“Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” - John 20:17 (NLT)
Mary Magdalene’s life was transformed when she met Jesus (Luke 8:2). Jesus appears to her while she is weeping over his empty tomb. Death had just been defeated and she had no idea!
The resurrected Jesus had just appeared to her and spoken with her! As a matter of fact, there were numerous first-hand witnesses to this fact. 1 Corinthians 15:6 records there were more than 500 eyewitnesses who saw and interacted with Jesus, after he died and had risen from his grave.
Toward the end of Mary’s interaction with Jesus, he states some key facts that we often overlook in this resurrection account. Jesus was going to ascend (Literally Rise up through the air) to his Father and would be seated at his right hand until his return! This also meant the Holy Spirit would descend on every believer, empowering us to live in this same power that raised Christ from the dead (Romans 8:11)!
Pause and Reflect
- Our entire faith rests on this fact: Jesus came back from death (1 Corinthians 15:14,17). Be firm in your understanding and belief that this is a historical event that took place in.
- The Spirit of God has been given to you to live a Christian life. This is made possible by these 2 events. The resurrection, and ascension! Live in Him!
