The Weekly Perspective
by Burke Shade, Assistant Pastor
We are now in that 40 day period between the resurrection of Jesus and his ascension to the throne. Ever wonder why “40 days” and not 99 or 23 or 77? Well, you know the answer. Think biblically; not American-ly.
How many days did it rain, testing Noah and family while they relied on Yahweh for the re-birth of the globe?
How many days was Moses on the mountain, talking with God and receiving the law?
How many days did the spies take to spy out the land for conquering?
How many days was Elijah in the wilderness, being readied for his last duties?
How many days was Jesus tested by Satan in the wilderness, before beginning his ministry?
How many years was Israel in the wilderness, being prepared to conquer the Holy Land? (And how many years was Moses tending sheep before going back to Egypt?).
See a pattern? These periods of forty were not just periods of testing, but of great and various kinds of instruction for the coming task(s), for whomever it was in the days of forty.
But don’t take my word for it! “He [Jesus] presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God” (Acts 1.3; see 1-3). The Apostles were being prepared for the task at hand: Pentecost and the explosion of Christ’s kingdom all over the Roman world! Apparently, they listened well to Jesus; see the book of Acts!