Why Did Jesus Stay For Forty Days?

In Mark 16:12, Jesus had been walking with the two men on their way to Jerusalem. And then in verse 14, he appears to the eleven as they were eating. On down in verse 19, it says this;

So after the Lord had spoken to them, he was received up into heaven and sat on the right hand of God.

The question is, did he immediately go, as Mark seems to say in that verse?  The answer is no It couldn't have happened right after he was first found to be alive. Acts 1:13 tells us that:

...Jesus began to do and teach. Until the day in which he was taken up, after that through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen. To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion giving many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.

And so we know by this that he hung around down here for forty days. But why? I think there really is a simple explanation for that. He wanted to make sure his disciples knew that he was alive, along with all those that followed him, But he also wanted to let those that didn't know him, try to  say that his body could not be taken away and so that is what happened to him.

Because they did try to. Those Roman Soldiers that was guarding the tomb? They had to go tell their "higher ups" that his body was gone! However, the "higher ups" told the soldiers to lie and tell people that his friends had stolen his body. If the soldiers didn't, they could face harsh consequences. 

But, I am sure that the guards were all to happy to obey their leaders because Mathew 28;12, says that after the elders had counseled they "gave large amounts of money to the soldiers." 

Lets face it, the Roman government or at least most of them, didn't want its people to have anything to do with Jesus. Putting him to death, was meant to solve their problem. However, they hadn't bargained on him really being the Son of God and doing what he had said he would do, much less what had been prophesied hundreds of years before. He had risen. He had stuck around to continue to preach the gospel, and then after being seen by many many people for forty days, he did ascend the sit on the right side of God the Father. 

During that forty days, he appeared to many groups of people. More then two decades later, the Apostle Paul wrote that he had appeared to "more then two hundred brothers at the same time time, most who are still living."  1 Corinthians 15:6

No Super Power was ever going to stop him. Not then and not now. He came and did what his Father-the only real Super power, (God) that will ever be, had sanctioned him to do. And he did it for you, and me. What kind of love is that? 

Thanks for coming by today Friends. Have a wonderful evening. 

God bless!

Jesus Appeared in Another Form

After that, he (Jesus) appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.  Mark 16:12

What did Mark mean, when he said that "he appeared in another form unto two of them? Who were they?

Two of the followers of Jesus were walking from Jerusalem to a village called Emmaus. One of men's name was Cleopas  (Luke 24:18) And they were talking about a man that they had been following that was a prophet and whom they believed to be the Messiah

Jesus, had joined them, walking with them but they did not know him because his appearance had changed. He asked them what they were talking about and Cleopas asked, "Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that has come to pass there in these days> 

In the account that Mark gave in his account, it does not say anything more that answers these questions for us. However, Luke does in chapter 24:18-24, and they explained to Jesus that the women had gone to the sepulcher and found it empty and they had seen a vision of angels who told them he had risen. They went to the tell him that several of them had  then went there and also did not find him.

And so, by these accounts, what we can conclude is, that Jesus can take any form that he wishes. He doesn't have to show himself in a way that people would have known him. Why not? I do not know the answer to that. He just is who he is, the Son of God. And as such, he can take any form he wishes.



The answer of the two men walking in the country was partially given in Luke 24:18 They were his followers, and only one name was given, Cleopas.

We were not given much more information about the questions raised. But then again, it was just a part of the most important part of the story of Jesus death and Resurrection. A part that is going to have to wait until we get to heaven ourselves and maybe can then know the answers to.

But then, I suspect, we will be very busy checking out all the wonders of God at that time, and these will take a back seat to those things we now read of, but are yet unseen...or maybe we will just know them without God telling us. I don't know.

What do you think?

God bless you today my Friends. Have a wonderful new week. 

Til next time......

The Young Man: Mark 16:5

And entering into the seplucure they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment and they were frightened. Mark 16:5

Who was the young man?

The two Mary's had went to the tomb of Jesus that morning to anoint Jesus's

 body with sweet spices. On the way they had wondered who would roll away the stone from the entrance so that they could go in. But when they got there, they found the stone had already been moved. They went in and to their amazement or perhaps confusion, they found he was not there. And then they saw him. A young man, in a long white garment and it had scared them,

What ever we may know about angels of the bible, our first thought might be that he was an angel. But was he? Or was he a man?

The four gospels each explain that situation a bit different. Mathew does not say that they actually went into the tomb, but that an angel descended from heaven after an earthquake and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. He was dressed in clothing as white as snow and when the Mary's arrived, he told them that Jesus was not there, he had risen. 

Luke on the other hand does not mention the earthquake, but when they got there, found the stone had been rolled away and there were two men standing beside them in shiny garments

 And lastly John describes Mary weeping outside the tomb and  as she wept she stooped down to look into it and saw two men in white sitting at the ends of where Jesus body had been laid.

Which one is the truth? 

