We’re in the midst of these forty days right now, the period from Easter to Ascension.  We know Jesus rose from the dead on Easter.  We know he ascended back to heaven on Ascension. But what about the time in between?

Jesus was alive, but had not yet ascended back to heaven.  It must have been a strange time for his followers.  He was in the flesh, he could eat and talk; yet he would appear and disappear at will.  Sometimes he was recognized, sometimes not.   He appeared in the Upper Room, on the shores of Galilee and on the road to Emmaus.  It makes me wonder where else he appeared in these forty days, who else saw him, what else did he say?  That we will never know.

But we do know Jesus had a purpose during these forty days.  He wanted to be sure his disciples knew beyond any doubt, that he was really alive.  “Reach your finger here, look at my hands.” He sat with them, he talked with them, he spent time with them, he was alive!  

He also had instructions for his disciples.  First was his great command.  “Go into the entire world and preach the gospel to every creature.”  The things pertaining to the kingdom of God were to be shared far and wide.  But then, there was another command.  They were to stay in Jerusalem until they received the gift the Father had promised, the gift of the Holy Spirit.  They didn’t know what that was or when it would come; we know it as Pentecost.

Maybe we too are in an in-between time.  We were received as God’s forgiven child when we were baptized.  On our last day we will see him again in all His glory.   But in between?  We look for him.  Sometimes we sense his presence.  Sometimes he seems far away.  We have a life to live now and he has given us our instructions.  They’re written in his Holy Word.  But, so often we don’t understand.  We stumble.  We seek his presence again.  But, it’s not yet our time to see him face to face, to be free of our misgivings, misunderstandings and mistakes.  Our day will come.  Our God in his unconditional love has made that promise.

Judy