After Jesus’ resurrection, He spent 40 days on earth before ascending to heaven. During this time, He appeared to His disciples and others, teaching them about the kingdom of God and commissioning them to spread the gospel to all nations. Let’s take a closer look at what Jesus did during those 40 days.
Appearances to His Disciples
After His resurrection, Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene and then to His disciples. He showed them His wounds, proving that He was indeed alive (John 20:19-29).
He also ate with them, demonstrating that He was not a ghost but had a physical body (Luke 24:41-43). Over the next few weeks, Jesus made several other appearances to His disciples, including one where He walked on water and another where He cooked breakfast for them on the shore (John 21:1-14).
Teaching about the Kingdom of God
During his appearances, Jesus taught his disciples about the kingdom of God. In Luke 24:44-49, he explained how everything written about Him in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms had to be fulfilled. He also told them that they were witnesses of these things and that they should proclaim repentance and forgiveness of sins in His name to all nations.
Commissioning His Disciples
Before ascending into heaven, Jesus gave his disciples a final commission. In Matthew 28:18-20, he commanded them to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. He promised that he would be with them always until the end of time.
Conclusion
In summary, during his 40 days on earth after his resurrection, Jesus appeared several times to his disciples, ate with them, and showed them that he was indeed alive. He also taught them about the kingdom of God and commissioned them to spread the gospel to all nations. This period of time was crucial in preparing his disciples for their future ministry and establishing the church as we know it today.