I am sure theologians have debated over questions like that for many of years. And the fact is, we really don't know. The disciples themselves were not eyewitness to that particular event when the Marry's were at the tomb.  Some of them did not even believe that that they were even telling them the truth about Jesus, when they went to tell them what  they had discovered that morning.. 

I have no doubt that what they had just witnessed three days before, from his trail to his burial, that all of his friends were grieving because they had not really understood what was happening and when his tomb came up empty, and they finally knew that he had, their grief had turned to the most wondrous kind of joy that could be had. 

Not only that, but from one question I had is, how long after he arose were the gospels written. One site I looked up said it was forty years later. And so in that amount of time, or whatever amount of time went by, perhaps memories faded. And the four apostles had to recall that time in their minds. 

Adding perhaps to that, even family members can be involved in some event in their lives, and yet at some point later, will recall them quite differently then the other members that had been there. 

So who was this young man? Angel or a man?

Inquiring minds want to know. Right?

I believe he was probably an angel. But that is my opinion. That and a couple dollars might buy you a cup of coffee at Starbucks. 

The fact is, we don't really know.by just reading the account. And you know what? It really is not all that important. What is important about that part of the story, was that the two Mary's had found the tomb empty. Jesus was gone, and someone-whether angel or man, had convinced them that he was alive and they must go to let his disciples know.

And they did.

Scripture refs:Mathew 28:2, Mark 16 1-:5, Luke 24: 1-4, John 20:11-12

Hello Friends. Thanks for your visit today. Have a great start to your new week. Stay safe and be blessed!

What Was The Veil of the Temple?

What was meant by the veil in the temple being rent (or ripped) in two when Jesus died? 

/Why was this important

To understand this, we have to first know what the veil in the temple even as. 

Back before Jesus came into the world, God's people were required to sacrifice an animal to God as a way of getting his forgiveness for their sins. When the temple was built, people would take an animal there to sacrifice them to God as a way of atoning for their sin. Because sin separated  man from God, there had to be a way that he could get his forgiveness for it.

The reason for animal sacrifice was a temporary fix, if you will. A foreshadowing of what Jesus Christ would do to absolve the sins of the world when he died on the cross. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice that would be taking the place of the animals that had been used up to that point.  

"...without the shedding of innocent blood there is no forgiveness of sin." Hebrews 9:22

Some one had to shed his own blood for it and God sent his son Jesus to do that because no one in all humanity could. But up until then, it still had to be done, and because Jesus was not here yet, something else had to take its place until then. And so goes the reason for animal sacrifice. Which was done within the temple once the temple had been built.

In Jesus' lifetime, the Jewish people used the temple for  the worship of God according to the law of Moses, and they followed it religiously. In the temple, there was a veil that divided the Holy of Holies which was God's presence from the rest of the temple where men dwelt.This was because man was sinful and God could not be where sin was. Once a year, only the high priest was allowed to go beyond the veil to enter God's presence to atone for all of the sin of Israel. 

The significance of the veil being torn in two was that when Jesus died, the shedding of his blood was now all that was needed for the forgiveness of sin.It signified that now, the Holy of Holies was open to all people, no matter who they were. Both Jewish and Gentile. 

From then on, our High Priest is God and not a man. We no longer go through a man to get to God. We go to Jesus, who is the way to God, and he is the only way to him by the forgiveness of our sin which he shed his blood for us on the cross. John 14:6.

The veil was a symbolic reminder that Jesus is the only way that we can go to the Father. 

Thanks for stopping by Friends. God bless you!

Who was The Naked Young Mani n Mark 14:51-52?

And a naked young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body. And they seized him, buts he left the linen cloth and ran away. Mark 14:51-52

Have you ever heard this part of the gospel message referring to the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ? Because, I can't honestly say in all my years of celebrating Easter and hearing it's message over and over, I never have. And it has just been in reading these four accounts, that I have learned this.

Why is that? Is there a mystery here? Who was this man? Are those 2 little verses important to the story of Jesus? Is there are any more we can learn from this? Is there anything we can learn from it? Why was Mark the only one that reported it?

As you can see, I ask a lot of questions. Maybe some are important and some are not. But finding the answers, if I can, that is.... important to me. So let's see what we can find out about this part of Mark's account.

To see what was actually going on at the time, we have to take notice of the 4 verses immediately before that.

And they laid hands on him (Jesus) and seized him. But one of those that stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. And Jesus said to them, "Have you come out against a robber with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day, I have been with you, teaching in the temple and you did not seize me. But let the scriptures be fulfilled." And they all left him and fled. Mark 14:46-50

And so, what have these 2 sets of scriptures have to do with each other?

We can conclude by reading the scripture that at the time, there was tremendous tension, anger, rebellion and fear going on. Among the people were the "higher ups" that were trying to stir them up. The soldiers standing there could have killed all of the disciples that were there with Jesus, if they had wanted to, after one of them had cut ff the ear of one of their own.

