Something happened.
Jesus rose. We hear about it every Easter. We sing songs about it. We even have an Easter Bunny to symbolize the event.
But Christ didn’t just rise from the dead. He ascended to Heaven.
We hear the stories about Peter and John and all the heroes of the New Testament, and they’re unstoppable Christians—fearless and bold. And sometimes we wrongly assume that they just got that way. That Christ died for their sins, and bam! They’re instantly changed! On the contrary, the disciples were actually quite cowardly in their actions after the resurrection.
It wasn’t until after the Ascension that they’re on fire for Christ. So, what happened during the forty days? Something happened.
You’d think that everyone and their brother would want to talk about an event that incredible. But you’d be wrong. And it leaves us with more than a few questions.
Where do you go if you want to understand what happened? Matthew? You won’t find it there. Mark? Kind of, but it’s text that most Bible scholars now accept was not in the earliest version. What about John? Surely good old John would have a lot to say! Not exactly. He talks about Jesus doing miracles, but nowhere in John does he ascend to Heaven.
So how is it that Christians came to believe that Jesus not only rose from the dead, but stuck around forty days before ascending to Heaven? That’s where Luke comes in. Luke is the only Gospel that talks at any length (even though it’s short passages) about Jesus ascending. He does so in both the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles, which he also authored.
Sprinkled throughout the Bible are references to the Ascension, which tells us that it was something early Christians believed. The Apostle Peter believed it, as did the Apostle Paul, and it’s fair to say that all the other apostles did as well.
So, important is the doctrine that the original statement of belief that most Christians (Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox) go to—the Nicene Creed—includes it. That means if you belong to any of those groups, you are kind of supposed to believe in the Ascension.
This website will delve into what the Ascension is and why it matters. For the brave out there, a book is out now!
Jesus rose. We hear about it every Easter. We sing songs about it. We even have an Easter Bunny to symbolize the event.
But Christ didn’t just rise from the dead. He ascended to Heaven.
We hear the stories about Peter and John and all the heroes of the New Testament, and they’re unstoppable Christians—fearless and bold. And sometimes we wrongly assume that they just got that way. That Christ died for their sins, and bam! They’re instantly changed! On the contrary, the disciples were actually quite cowardly in their actions after the resurrection.
It wasn’t until after the Ascension that they’re on fire for Christ. So, what happened during the forty days? Something happened.
You’d think that everyone and their brother would want to talk about an event that incredible. But you’d be wrong. And it leaves us with more than a few questions.
Where do you go if you want to understand what happened? Matthew? You won’t find it there. Mark? Kind of, but it’s text that most Bible scholars now accept was not in the earliest version. What about John? Surely good old John would have a lot to say! Not exactly. He talks about Jesus doing miracles, but nowhere in John does he ascend to Heaven.
So how is it that Christians came to believe that Jesus not only rose from the dead, but stuck around forty days before ascending to Heaven? That’s where Luke comes in. Luke is the only Gospel that talks at any length (even though it’s short passages) about Jesus ascending. He does so in both the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles, which he also authored.
Sprinkled throughout the Bible are references to the Ascension, which tells us that it was something early Christians believed. The Apostle Peter believed it, as did the Apostle Paul, and it’s fair to say that all the other apostles did as well.
So, important is the doctrine that the original statement of belief that most Christians (Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox) go to—the Nicene Creed—includes it. That means if you belong to any of those groups, you are kind of supposed to believe in the Ascension.
This website will delve into what the Ascension is and why it matters. For the brave out there, a book is out now!
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