After the resurrection - 2

For about 40 days after his resurrection, Jesus proved he was alive and taught his remaining eleven Apostles; then, he ascended back to heaven having previously promised to return (Acts 1:1-14; John 14:1-3). Recently (April 11, 2018, Quay County Sun), I wrote about the Apostles’ activities shortly after his resurrection, speculating that they’d hidden for over a week because they were in the same house in Jerusalem a week later (Luke 24:13-35; John 20:24-26).

We also know that the women at the tomb were instructed to tell his disciples that Jesus would meet them in Galilee (Mark 16:1-8; Matthew 28:1-10). So, they (the eleven Apostles, in this case) were probably in Jerusalem for a week or so and then went to Galilee for a while before Jesus led them back to Jerusalem prior to his ascension.

Although we know Jesus spent time teaching the disciples for the remaining 30 or so days he was still on earth, there also was apparently enough time in Galilee before Jesus met with them that they got bored and went back to their previous lives (John 21:1-14). Since only seven of the disciples are listed, we’re not sure where the other four were, but by the time of Jesus’ ascension, all eleven were together, according to the passage from Acts chapter one cited above. The other four might have been in Galilee all along and, not being fishermen, they might also have gotten bored and returned to their previous professions. While Jesus had called his disciples to be fishers of men, they had completed the mission to preach throughout Israel but they hadn’t been commissioned to go into all the world yet (Matthew 4:12-22; 10:1-8; 28:16-20; Mark 15:15-16). They’d been told to wait for him in Galilee, which they were doing.

Gordon Runyan’s article about the end times in last week’s Quay County Sun was excellent. We’re actually in the last days and, while we don’t know how long they’ll last, our salvation is nearer now than it’s ever been before (Acts 2:14-21; 22:16; Romans 13:11-14; Galatians 3:26-29). Although we can’t know when Jesus will come back, whether at our death or on that last day, we’re not to be concerned about the timing, we’re to be concerned about being judged as having been faithful to God’s will during this life (Matthew 24:26-51; 25:1-46; 7:21-27). Like Jesus, we’re to be about God’s business as fishers of men using our upright and godly lives as bait (Luke 2:41-52; Titus 2:10-14; Matthew 5:14-16; 1 Peter 2:11-12; 3:13-17). Also, while we’re told what will happen when Jesus returns, we’re not to be concerned even about how God will deal with others in regard to their last day except to try to draw them to him so they’ll be found faithful as well (Hebrews 9:27-28; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 2 Peter 3:1-13; John 21:15-25; Acts 20:17-27).

Are you going about the Lord’s business as best as you can as a fisher of men while you wait for Jesus’ return?

Leonard Lauriault writes about faith for the Quay County Sun. Contact him at [email protected]