Behold the Man! - Part Three

In the last blog post 'Behold the Man! - Part Two we considered the Man Jesus of Nazareth being led out to be crucified on a Roman Cross. In this blog post we will look at His resurrection and ascension to Heaven.

 Matt 27:62-66:

"(62) On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate,

(63) saying, "Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise.'

(64) Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, 'He has risen from the dead.' So the last deception will be worse than the first."

(65) Pilate said to them, "You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how."

(66) So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard."

 At the end of Luke chapter 23 we learn that Jesus was buried the same day He died.

Luke 23:54-56:

"(54) That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near.

(55) And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid.

(56) Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. [Day 1] And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment." [Day 2]

Matthew 28:1-7:

"(1) Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. [Day 3]

(2) And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.

(3) His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.

(4) And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.

(5) But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.

(6) He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

(7) And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you." 

The angel tells the women not to be afraid, that Jesus had risen from the dead. His next words are very touching, "Come, see the place where the Lord lay."  Remember, this is an angel of the Lord! He acknowledges that Jesus is the Lord, the One who has supreme authority in heaven and on earth. The Lord of Glory - as Son of Man - had taken to Himself power and authority to rise from the dead. 

In Matthew 28:11-15 we find out what the terrified guards do next.

"(11) Now while they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened.

(12) When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers,

(13) saying, "Tell them, 'His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.'

(14) And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will appease him and make you secure."

(15) So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day."  

Mark 16:9-14:

"(9) Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.

(10) She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept.

(11) And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.

(12) After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country.

(13) And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.

(14) Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen." 

Now it is important to note that Jesus after He had risen from the dead appeared only to His disciples; those that were His followers. He did not appear to the general population! They did not deserve to see Him as they had rejected Him from being their Messiah and King. 

These verses in Mark 16:9-14  tell us that the Lord Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene; then He appeared to two disciples as they walked from the city into the country. Later that day, Jesus appeared to His remaining eleven disciples [apostles]; who had accompanied Him during His public ministry. 

In John chapter 20 we learn that Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early in the morning; saw that it was empty and ran and told Simon Peter and John. "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him." [John 20:2]. Simon Peter and John ran to tomb. John outran Peter but did not go into the tomb. Peter arrived and went straight in. John then followed Him. 

John 20:6-7:

"(6) Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there,

(7) and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself." There was no body only the grave clothes. The handkerchief that had been around His head was neatly folded and was separate to the grave clothes. The Lord Jesus had indeed risen from the dead! 

Matthew 28:6:

"(6) He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay." The angel rolled the heavy stone away from the tomb entrance. Now note this - Jesus was not there; because He did not have to wait for the angel to come and roll back the stone so that He could walk out of the tomb! In His resurrected body, a new spiritual body, He simply passed through the stone walls of the tomb! His new body is a body made for living in Heaven and was, and is, vastly superior in every aspect to His body made for living on Earth. 

When the Lord appeared to Mary Magdalene He told her in John 20:17, 18 "(17)...'Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them', "I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God."

(18) Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her."  

That same day in the afternoon we have another incident. In Luke 24:13-27 two of Jesus' disciples are walking from Jerusalem to the village of Emmaus. Jesus joins them and asks them what they are talking about to each other. They ask Him if He is the only stranger in Jerusalem that does not know what has happened. (19) And He said to them, "What things?" So they said to Him, "The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,(20) and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. 

Please take note of what their next words are. (21) But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened.

(22) Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us.

(23) When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive.

(24) And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see."  

Jesus' disciples had hoped that Jesus of Nazareth would redeem Israel from the yoke of Roman bondage and rule in pomp and glory. Instead He had been condemned to death by crucifixion. They were confused and bitterly disappointed by the events as they occurred. On top of this they did not believe those who had actually seen the risen Lord."(25) Then He said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!

(26) Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?"

(27) And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself" 

Luke 24:28-31:

"(28) Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther.

(29) But they constrained Him, saying, "Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent." And He went in to stay with them.

(30) Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.

(31) Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight." 

