“This Same Jesus”

“This Same Jesus”                                   


Each day for the past eight days I have posted, on my blog, a few incredible things that happened during Holy Week. We looked at Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, some occurrences in the city, His arrest, death, burial, and resurrection. 


Many people believe He just went straight back to Heaven after God raised Him from the dead. But that’s just not the way it was. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Acts give highlights of some of the events that occurred during the forty days between His resurrection and ascension. 
  

Let’s look at a few:

-      Luke 24:13-35 – Jesus appeared to two of His followers on the road to Emmaus, having conversation as they walked along. Not recognizing Him, the men told Jesus about the remarkable events that occurred in Jerusalem in the past few days. These events centered around Jesus and the things He said and did and that He had been crucified. 

Jesus then talked about the Christ and explained some things about Himself. When they sat down to eat and Jesus blessed and broke the bread, they recognized Him and then He vanished.


They said to one another, “Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?”

-      Luke 24:36–49 – Jesus appeared to His discipled while they were gathered. He said, “Peace to you.” But they were terrified and feared they had seen a ghost. He said, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts?” He showed them the wounds in His hands and feet and asked, “Do you have any food here?” He demonstrated he was real and could even eat food. 

-      Luke 24:49 and Acts 1, He promised the outpouring of His Spirit which would empower His followers to do miraculous works like He had done.

-      John 20:27-29 – Jesus appeared to Thomas who had doubted He had risen and said, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen me and yet have believed.” I especially like this because He’s talking about us. 

-      John 21:1-14 – Beside the Sea of Tiberias, He called out to some of his disciples as they were fishing. When He asked, they told Him they had caught no fish. He told them to cast their net on the other side of the boat and when they did, they got a huge catch. Meanwhile He prepared breakfast for them on the shore. 

-      John 21 - Jesus restored Peter after his shame of denying that He knew Jesus.

At the end of the forty days, His disciples were gathered around and asked Him if He was going to restore the kingdom to Israel.   


He replied, “’It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth’” (Acts 1:7-8). 

Artist Lesley James from 

"The Lord Has Need of YOU" by Connie Wohlford

Then as they watched, He was taken up to Heaven. Two angels, dressed in white, stood nearby and said, “’Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven’” (Acts 1:11).


We who are in Christ anticipate His return. Whether we refer to it as That Day or the Day of the Lord, our ultimate hope is in Jesus, and His return when the fullness of time, according to God’s clock, has come. 


I’ll never forget the thrill of standing on the Mount of Olives, looking across the Kedron Valley at Jerusalem, thinking about the ancient prophecy. “And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley; half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south” Zechariah 14:4.

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I encouraged you to read, in your Bible, about the last days of Jesus’ life and the days leading up to His ascension. A lot happened in those few days. Begin your reading at these points: Matthew 21, Mark 11, Luke 19:28, John 12:12, Acts 1. Be blessed with me as we learn Jesus. 


In these posts, I’ve used some pictures and quotes from my book titled, The Lord has Need of YOU.* The illustrations are watercolor paintings by artist, Lesley James. 


Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version. 


*The Lord Has Need of YOU, by Connie Wohlford. Copyright Connie Wohlford, 2019, Hoot Books Publishing.

*The Lord Has Need of YOU can be purchased directly from me via email author@conniewohlford.com or through Amazon,  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1687536104/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0


©Copyright 2020 Connie Wohlford