In the opening paragraph (Acts 1:1-3) of his letter to Theophilus, Dr. Luke wrote about all that Jesus began to do and teach: “until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had given order by the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom He had chosen. 3 To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of things regarding the kingdom of God.”
After arising from the dead, Jesus spent forty days with His disciples teaching, guiding, and strengthening their faith. On the 40th day, He was taken up into heaven in their presence, clearly confirming that:
• His resurrection really happened and was witnessed by many
• His work on earth was finished
• He returned to the Father in glory
• He will return just as he left
Why are these forty days significant? The term “forty days” appears often in both Old and New Testaments as a time of testing, judgment, reflection, or divine action. Noah and the Flood, Moses on Sinai, Elijah’s Journey, Jonah and Nineveh, Jesus’ Temptation…these all lead to the most significant forty days, the Forty Days between Jesus’ Resurrection and His Ascension.
We are in the middle of that forty-day period right now.
In every case, the “forty days” in Scripture underscores that God controls events on His schedule, preparing those He calls according to His purpose. Even when we don’t understand why.
After the resurrection, many of Jesus’ followers were very afraid and confused. The forty days was a time to truly understand what had happened. Seeing Him alive removed all doubt and built unshakable faith. This time of personal contact with Jesus turned fearful followers into confident witnesses, giving them strength to overcome great suffering and forever change the trajectory of all mankind.
Despite the challenges, Christians continue to overcome at great odds. We see this as they face slaughter in countries like Nigeria, India, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Persian speaking world, North Korea, many parts of the Middle East, Asia, Afghanistan and at least 35 other countries. We see that:
• God’s Word is being preached, taught and distributed on an unprecedented scale
• Christians are being trained and resourced
• Christians are leading their persecutors and jailers to faith in Jesus
• In war zones, and areas of intense religious intolerance Christian are sought out to explain why they have unshakeable Hope.
Yes, Jesus is the Hope of Glory
This is why we continue to celebrate the forty days between His Resurrection and subsequent Ascension. His Church is proof that, over all eternity, He is the only hope for mankind.
