The Day After Series

The Great Commission

Part 27 – 40 Days with Jesus

THE DAY AFTER

Pastor Bruce A. Shields

House of Faith – www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org

ANNOUNCEMENTS

6:00PM Evening Service at the church –

“Seminary Students will be preaching”

July 13th – Walker Spriggs

July 20th – Deacon Kurt Ulman

July 27th – Grace Steadman

August 3rd – Lori Ulman

August 10th – Lynnette Higgins

WHERE WE ARE AT

† Jesus Curses the Fig Tree – Warning to followers to produce fruit

† Jesus Teaches the parable of the Marriage Feast – Calling all good and bad

† The Last Supper – Accepting the covenant the Lord

† The Crucifixion – Sealing of the covenant, atonement for separation

† The Resurrection – Restoring the Lord’s Ministry

INTRODUCTION

Luke 24:1 – 12 The Resurrection

1 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ’The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ " 8 Then they remembered his words.

9 When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. 12 Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

I. Resurrection Day

The story of the Lord’s atoning death on the cross and resurrection has been told many times, both in and outside of the Church.

But what we do not often discuss, is the 40 days the Lord spent with us AFTER His resurrection, where the Lord was with us in His resurrected body before His ascension into heaven.

The resurrection is the most important part of our faith.

Without the Cross, we would not be meeting here today.

Without the Cross, we would not have an opportunity to have a right relationship with our God and Creator.

Without the Cross, all we would have to look forward to, is an eternity of separation from God.

a. The Crucifixion

Jesus’ life did not end at Calvary.

He is living, and alive!

The final stage of His atoning span on earth, as flesh and blood, ended at the Cross.

But He would be the first to receive the resurrected body, the fulfillment of our Father’s plan, and lead, just as a shepherd, all of us down that narrow path that He traveled first, so that we too may be with the Father in Heaven.

John 14 Jesus tells us that He is going to the Father to prepare a place for us, and that He will return for us.

This chapter was to comfort the Disciples before the crucifixion.

b. The resurrection

Our scripture reading today tells us that the women were traveling to the tomb.

This was the custom to place spices on the corpse of the deceased.

But when they arrived, Jesus was not there.

c. The Facts

We have, at the least, 15 accounts of Jesus appearing before His ascension into heaven, within these 40 days after the resurrection.

Why 40 days?

The flood came by 40 days and 40 nights of rain.

Noah waited another 40 days before opening a window of the ark.

Moses was on the mountain with God twice, for 40 days.

The Israelites spent 40 years in the wilderness.

Goliath stood before the Israelites taunting for 40 days before David killed him.

Jonah warned Nineveh they had 40 days until God would overthrow the city. But the people repented and fasted for 40 days, and the city was spared.

Jesus fasted for 40 days in the wilderness.

A 40-something time period, whether days, months, or years is ALWAYS a period of testing, trial, probation, or chastisement (but not judgment) and ends with a period of restoration, revival or renewal.

Why 40 days?

Because when Jesus was resurrected, He sent the women to tell the Apostles.