About a week ago, Cariolan made a comment in ‘ Where were the disciples?‘ which included the following 2 lus nug:

“Raws li Yexus tau sim thiab muab cov ntoo plig saum ntuj, Vim li cas nws thiaj tau rov tsa dua txij li kev sawv rov los yog lub hauv paus ntawm cov ntseeg kev ntseeg? … and at last, Vim li cas Ascension ntawm Yexus tsis tshwm sim nrog ntau tshaj tshaj tawm los ua kom muaj teeb meem yooj yim rau cov ntseeg tsis ntseeg?
Thov pab! Cariolan”

These are really good and important questions: but to answer them properly requires me to go well beyond the scope of the original post (uas tsuas yog hais txog keeb kwm pov thawj rau Yexus’ kev sawv hauv qhov tuag) kom paub cov ncauj lus kom ntxaws ntxiv ntawm qhov Tswv Yexus tau qhia tau; Thiab vim li cas. Yog li rau qhov laj thawj ntawd, I have decided that it is best to make them the subject of this, separate, post…

It’s important to understand how our natural expectations and priorities differ from those of Jesus. The Jewish people in Jesus’ day believed their Messiah was going to immediately drive out the Romans who were occupying their land and establish a worldwide reign of peace. But Jesus had other plans. Even after spending 2-3 years following Jesus and listening to his teachings, his disciples still hadn’t grasped this. Thaum Yexus tuag, they were initially shattered, as this seemed to contradict all they had traditionally believed about the Messiah, in spite of Jesus’ efforts to warn them and change their outlook. Even after Jesus’ resurrection they still imagined that the Kingdom Jesus was coming to establish was essentially a new political and religious government with Jerusalem at its centre and Jesus as its God-appointed ruler. E.g:

“But we were hoping that it was he who would redeem Israel.” (Lukas 24:20-27)

“Tswv, are you now restoring the kingdom to Israel?” (Kev ua 1:4-8)

Yexus’ agenda was completely different.

“Vajtswv lub Nceeg Vaj tsis tuaj nrog kev soj ntsuam; thiab lawv yuav tsis hais, 'Saib, ntawm no!’ los yog, 'Saib, nyob ntawd!’ vim saib, Vajtswv lub Nceeg Vaj nyob hauv koj.” (Lukas 17:20-21)

“My Kingdom is not of this world. If my Kingdom were of this world, then my servants would fight, that I wouldn’t be delivered to the Jews. But now my Kingdom is not from here.” (John 18:36)

Rau qhov pib, He wasn’t planning to stay around in physical form on earth after his resurrection.

Raws li lawv hnov ​​tej no, nws mus thiab hais ib zaj lus piv txwv, vim nws nyob ze Yeluxalees, thiab lawv tau xav tias Vajtswv lub Nceeg Vaj yuav tshwm sim tam sim ntawd. (Lukas 19:11-27)

Shortly after, Jesus went into far more detail with them, making it clear that he was going to be away for a very long time, and they would be left to carry on his work.

“For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be famines, plagues, and earthquakes in various places. … Then they will deliver you up to oppression, and will kill you. You will be hated by all of the nations for my name’s sake. … This Good News of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.” (Txhais Mathais 24:3-14)

How were they going to manage without Him? And what did He mean when He said that the Kingdom of God is within you? On their final night together, Jesus went into this in much more detail, as recorded by John in chapters 14-17 of his gospel:

“I will pray to the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, that he may be with you forever, – tus ntsuj plig ntawm qhov tseeb, whom the world can’t receive; for it doesn’t see him, tsis paub nws. You know him, for he lives with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans. I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more; but you will see me. Because I live, you will live also. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, thiab koj hauv kuv, and I in you.” (John 14:16-21)

Notice that Jesus speaks here of 3 persons: his Father, the Counsellor (also described as ‘the Spirit of truth’) and himself. These are the three persons who are united together as the one God of the Christian Trinity. (This is explained more fully in the article, “Triune Vajtswv“, elsewhere on this site.) But if Jesus is going away, how will the disciples keep in touch with Him? Because from the time of his resurrection onward the disciples will be living in God and God will be living in them. Quite literally, the Kingdom of God, and God’s temple, will no longer be just an outward institution: but an inward reality. We are destined to become living temples for God’s Spirit to dwell in; and He will be the one who keeps us connected with both Jesus and the Father.

