…pleads with He saying “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid him and I will take Him away.” Then Jesus calls her by her Arabic name, associating with her true identity… He says “Mary” she recognizes His voice and responding with the title of Rabboni which means teacher. “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’ ”Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to
her.
FISH BREAKFAST
The disciples, likewise was exposed to the presence of Jesus before his ascension
“Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and while Peter with some other disciples went fishing, Jesus was waiting for their return on the shore.
After a disappointing morning of not catching even one fish, Jesus encourages them to put the fish net down on the other side of the boat. Only then were the nets overflowing with a tremendous about of fish yet the nets did not break. Watching this scene from the shore, and the disciples hauling and dragging the nets of fish to the beach…they looked up and
“saw a fire of coals, with fish laid on it, and bread.” After a tiring, sweaty, heavy task of hauling the fish to the shore, Jesus made them a fish breakfast and He says, “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.” “Come and eat breakfast.” Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish.
So Jesus in a full-fledged new creation form was standing before their eyes in a 3-D bodily form of resurrection, (a physically state once to be attained to all that believe in Him.)
concerned about their physical needs of food and concerned about their emotional needs of grief and sorrow of their Lord no longer walking with them This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead. Jesus then dialogues with Peter reassuring to him this call and commission of feeding the sheep and lambs which translates into following Jesus by following his holy call of bringing salvation to the lost.
HIGH IN THE SKY
The Lord commissions the disciples encouraging them to be pro active in their calling He said to them, “But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen.
The last view the disciples had of Jesus was him high in the sky being lifted up to sit next to God on the throne.
QUESTIONS:
Will you? Acknowledge Jesus came, died, was resurrected and lingered here on earth before His ascension before He toke His holy seat sitting next to the Father in heaven.
Will you believe so that you one day will be resurrected like Jesus?
Scripture Texts:
John 14:15–18.
John 20:17–18.
John 21:9–10, 21:12–19.
Matthew 28:16–20.
Luke 24:50–53.
©Copyright 2012 Simone Lake. All Rights Reserved.
© Copyright 2012 Deep Roots in Christ Ministries. All Rights Reserved
About the author:
Simone Lake is a Christ follower, bride of Pastor Dr. John Lake, Bible teacher and a passionate pray-er. Visit her: www.simonelake.com, www.deeprootsin christ.com, facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
