LATER EVENTS
2 13 . FORTY DAYS IN THE WORLD
Acts 1 : 3 ; 1 Corinthians 15 : 6 a, 7
1 . Later Yeshua showed his apostles by many convincing proofs that he was alive after his passion. He appeared to them over a period of forty days, and spoke of things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
He appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at one time. Then he was seen by James, 301 and after that by all the apostles. 302
214 . DOUBTING THOMAS
John 20 : 24 – 29
Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Yeshua came that first evening . So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the marks of the nails in his hands, and place my finger in the wounds from the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were locked, Yeshua appeared and stood among them, and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and reach out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not doubt, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”
Yeshua said to him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet still believe.”
215 . REUNION IN GALILEE
Matthew 28 : 16 a; John 21 : 1 – 14
After this the eleven disciples went to Galilee, and Yeshua revealed himself again to them by the Sea of Tiberias. 303 It happened in this way:
Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were all together. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going out to fish.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat; but all that night they caught nothing.
Just as dawn was breaking, Yeshua stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not realize that it was Yeshua. He called to them, “Children, you do not have any fish, do you?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it there, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the multitude of fish.
Then the disciple whom Yeshua loved exclaimed to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic, for he was stripped for work, and jumped into the water. The other disciples came behind with the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from the shore, but only about a hundred yards off.
When they got out on land, they found a fire of burning coals, with fish lying on it, and bread. Yeshua said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” So Simon Peter climbed into the boat and pulled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three of them; and even though there were so many, the net was not torn.
Yeshua said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?,” for they knew it was the Lord. Yeshua came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Yeshua had appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
216 . THE CHARGE TO PETER
John 21 : 15 – 23
When they had finished breakfast, Yeshua said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these others do?” He replied, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Yeshua said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
A second time Yeshua asked him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Yeshua said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
Then he asked him a third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed because Yeshua had now asked him three times, “Do you love me?” He said to him, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” And Yeshua said to him, “Feed my sheep. 304
“I tell you truly, when you were young, you used to fasten your own belt and went wherever you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” Yeshua said this to show by what kind of death Peter would glorify God. 305 And after this he said to him, “Follow me.”
Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Yeshua loved was following them. This was the one who had reclined next to Yeshua at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” When Peter saw him, he asked Yeshua, “Lord, what about this man?” Yeshua said to him, “If I wish him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me!” So a rumor spread among the brethren that this disciple was not to die; yet Yeshua did not say that he would not die, but only, “If I wish him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?”
217 . THE GREAT COMMISSION
Matthew 28 : 16 b– 20 a; Mark 16 : 1 5 – 18 ; Luke 24 : 44 – 48
Then the disciples went to the mountain to which Yeshua had directed them. 306 And when they saw him they worshiped him; but some still doubted.
And Yeshua came to them and said, “ Remember the words which 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.” Then he opened their minds so they might understand the scriptures, and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.
“All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. Go therefore into all the world and preach the good news of the gospel to the whole creation. Make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
“And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; with their hands they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; and they will lay their hands on the sick, and the sick will recover.” 307
218 . FINAL WORDS TO HIS FOLLOWERS
Matthew 28 : 20 b; Luke 24 : 49 – 50 ; Acts 1 : 4 – 8
B ack in Jerusalem , the Lord Yeshua and his apostles assembled for his final words : “I am going to send you what my Father promised, which you have heard of from me. For John baptized with water, but before many days pass you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit. So remain here in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
Then after he had spoken to them, he led them out in the direction of Bethany. When they were gathered together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the sovereignty and kingship to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father has set by his own authority.
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” Then he lifted up his hands and blessed them.
219 . THE ASCENSION
Mark 16 : 19 ; Luke 24 : 51 – 5 3 ; Acts 1 : 9 – 12
And it came to pass that when the Lord Yeshua had said this, while he was blessing them, and as they were looking on, he parted from them and was taken up into heaven, and a cloud received him and took him out of their sight, and he sat down at the right hand of God.
While the apostles were staring intently into heaven after Yeshua, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking at the sky? This Yeshua, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will return from heaven in the same way that you saw him going up.”
And the apostles worshiped him; and then they returned to Jerusalem with great joy from the Mount of Olives, which is close by the city, a sabbath day’s journey away; 308 and they were continuously in the temple praising God.
22 0 . THE FOUNDATION OF THE CHURCH
Mark 16 : 20 a; Acts 2 : 1 – 4 a
Ten days later, when the day of Pentecost had come, the disciples were all assembled in one place. Suddenly there came a sound from heaven like a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. What seemed to be flames or divided tongues of fire appeared among them, and a tongue settled upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.
And they went forth and proclaimed the good news of the gospel everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed their message by the miraculous signs that accompanied it. 309
221 . THE EPILOGUES OF JOHN AND MARK
Mark 16 : 20 b; John 20 : 3 0 – 31 ; 21 : 24 – 25
Now Yeshua did many other miracles in the presence of the disciples, which are not recorded in this book. Were every one of them to be recorded, I suppose that the world itself could not contain all the books that would be written.
But these are written that you may believe that Yeshua is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. It is the disciple whom Yeshua loved who is bearing witness to these things, and who has written these things down; and we know that his testimony is true.
Amen.