“If a man loves me, he will keep my word. Kuv Txiv yuav hlub nws, and we will come to him, and make our home with him. … Kuv tau hais tej no rau koj lawm, thaum tseem nrog koj nyob. Tab sis tus Kws Pab Tswv Yim, Tus Ntsuj Plig Dawb Huv, Leej Txiv yuav txib kuv lub npe, nws yuav qhia nej txhua yam, and will remind you of all that I said to you.” (John 14:23-26)

This is something entirely beyond the disciples previous experience of Jesus. Up to this point, they could only be aware of Jesus’ presence when he was physically present with them: but now they are to have a permanent connection even when He seems to be absent. Txij no mus, they will yeej tsis be alone. This is far better than their previous experience! And this is not just to be for them: but for all Jesus’ true followers in all succeeding generations!

“Txawm li cas los kuv qhia koj qhov tseeb: Nws yog rau koj kom zoo dua uas kuv ploj mus, rau yog tias kuv tsis ploj mus, tus kws pab tswv yim yuav tsis los rau koj. Tab sis yog tias kuv mus, Kuv yuav xa nws mus rau koj. (John 16:7)”
“Kuv tseem muaj ntau yam los qhia koj, Tab sis koj tsis tuaj yeem thev lawv tam sim no. Txawm li cas los xij thaum nws, tus ntsuj plig ntawm qhov tseeb, tau los, nws yuav coj koj mus rau txhua qhov tseeb, rau nws yuav tsis hais lus los ntawm nws tus kheej; Txawm tias xijpeem nws hnov, Nws yuav hais lus. He will declare to you things that are coming.He will glorify me, Rau nws yuav coj los ntawm dab tsi yog kuv li, thiab yuav tshaj tawm nws rau koj. All things whatever the Father has are mine; therefore I said that he takes of mine, and will declare it to you.” (John 16:12-15)

“Tsis yog rau cov no xwb kuv thov Vajtswv, tab sis rau cov uas ntseeg kuv los ntawm lawv cov lus, kom lawv txhua tus tuaj yeem yog ib qho; txawm zoo li koj, Txiv, nyob hauv kuv, thiab kuv nyob hauv koj, kom lawv kuj yuav yog ib tug nyob hauv peb; kom neeg ntiaj teb ntseeg tias koj txib kuv los. Lub yeeb koob uas koj tau muab rau kuv, Kuv tau muab rau lawv; kom lawv yuav yog ib tug, txawm peb yog ib tug; kuv hauv lawv, thiab koj hauv kuv, xwv kom lawv yuav ua tau zoo tag nrho rau hauv ib qho; kom neeg ntiaj teb paub tias koj txib kuv los, thiab hlub lawv, txawm yog koj hlub kuv. (John 17:20-23

But this is going to take a while for the disciples to get used to the idea. And the resurrection appearances were designed to help those first followers to discover what this meant. In the encounter on the Emmaeus road, Jesus really was there: yet somehow he didn’t look the same and they didn’t recognize him till right at the end. Later that same day, he appeared to them, along with ten of the twelve apostles.

But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, wasn’t with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord!” Tiamsis nws hais rau lawv, “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
After eight days again his disciples were inside, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, the doors being locked, and stood in the midst, thiab hais tias, “Peace be to you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Reach here your finger, and see my hands. Reach here your hand, and put it into my side. Don’t be unbelieving, but believing.”
Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”
Yexus hais rau nws, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen, and have believed.” (John 20:24-29)

Do you see what happened here? Yexus, who seemingly wasn’t there when Thomas expressed his unbelief, immediately picks up the conversation where Thomas left off! Even though unseen, he was still there. But then Jesus affirms that those who believe without seeing are even more blessed. Ua li cas? Because they have already begun to experience that better, inseparable, yet even more personal, relationship with Jesus and the Father, through the agency of the Holy Spirit. And there is more to come …

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.”
(Kev ua 1:8)

Paul tells us, hauv 1Kauleethaus 15:6, that on one occasion he appeared to over 500 at once; most of whom were still alive when he wrote. Tab sis, ntawm qhov nyiaj tshuav, this appears to have been a post-ascension appearance. When Jesus ascended he was neither needing nor seeking personal publicity. He was handing over responsibility to his disciples to continue his work under the direction and power of the Holy Spirit. And His final words to his disciples on that occasion were this simple reassurance:

“Saib seb, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Mat 28:20

Feel free to comment or ask further questions about this in the space below.

For more information about the ways in which the presence of the Holy Spirit empowers a Christian’s life, see the 3-part series, “Lub Hwj Chim ntawm Nws Sawv Rov Los” hauv “Txog Yexus” section of this site.