The Days After Easter

“Then Jesus led them to Bethany, and lifting his hands to heaven, he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up to heaven. So they worshiped him and then returned to Jerusalem filled with great joy. And they spent all of their time in the Temple, praising God.”

Luke 24:50-53 (NLT)


We know from reading the gospel accounts that Jesus spent another 40 days on earth after His resurrection. John writes that Jesus did so much during those 40 days there isn’t enough paper to write it all down. What we do know about the next 40 days is Jesus appeared to His disciples and even found time to attend the first Promise Keepers event that we read about in 1 Corinthians 15:1 with over 500 men. What Jesus spent those 40 days doing before He ascended back to heaven is important to know as it reveals His heart towards me and you.

The first few days after His resurrection Jesus got with the people who had been closest to Him during His earthly ministry showing that He was alive and not dead and that His death and resurrection had a purpose. Jesus didn’t die for Himself, He died for us and the days after His resurrection He continued doing what His death and resurrection make possible.

The good news for you and me today, the day after Easter is that Easter isn’t an ending, it’s just the beginning of new possibilities and opportunities. Study Jesus life and ministry after the resurrection and two words immediately come to mind, affirmation and reconciliation. Since Thomas wasn’t present when Jesus appeared to the disciples Jesus showed Himself to Thomas giving him the opportunity to affirm his faith publicly that Jesus is in fact the promised Messiah. And Peter, who believed, then he unbelieved then denied he ever believed needed reconciliation more than anything else and is why Jesus went looking for him. For every denial, Jesus gave Peter the opportunity to reaffirm his faith.  

Every day after Easter is an opportunity for you and me to celebrate the fact that because of Jesus life, death, and resurrection we who believe have been reconciled back to God and because of that we get the opportunity to affirm our faith and love for Him. May today and every day after Easter be spent just like the disciples who worshiped Jesus as He ascended back into heaven and then returned to the city filled with great joy praising God each time they gathered together.

I LOVE YOU!