After the Resurrection

Unanswered Easter Questions As a teen, I asked my pastor: What happened to Jesus after he was resurrected? Like a T.V. series that leaves the viewer with a cliff hanger about their favorite character, my pastor had left me questions about where Jesus went after he was resurrected. Today, I want us to follow Jesus' journey after his resurrection.

The Jesus Train Imagine yourself on a train. There are a series of stations. These stations represent a time-line extending from Jesus' resurrection. We want to stay on the train long enough to get the whole story of where Jesus is taking his followers. To understand our journey we have to first look at our ticket stub.

Look at Your Ticket Stub If you simply look at your ticket stub, you will know where the train is going. I will ask the Father to give you another Helper, to be with you always. He is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor recognizes him. But you recognize him, because he lives with you and will be in you. John 14:16-17 See John 7:39 /

Look at Your Ticket Stub But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything that I have told you. John 14:26 When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father the Spirit of Truth, who comes from the Father he will testify on my behalf. John 15:26 If I don t go away, the Helper won t come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. Jn 16

Look at Your Ticket Stub When the Spirit of Truth comes, he ll guide you into all truth. He won t speak on his own accord, but he ll speak whatever he hears and will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. John 16:13-14 The Holy Spirit is a PERSON: the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost (Spirit). Jesus' departure from earth would culminate with the coming of the person of the Holy Spirit.

First Stop John 20:11, Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene. Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will take him away. Jesus told her, Mary! She turned around and told him in Hebrew, Rabbouni! (which means Teacher ).

Second Stop Luke 24:13, Jesus appears to Cleopas, and Salome, on the road to Emmaus. 31-32 Then their eyes were opened, and they knew who he was. And he vanished from them. Then they asked each other, Our hearts kept burning within us as he was talking to us on the road and explaining the Scriptures to us, didn t they?. Road to Emmaus, Cleopas, & the sister of Mary, Salome.

Third Stop Luke 24:36-37, Jesus appears to the disciples without Thomas. While they were all talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and told them, Peace be with you. They were startled and terrified, thinking they were seeing a ghost.

After the Resurrection Part 2

Review The story of Jesus often ends at Easter with us wondering what happened to Jesus! I want you to imagine that you are on a train that will pass through a series of STATIONS which represent a time-line extending from Jesus' resurrection. To understand your journey, you need only to look at your ticket stub. The course becomes clear as you move from human understanding to spiritual understanding.

Review Jesus declares: If I don t go away, the Helper won t come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. When the Spirit of Truth comes, he ll guide you into all truth. Jn 16 First Stop: Appearance to Mary, she tells the disciples that Christ is risen, they disbelieve. Second Stop: Appearance to Cleopas & Salome, they disbelieved that Christ had risen, until their eyes were opened. Third Stop: Appearance to the disciples, they were terrified, thinking he was a ghost.

Unbelief Unbelief is common amongst each stop we have made. Without the revelation and illumination of the Holy Spirit, it is impossible to comprehend a risen Christ. Jesus' appearances reveal something very fundamental: the human mind can't understand spiritual things. Cleopas and Salome comment, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?

Fourth Stop John 20:26-29, Jesus appears to the disciples, with Thomas. Even though the doors were shut, Jesus came, stood among them, and said, Peace be with you. Then he told Thomas, Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Take your hand, and put it into my side. Stop doubting, but believe.

Fifth Stop John 21:1-23, Seven disciples at the sea of Tiberias Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. Then Jesus told them, Come, have breakfast. Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, Who are you?, because they knew it was the Lord.

After the Resurrection Part 3

Review Fourth Stop: Appearance to Thomas, called Doubting Thomas, when he sees Christ, he cries out, My Lord and my God! Fifth Stop: Appearance to disciples at the sea of Tiberias, Christ challenges Peter with the words, Do you love me? Then feed my sheep.

Sixth Stop Matthew 28:16-17, the disciples meet Jesus. The eleven disciples went into Galilee to the hillside to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshipped him, though some had doubts.

A Closer Look Matthew records that the soldiers guarding the tomb of Jesus were paid by the Elders to say that Jesus disciples had stole his body away while they slept...as is still told by the Jews today. The disciples, obedient to go to the mountain where Jesus had directed them, worshipped Christ, but some DOUBTED. This is the state of the natural man, versus the spiritual man, it is doubt versus faith. (Maybe Jesus had a twin... a doppelganger... a double.)

A Transfer of Responsibility Matthew 28:18 Jesus came to them and said: I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth! 19 Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, 20 and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world. Mark 16:14; Luke 24:44; John 20:19; Acts 1:4-8

Seventh Stop 1Corinthians 15:6-7, seen by the corporate church. The Messiah died for our sins according to the Scriptures, he was buried, he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures and is still alive! and he was seen by Cephas, and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Next he was seen by James, then by all the apostles, and finally he was seen by me, as though I were born abnormally late.

Eighth Stop Matthew 28:49-53, Mt of Transfiguration. Later, he led them out as far as Bethany, lifted up his hands, and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up to heaven. They worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem filled with great joy. They were continually in the Temple, blessing God.

Recounting the Journey Acts 1:3-11, Mt of Transfiguration (Mt of Olives). In my first book, Theophilus, I wrote about everything Jesus did and taught from the beginning, up to the day when he was taken up to heaven[a] after giving orders by the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After he had suffered, he had shown himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during a period of 40 days and telling them about the kingdom of God.

Arrival The Holy Spirit of which Jesus spoke was to be given on the Day of Pentecost. Jesus commands: Don t leave Jerusalem. Instead, wait for what the Father has promised, about which you heard me speak, because John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit a few days from now.