Msg #1818 Ascension Thursday

What The Bible Says

Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

Five Sundays plus four days marks out the forty days Jesus shewed himself in his resurrected body before a Thursday Ascension. Those forty days receive precious little study from the “normal” Christian, but a pure student of Christ, being a pure student of the Bible should mark them well. Twenty years ago when I found the Mennonite Farm Store closed for Ascension Thursday I began giving it brand new awareness. What was this all about? Why were other Christians paying this Thursday little heed? They twiddled around with an artificial Roman Fat-Tuesday, and a Catholic Ash-Wednesday but had no Ascension Thursday observed. When a Bible student ignores Rome they find Jesus was crucified on, and ascended on a Thursday. On resurrection Sunday disciples on the Emmaus Road said, “today is the third day since these things (the Thursday crucifixion) were done” (Luke 24:21b), and count off forty days in his resurrected body to find him ascending into heaven on a Thursday. We have tenaciously studied our Lord's appearances on resurrection Sunday, but in this week of his ascension we might further study his many appearances in his forty day shewing. I like three theories, he appeared every Lord's Day, he appeared on each week day, and he held a three day Bible conference (Acts 1:3-7). The Bible records seven appearances after resurrection day, eight days later to the eleven with Thomas present, (John 20:26), a Galilean visit (Mark 16:7), “After that he was seen of above 500 at once” (1Cor 15:6), seen of James, then of all the apostles (together? or individually? )(vr. 7). He appeared after Peter's fishing expedition (likely they were skipping a mid-week prayer service), then on Ascension Thursday (following his conference?). Be a Bible student who knows each of his appearances, and observes Ascension Thursday.

An Essay for week #18 May 6, 2018

Msg in audio at www.GSBaptistChurch.com/audio/gs180506.mp3

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