In our Resurrection Day sermon, I reminded you all that the empty tomb really does matter. The resurrection of our Lord is the linchpin upon which all of Christianity hangs. If there is no resurrection, there is no gospel. If there is no resurrection, there is no forgiveness of sins. If there is no resurrection, there is no hope of eternal life. But praise God, Christ has been raised! (see 1 Cor. 15:12-28)
Linchpin and Promise
However, saying that the resurrection of Christ is the linchpin of Christianity does not mean that Jesus’ resurrection is the end of the story. Nothing could be further from the truth. After his resurrection, Jesus spent forty days on the earth appearing to, speaking with, instructing, and encouraging the first disciples. This ministry of instruction and encouragement continues to this very moment through the work of the Spirit and the Word.
In a short but helpful article on www.forthegospel.org, Kevin Hay writes about the activity of Christ during his forty day post-resurrection visitation. He says, “[T]he forty days between the resurrection and ascension were far from silent. Jesus was active, intentional, and pastoral. What was He doing? And what does it mean for us? The answer isn’t just historical—it’s personal. Those forty days were not filler. They were intentional. And they reveal something about the heart of our Savior and how He shepherds His people, even today.” Hay goes on to give five activities of Jesus after the resurrection and before His ascension:
He proved He was truly alive
He affirmed the truth of God’s Word
He strengthened the faith of His followers
He mobilized His disciples for mission
He prepared us for His return
Each of activities is necessary and encouraging. You should take a few minutes to read the entire article. For our present discussion, I want to focus on the last of these activities.
Resurrection Anticipates Return
The resurrection is the victory of Jesus over sin, death, and the devil (Heb. 2:14-18). The resurrection is the downpayment that secures the remainder of Jesus’ work until the end of the age (1 Cor. 35-58). The resurrection also anticipates the ascension and eventual return of Christ. In Acts 1, as Jesus ascends to the right hand of the Father in heaven, angels appear and promise, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). It’s not that He “might come” but that He “will come.” For centuries, Christians have debated the nature of Christ’s return but not whether He would return. The eventual return of our Lord is a fundamental doctrine of the faith—an essential element of orthodox Christian belief. Jesus’ ascension is not a final farewell, but a “wait until I return.” Christ has been raised, so we will be likewise raised. Christ has ascended on high, so He will also return in power and glory to rescue God’s children and punish the wicked. We are waiting in the between time of those realities. The question then becomes, “What do we do while we wait? How do we wait well?”
Serious and Sober-minded
Over the next few articles, I want us to ponder these questions. What should we be doing while we wait on the return of our Lord, and how can we wait in a way that will please Him when He returns? Let us be serious and sober minded about how we wait, for Jesus Himself encourages us to be ready at His appearing.
Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will. —Matthew 24:42–44