But Jesus had posed that question. Did that make them suddenly stop what they might have been thinking?

Verse 50 of Mark's account says that they all fled. His friends had deserted him. Every one of them. And then the incident with the naked man comes into play, and after that, Jesus is taken to the high priest. 

Mark seems to be saying that they had deserted him because they had become afraid. Afraid for their own lives. They were with him for three years, but now that he was being arrested, they too were in danger.

They had just watched Jesus being seized. And next came them doing the same to the naked man. Would they be next? Is that why they thought they had better get out of there? And fast. 

There was no time for thinking it through. They had to get themselves out of there and quickly. 

Possibly this was the reason for the young man's appearance in this part of the story of Jesus. Maybe, and I say maybe, but not only that...but just maybe, the others didn't tell it that way so as not to make it such a big deal about the fear they had experienced. So people wouldn't see them as being weak.  I don't know. Because we do not have any other information about it, we can only assume it could be that way. 

But had you or I been there, we probably would have reacted in the same way. Afraid for ourselves even though we knew our good friend was in real trouble.

It will in no doubt remain a real mystery until we get to heaven and may then get to know the answers 

Thanks for coming by today, Friends. God be very real to you and bless your day. Until next timel....

Mark 14:27

Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away, for it is written that I will strike the shepard and the sheep will be scattered.But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.

What did Jesus mean by that?

Mark 14:27 was a fulfillment of prophecy in Zachariah 13:7-8

They had just celebrated Passover and then they went to the Mount Olives. Jesus had warned them that they were going to desert him and it was at this time Peter would claim that no matter what the others did, he would not fall away. But Jesus had told him that he himself would deny him (Jesus) before the rooster crowed 3 tunes by morning.

The Shepard here represents Jesus and he was going to be stricken down and his friends and disciples would be scattered fora time. But after he would rise from the dead, he wanted them to know that they would be reunited again. He had known what was coming but they didn't understand at that moment what he meant and in fact wasn't even sure about it when he showed up to them in Galilee. But eventually and in due time, they would come to understand what he had meant.

In scripture, Jesus is often referred to as a Shepard. Likewise, God's people are often referred to as sheep.

 If you know anything about sheep, then you know that they have a relationship to the one that cares for them. Sheep follow where the shepard leads them. He protects them and if need be, would give his life for them.  John 10:27 says that as our Shepard, we listen to his voice, he knows us and we follow him.

I have done a previous study (7 parts) on Jesus being the Sacrificial Lamb of God  (and more about shepherds and lambs) if you would like to learn more about the biblical significance of them. You can find it starting here here :   The Lord is My Shepard


Hello Friends. I pray you are having a wonderful day! Thanks for coming by and God bless!

The Significance of the Unleavened Bread

What was its significance in the Passover Celebration?

The Children of Israel were finally being freed from Egypt's slavery but they had to hurry to get out of there lest Pharaoh change his mind, yet again. The bible tells us that because they didn't have much time to prepare for the journey they were going on, so  they didn't have time to wait for bread to rise and take with them. And so, on the very first Passover, they made it without leaven, known also as yeast.

Deuteronomy 16:3 You shall eat no leavened bread with it. Seven days you whall eat unleavened bread, the bread of affliction-for you came out of Egypt in haste-that all the days of your life you may remember the day when you came out of Egypt. 

Other references regarding the eating of unleavened bread are found in Exodus 12:8, 29:2 and Numbers 9:11. From that point on, Jewish homes still include unleavened bread in their Passover celebrations.

What did the Passover have to do with Jesus?

At the time of this event for the Children of Israel, they were required to take the blood of a male lamb and put it on the door posts of their homes, so that when God passed through, he would pass over their homes and their household was soared from the first born's death. The lamb had to be perfect  and could have no blemishes on it.

This act would represent the time when when Christ would come as the perfect Lamb of God that would take the place of us by dying on the cross and shedding his own innocent blood. It would cover the sins of all that would believe on and serve him and therefore God's judgement would pass from us.

While Passover began as a Jewish celebration, I know of some non-Jewish Churches that do practice or celebrate Passover the way it had been done much like those days when God's people were freed from the bondage of Egypt. It is not a required celebration in the Christian church. However, I am told it is a very moving experience for those that do participate.

There is much to be said about the Jewish feasts of the bible. Maybe at some point we can do a study on them. Jesus obviously did celebrate Passover himself. For now though, I will leave that for another time and go on with the questions that I had while reading the accounts of the disciples about his death and Resurrection.

The next question we will look at: What did Jesus mean in Mark 14:27 about the Shepard, and scattering the sheep? Please come back next time for that. Have a blessed day


(footnote: While looking for a graphic for unleavened bread, I also saw a recipe for it as well. I thought you might be interested in seeing it so have included it here if you want to check it out)

  .