Mary Magdalene did not recognise the Lord until He spoke personally to her. These two disciples did not recognise the Lord even when He conversed with them. It was not until He took the bread, broke it and gave it to them that they recognised Him. It is my personal belief that when He broke the bread that the two disciples saw the nail scars on His hands; and instantly realised it was Jesus risen from among the dead. They hastened back to Jerusalem and found the eleven disciples [apostles] and other disciples gathered together in the same place. 

Luke 24:35-43:

"(35) And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread.

(36) Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, "Peace to you."

(37) But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit.

(38) And He said to them, "Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts?(39) Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have."

(40) When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.

(41) But while they still did not believe for joy, and marvelled, He said to them, "Have you any food here?"

(42) So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb.

(43) And He took it and ate in their presence." 

Jesus here shows His disciples that He is not a ghost or just a spirit. He has a "flesh and bones" body that is capable of eating normal food; "broiled fish and some honeycomb" The other interesting point to note is that His resurrection body has no blood! The body made for life on Earth requires blood to keep it alive. Leviticus 17:11 "For the life of the flesh is in the blood..." The resurrection body is a spiritual body and does not need blood. 

John 20:24-29:

 (24) Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.

(25) The other disciples therefore said to him, "We have seen the Lord." So he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe."

(26) And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, "Peace to you!"

(27) Then He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing."

(28) And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"

(29) Jesus said to him, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." 

Matthew 28:16-20:

(16) Then the eleven disciples [apostles] went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them.

(17) When they saw Him, they worshipped Him; but some doubted.

(18) And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

(19) Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

(20) teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

These verses from Matthew chapter 28 have been described as the 'Great Commission'. It is not just for the apostles and disciples of that era. It is current even now! 

It is very important to note that Jesus was on earth after His resurrection for 40 days; before He ascended back to God the Father. It seems that He appeared to His disciples and apostles intermittently and not every day. He ascended to Heaven on the 40th day. 

Acts 1:1-3:

"(1) The former account I [Luke] made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,

(2) until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen,

(3) to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God."  

Luke 24:50-53:

"(50) And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them.

(51) Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that 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."

Bethany is on the eastern slopes of the Mount of Olives; so Jesus ascended from the Mount of Olives. Note, that He led His disciples out as far as Bethany; it does not say that they were actually in Bethany. The ascension was a private affair and was not intended to be a public viewing. If we read Luke chapter 24 straight through we could easily assume that Jesus ascended within a few days of His resurrection. However, Luke sets us straight in Acts chapter 1. 

Let's now look at what the apostle Paul has to say on Jesus' resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:3-8:

"(3) For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

(4) and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,

(5) and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.

(6) After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep.

(7) After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles.

(8) Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time." 

Now let's have a look at Hebrews chapter 1. When I consider this chapter in Hebrews I get a distinct impression of the joy with which the Son of God was received back into Heaven. 

Hebrews 1:1-3; 8-9:

"(1) God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,

(2) has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;

(3) who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,..."

 "(8) But to the Son He says:"Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of Your Kingdom.

(9) You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your

God has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions."  

Oh what joy there must have been in Heaven the day Jesus the Son of God ascended to the Father! What joy there would have been in the Father's heart! The question of sin had been dealt with in a truly glorious manner. The work of Calvary meant multitudes of wayward sinners would be reconciled to God.  Heaven was rejoicing that day; angels and redeemed souls (in Paradise) rejoicing and worshipping together! And you and I can rejoice knowing that it has taken place!

 

This concludes the blog posts on "Behold the Man!" If you are interested in looking into this subject in more detail, I will be publishing soon a new Ebook with the same title 'Behold the Man'. The Ebook will be available at my author page at https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/JRPeasey. 

Jon Peasey

Biblical Perspectives blog www.jon-peasey.blogspot.com

Ebooks author page https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/JRPeasey

[All Scriptures quoted are from the New King James version; unless otherwise noted. Words enclosed in [ ] are inserted for clarity. Words in bold type emphasise a point. You may notice some verses are quoted with ... at the beginning, ending or elsewhere in a verse. Only the relevant part or parts of the verse that relate directly to the current subject matter is quoted.]

[If you have any questions or comments you are invited to contact me via the comments section below.]