| THE DISCIPLES SEE JESUS FOR THE LAST TIME IN JERUSALEM AND ON OLIVET WHERE HE ASCENDS (AT THE CLOSE OF THE FORTY DAYS) |
| Mark 16:19-20 (19) "So then after the Lord has spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God." (20)"And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following." Amen. |
| Luke 24:44-53 (44) "And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me." (45) "Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, (46) And said unto them, thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day; (47) And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (48) And ye are witnesses of these things. (49) And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. (50) And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. (51) And it came to pass while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. (52) And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; (53) And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen. |
| Acts 1:3-12 (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: (4) And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which saith he, ye have heard of me. (5) For John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. (6) When they therefore were come to gether, thy asked of hiim, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? (7) And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. (8) But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (9) And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. (10) and while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; (11) Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? (12) Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey |
| NOTES |
| 1. The Length of Christ's Stay in the Tomb. Luke give the whole story. He was buried on the day of the "Preparation," the day before the Sabbath, before the Sabbath began or dawned which was at sunset (Luke 23:54). So Jesus was buried Friday afternoon before 6 o'clock when the Jewish Sabbath started. The women rested on the Sabbath (Luke 23:56). The other Gospels agree with this record in Luke. Jesus repeatedly said that He would rise on the third day as He did. Several times He said that He would rise after three days, but that is merely the use of popular language and is not to be pressed too far. Taken literally that would mean on the fourth day, not on the third. 2. The Proof of Christ's Resurrection. The Gospels all give accounts of the appearance of the Risen Christ to different disciples. The accounts differ in various details, but agree in the essential fact that Jesus was risen from the dead. The independence of the narrative confirms the testimony. The witness of Paul in his epistles greatly stengthens the Gospels on this point. The hopelessness of the disciples also has a bearing on the poinnt. They were not predisposed to believe it. Jesus had failed to make an impression on them in this respect. They were without faith and without hope after the death and burial of Jesus. The revival of faith and hope cannot be explained otherwise than by the fact that they saw the Risen Christ. The power of Christ in human lives through the ages sets the seal to this proof. The Risen Christ lives today. 3. The Number of the Appearances of the Risen Lord. They are ten in all, five on the first Sunday and five later. Those the first Sunday are to Mary Magdalene, to the other women, to Cleopas and his companion on the way to Emmaus, to Simon Peter, to the disciples except Thomas. These are all in Jeruslem save the one on the way to Emmaus. The five later appearances are to the whole number of disciples including Thomas the second evening in Jerusalem, to the seven by the Sea of Galilee, to over five hundred on a mountain in Galilee, to James in Jerusalem, to the disciples the last time in Jerusalem and on Olivet. Thus there are two in Galilee, the rest apparently in Jerusalem and vicinity. The ascension was at the end of forty days (Acts 1:3). 4. The Great Commissions From the Risen Lord Jesus. These occur in Matthew 28:16-20; Luke 24:44-49; John 20:21-23; and Acts 1:2-8. They differ in character and offer peace and power to the disciples. Jesus claims authority in heaven and on earth. He reveals His world program and lays upon the disciples the task of world evangelism. |
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| web page by Pinohio |
| 5/27/2003 |