Acts 1:1-11
Jesus Teaches His Disciples For Forty More Days After His Death
1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 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. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
When the eleven disciples went to Galilee to see Jesus after His death they went to the mountain where He had told them to go...When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some still doubted whether He was alive or not...Resurrection was a rare concept in Judaism at the time of His death...Most people believed in an afterlife, but not in a physical body being raised from the dead...It was a radical idea for the disciples to grasp...The disciples had just witnessed Jesus' brutal crucifixion and were likely experiencing deep grief and emotional shock...Believing in His resurrection might have seemed too good to be true after His brutal death...Some suggest the disciples may have initially understood Jesus' Words about rising from the dead in a more metaphorical sense...Even after they had heard the women's account, right after His death, seeing Jesus themself might have been necessary for some disciples to truly believe...The Gospels describe Jesus appearing in different forms, which might have caused confusion...
When 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.”...And He added, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”...
The inclusion of doubt in the Gospels is significant...It portrays the disciples as real people grappling with a difficult concept and in the difficulty seeing someone after their death...Even though they had seen Jesus resurrect Lazarus from his death, and others in the other Gospels...Their eventual belief is seen as even stronger because it overcame initial skepticism...We learn that it is difficult is overcoming doubt...The Gospels describe how Jesus eventually convinces the disciples of His resurrection through multiple appearances and demonstrations...Their doubt doesn't diminish their faith, but strengthens it...
So faith and doubt can coexist...The disciples' story shows that faith can grow even amidst doubt...Their doubt, their questioning, and their curiosity helped them...Questioning and seeking answers can be part of our faith journey...It was a part of the disciples faith journey...There is this important evidence that Jesus had risen and came back from His death...The Gospels emphasize that Jesus provided evidence of His resurrection, which helped convince the disciples...After His death, 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...On one occasion, He ate and talked with them...
The forty days Jesus spent appearing to the disciples after His resurrection held immense significance for their faith and their future mission and Great Commission...
Here are some reasons why the forty days are so important...They finally would overcome their doubt and fears...The disciples had witnessed Jesus' brutal crucifixion and were likely filled with grief, fear, being emotionally drained, and were in confusion...His appearances provided reassurance of His victory over death and helped them move from despair to their renewed faith...It would build their confidence for sharing His Words and Teachings with others later on...By seeing Jesus alive and well, the disciples regained confidence in Him and His message...These forty days allowed them to process what had happened and solidify their belief in Jesus' power and divinity...They were being prepared by Jesus through His appearances and His instruction..
The Gospel accounts (and also Acts 1) suggest Jesus used this time to instruct His disciples about the Kingdom of God and prepare them for their mission to spread the gospel...He equipped them with the knowledge and understanding they needed to become leaders of the early church...
Jesus at this time commissioned the Disciples...Luke tells us that Jesus was commissioning the disciples to be His witnesses, carrying His message to the world...These forty days likely included discussions about this mission and how they would carry it out...At this time He promised them the Holy Spirit...The Gospels mention Jesus promising the Holy Spirit's descent upon the disciples...These forty days might have involved preparing them for this empowering event that would strengthen them for their missionary ministry...
The forty days of appearances were pivotal in transforming the disciples from a group of fearful followers into courageous leaders...They witnessed the resurrected Jesus, received crucial teachings, and were commissioned for a monumental worldly task...This period laid the foundation for the spread of Christianity and the building of the early church...
When we look at the forty day period and reflect on these things, we learn more...The number "forty" has symbolic significance in the Bible, often representing a period of testing, preparation, or transformation...His disciples were definitely tested, prepared, and transformed...The nature of Jesus' appearances during these forty days is not fully explained in the Bible...Some accounts describe Him appearing in different forms, while others depict Him sharing meals and conversations with His disciples...These forty days represent a crucial bridge between Jesus' earthly ministry and the work of the early church carried out by the disciples...The importance of Jesus' appearances lies in the profound impact they had on the disciples' faith, equipping them for the transformative role they would play in the history of Christianity...The twelve disciples, with Matthias being added and Paul helping, would change the world and start a New Religion, called Christianity...
Ultimately, the disciples' faith was solidified by their personal encounters over these forty days with the risen Jesus...