Last Days With Jesus

Like many who love Jesus, I often find myself envious of His Disciples. Though their lives weren't easy, particularly in the latter days, under persecution, I am, I'll admit, jealous that they were able to sit at Jesus' feet, learning directly from Him, witnessing firsthand His miracles. But perhaps the part of which I am most envious is that about which there seem to be the fewest details.

The former account I (Luke) made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. (Acts 1:1-3)

Imagine: You have spent nearly three years of your life with a great Rabbi. A teacher and a prophet. You have witnessed His miracles, and by His words and deeds have come to suspect -- even believe -- that He is the long-awaited Messiah. It tore your heart out when He was killed, and made you question everything you thought you knew. But then, three days later, He comes forth from the Grave, leaving an empty tomb behind Him. 

Would you not look at Him, even now, with entirely new eyes? Would you not finally understand what you had already believed: that this Man was indeed the Son of God? 

Luke says in the opening to Acts that Jesus spent forty days between His Resurrection and Ascension with His disciples. We'll learn more in later verses about the last of those forty days, but imagine! Imagine forty days in the presence of God -- now knowing, having the proof of your belief, that God is exactly who He is!

Some day, you and I will stand in that very same presence -- and not for a mere forty days! Some day, you and I will be rewarded for our faith just as Christ's disciples were: by finally sitting at the feet of our Messiah!