The 2nd Appearance and Ascension of Christ

Jesus Appears to His Disciples

Jesus appeared twice to His disciples in Luke’s account. In the first appearance on the road to Emmaus (em-aye-us) they did not recognize Him while He was there, but He appeared again and they recognized Him right away.

Luke 24:36–37 ESV

As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit.

Luke 24:36-

The disciples were afraid when they saw Jesus, unsure if this was a true resurrection, or if He was just a spirit, perhaps a lie, a trick being played by demons or their own minds. Jesus recognizes this and invited them to inspect and see that He was indeed the risen Christ.

Luke 24:38–41a ESV

And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?”

Luke 24:38-41a

Jesus, in His infinite and heavenly wisdom, decides to show His humanity to the disciples in one of the clearest ways possible, by asking for a snack!

Luke 24:41b-

Luke 24:41b–43 ESV

And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them.

So while the disciples processed their unbelief, followed by their overwhelming “I just can’t believe it!” joy that Jesus was risen from the dead, the Son of Man did what anyone would do while their bestfriends were having a “moment”, He sat down and ate His fish.

As the disciples got handle of their celebration, Jesus reminded them that He told them all that the events of the last week had to take place.

Luke 24:44 ESV

Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”

Luke 24:44

And Jesus goes on to give the disciples an even deeper understanding

Luke 24:45-

Luke 24:45–49 ESV

Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

That sections always makes me wonder, how do I pray so that Jesu will “open my mind to understand the Scriptures”? How do I approach the text in such a way that the Holy Spirit can do this work in me? I want this great blessing that the disciples received from Jesus and I want it again and again as I read Scripture every day.

After this teaching, the very next thing we see in Mark’s account, and actually the end of his Gospel account, is the ascension.

Luke 24:50–52 ESV

And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy,

Luke 24:

And this particular part of Christology I feel is often overlooked in our teaching and study because it’s not as dramatic as a crucifixion or rising from the dead! After someone faces what Jesus does at the hands of the Romans and then conquers the grave like Jesus did, it’s almost unimpressive to see that person fly off into the sky. Of course He can fly, He can do everything else why shouldn’t he fly too?? Just to give this part of the story the emphasis it deserves, lets also read Luke’s account of the ascension in

Acts 2:6–11 ESV

And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”

Acts 1:6–11 ESV

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Acts 2:

Let me repeat what the angels said here, “will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven”. What exactly does that mean? And why does that matter to the Christian?

Well remember, Christ went to great lengths in to prove His bodily humanity. He was the very same Christ in the very same body that was broken and hung on the cross. Therefore, He ascended into Heaven as the same god-man He was on Earth. And He will remain in that form at least until He comes again in glory! Jesus tells us in John that He must go ahead of us to prepare our place in heaven.

John 14:2–4 ESV

In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.”

So Jesus’s bodily ascension is a part of His preparation for our arrival in the Father’s kingdom! This is the very source of our hope for a home in heaven with God, that Jesus would ascend as a human and as God to make our place there. Because if we are to be with the Lord in heaven, it must be possible for a human to live in heaven. Therefore we get the promise in

1 Thessalonians 4:17 ESV

Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

And finally, Jesus’s ascension is significant because He must send the Holy Spirit to dwell with us, as He tells us in

John 16:7 ESV

Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.

Finally, Jesus’s ascension is significant because our high priest and intercessor is sympathetic to our human condition. Jesus understands what it means to be human. How it feels to be afraid, how it feels to want our role in God’s plan to pass from us because it just seems too hard! Jesus knows how it feels to grieve for loved ones, like He grieved for Lazarus. Pauls tells us in His letter to the Hebrews that

Hebrews 4:14–16 ESV

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4:14-

Without the ascension, we have no assurance that a person could truly live in union with the Father in Heaven. But because Jesus went up as fully human, in addition to fully God, we know that we too can have that hope!

Without the ascension, we have no Holy Spirit sent to dwell in us and guide us and convict us of the sins in our lives and give us the joy of the Lord.

Without the ascension, we could not approach God in the same way, but because Christ the man and Christ the Son of God both sit at the right hand of the Father as one, we can approach Him in our human imperfection and find sympathy, mercy, and grace.

Let us lift all praise to Jesus Christ who became man, was born of the virgin Mary, suffered, died, conquered death, rose from the grave and ascended into Heaven to reign and rule alongside the Father and secure our place there with Him.