Jesus' final 40 Days - What happened between resurrection and ascension?
- Eljoh Hartzer, MTh
- Feb 11
- 6 min read
Updated: Feb 20
According to Acts 1:3, 40 days passed between resurrection and ascension. In this article, we'll explore what Jesus got up to in the forty days following His victory over death and before He ascended to be with the Father.
Hint: At the very end of this article is a free worksheet for you to personally and prayerfully engage deeper
This series of articles will cover the key events of Easter in the order that they're celebrated in in the Christian tradition.
Click the following titles to read about the true meaning of Easter and each day of Holy Week:
What happened between resurrection and ascension?
In the broader story of the Easter timeline, this is an important part that is often skipped or forgotten.
On Resurrection Sunday Jesus rose from the dead, but after that some significant events took place as well...
He appeared to the women outside the tomb
Jesus walked with people on the Emmaus Road, connecting the dots in the Old Testament for them (Luke 24:30-32)
He appeared to His disciples a few times
He let Thomas touch His wounds
He ate fish with His disciples (on 2 occasions)
He restored Peter
He let the disciples 'cast their net to the other side', leading to the miraculous catch of fish
He promised the gift of the Holy Spirit - many times
He gave the Great Commission (Matthew 28, last verses)
Journaling Prompts about the days between resurrection and ascension
Write a list of all the events that the Gospels and Acts tell us that happened in these forty days
Journal a page where you rewrite the Emmaus Road story in your own words
Craft a poem-prayer about Jesus' final days on Earth
Do a Bible Study on the gift Jesus promised, the Holy Spirit
Draw a picture of the Great Commission
Research the meaning of 'Missio Dei' and prayerfully consider your role in it
This day in the Gospels versus Acts
Acts 1:3 (NIV) - written by Luke
After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.
Matthew 28:16-20 (NIV) - final verses
16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Mark 16:9-14 and 19-20 (NIV)
[The earliest manuscripts and some other ancient witnesses do not have verses 9–20.]
9 When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. 11 When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it.
12 Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. 13 These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either.
14 Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.
...
19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. 20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.
Luke 24:30-32 (NIV)
30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
(For the whole story, read the entire chapter 24)
John 21:25 (NIV)
25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.
(For the whole story, read the entire chapter 20 and 21)
Understanding this in the Old Testament
The Bible tells one beautiful story: God's big story.
The number forty is very significant in the whole Bible - it is a number of wholeness, completion, and God's perfect timing. Below are some examples of the number 40 in the Bible:
(The following list is from biblicalviewpoint.com)
The rains fell in Noah’s day for 40 days and nights (Genesis 7:4)
Israel ate manna and wandered in the wilderness for 40 years (Exodus 16:35)
Moses was with God on the mountain, 40 days and nights, without eating bread or water (Exodus 24:18, 34:28)
The spies searched the land of Canaan for 40 days (Numbers 13:25)
40 lashes (stripes) was the maximum whipping penalty (Deuteronomy 25:3)
God allowed the land to rest for 40 years (Judges 3:11, 5:31, 8:28)
Abdon, a judge in Israel, had 40 sons (Judges 12:14)
Israel did evil; God gave them to an enemy for 40 years (Judges 13:1)
Eli judged Israel for 40 years (1 Samuel 4:18)
Goliath presented himself to Israel for 40 days (1 Samuel 17:16)
Saul reigned for 40 years (Acts 13:21)
Ishbosheth (Saul’s son) was 40 years old when he began to reign (2 Samuel 2:10)
David reigned over Israel for 40 years (2 Samuel 5:4, 1 Kings 2:11)
Solomon reigned the same length as his father, 40 years (1 Kings 11:42)
The holy place of the temple was 40 cubits long (1 Kings 6:17)
Elijah had one meal that gave him strength for 40 days (1 Kings 19:8)
Ezekiel bore the iniquity of the house of Judah for 40 days (Ezekiel 4:6)
Joash reigned 40 years in Jerusalem (2 Kings 12:1)
Egypt to be laid desolate for 40 years (Ezekiel 29:11-12)
God gave Ninevah 40 days to repent (Jonah 3:4)
Jesus fasted 40 days and nights (Matthew 4:2)
Jesus was tempted 40 days (Luke 4:2, Mark 1:13)
If you've been wanting to dive deeper into the Bible yourself, I want to invite you to consider the following encounter tool:
A Prayer as we reflect on Jesus' last days on Earth
Dear Jesus, You became like us, left Your holy throne and glory behind, humbled yourself and walked in the dust. Even after You defeated death and rose again, You did not rush off to Heaven. First, You chose to visit us again, show us Your scars, and promise to send us a Helper. You did not leave us alone - and I am never alone for You are with me. Amen.
Wrap up series: the days in Holy Week
We've (finally) come to the end of this series on the days of Holy Week and what a journey it has been. My prayer is that these contemplative articles helped you see Easter in a new way. Instead of just going through the motions of the holiday and doing the things we've always done, let's infuse our Easter celebrations with new meaning and passion going forward.
Explore other events in the Easter story:
Below is a free printable worksheet PDF to go deeper with today's topic on the Easter timeline:
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