Ascending to the Father
Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’”
Listen to the "Verse by Verse" episode covering this scripture.
Jesus was resurrected late on Saturday afternoon, three days and three nights after He was placed in the tomb. When Mary Magdalene came to the tomb very early Sunday morning “while it was still dark,” she found that the stone had already been rolled away. She was convinced that “they have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him” (John 20:1-2).
Soon, Jesus Himself appeared to Mary Magdalene, giving her the message to give to the disciples (verse 17). He had not yet ascended to God, but later the same day He was back to meet with the disciples, showing them His hands and His side (verses 19-20).
Christ’s ascension to the Father on the day after the Sabbath fulfilled the typology of the wave sheaf offering mentioned in Leviticus 23:9-10.
For a detailed explanation of the biblical chronology of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection, including a helpful chart, see “Sign of Jonah: Did Jesus Die Good Friday, Rise on Easter?”
