Faithful on Fridays Blog

Resurrection Sunday was a wonderful celebration of our Risen Christ, unfortunately, many preachers simply move on to another sermon series. Let’s slow down for a moment to ponder those 40 days Jesus walked around with His Eleven in His glorified body: He was alive.

His ministry on earth began in heaven when He accepted His assignment as the sacrificial Lamb for the sins of the world that hadn’t even been created yet (John 17:5)! This became a heaven to earth, earth to heaven connection that would benefit His followers in time. 

When we prepare our kids for an event that’s coming, whether good or bad, we usually begin by dropping little hints, describing what’ll happen, and let it sink in for a while. Jesus did the same thing. Early in His ministry He said,

No one has ascended into heaven except He who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. John 3:13 

Did they understand this the first time, no. 

Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before? John 6:62

He’s dropping those hints to prepare them for ministry by faith and not by sight. He even told the religious leaders who eventually became furious,

Jesus then said, “I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to Him who sent Me. John 7:33

Before going to the cross Jesus told His disciples He’d be returning to the Father, but would come back (read John 14 and 16), additionally, He told the High Priest at His trial,

“… I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” The rage only increased against Him.

This concept of ascension, or being lifted and taken up, wasn’t foreign to the religious leaders or the disciples. They were undoubtedly familiar with the ascension of Enoch and Elijah of the Old Testament as foreshadows of earth and heaven connecting in a supernatural way. Jesus could’ve left earth immediately after His resurrection, however, He had more work convincing His future ministry leaders that earth to heaven is a reality called eternal life. 

The crucifixion wasn’t the completion of His ministry; when Jesus said, “It’s finished” it  was one phase He was required to walk … but there was more. His resurrection wasn’t even the end … there’s more to come. 

Giving infallible proof to His followers Jesus was truly alive. He ate and drank with them, allowing the touch of His glorified body which retained the scars, supernaturally appeared in a locked room, and continued His ministry in the Galilee for another 40 days. Paul wrote (1 Cor. 15:5) that Jesus appeared to more than 500 brothers at one time, why? To give them first-hand testimony; He was alive. Jesus wasn’t finished with ministry at the resurrection, He had another stage to pass through which we’ll explore: the ascension, connecting earth to heaven.