![]() We have killed the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the Messenger of God, and they killed him not nor did they crucify him, but a likeness of him was shown to them. Secondly, in the chapter `Al-Nisa, God Exalted says:Īnd for their disbelief and for their uttering against Mary a grievous calumny (We condemned them): And for their saying. Then to Me is your return, so I shall decide between you concerning that wherein you differ. When God said, `O Jesus, I will cause thee to die and exalt thee in My presence and clear thee of those who disbelieve and make those who follow thee above those who disbelieve to the day of Resurrection. And they (the Jews) planned and God (also) planned. Our Lord, we believe in that which Thou hast revealed and we follow the Messenger, so write us down with those who bear witness. We believe in God, and bear thou witness that we are submitting ones (the Arabic word used in the text is Muslims). ![]() First, God says in the chapter of `Al-Imran:īut when Jesus perceived disbelief on their part, he said “Who will be my helpers in God’s way?” The disciples said: We are God’s helpers. In three chapters the Holy Qur’an deals with the question of Jesus’ end. And even Jesus Christ Himself, spent 40 days in the wilderness for His preparation and transition into the start of His earthly ministry.His Eminence Shaikh Mahmoud Shaltout – Rector of Al-Azhar University We also see Elijah being prepared for his transition and new assignment as a prophet of God, during the 40 days that he made his way to Mount Horeb (1 Kings 19:8). The end of the 40 years marked a critical transition in his life from being a shepherd leader overseeing a flock of sheep to a shepherding leader who oversaw the people of God. Moses spent 40 years in the wilderness being prepared to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and through the wilderness. ![]() One last note worth mentioning before I close - in the Bible, “40” is the number that signifies two things: 1) preparation, and 2) transition. My prayer is that the lessons, counsel, and even pearls of wisdom gleaned from this season will go with you and serve you well in the seasons ahead. Perhaps you are learning that it is truly better to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). Perhaps the Lord is teaching you again about what it means to entrust Him with all things and not just a few.Īnd from my conversations with others, I sensed that God is teaching some of you again about what it means to live a kingdom-oriented life - what it means to not only love God but to love your neighbor (quite literally) as you love yourself, and what it means to live a life of simplicity that lends its way to greater generosity. And that you don’t have as much control over your life as you might have thought. That He is the true Provider for your family. Perhaps for others of you, God is teaching you again that He is the true Owner of your business. Perhaps there has been a re-arranging of your priorities or a reorganizing of your values. He invited His disciples to touch and see Him up close (Luke 24:39 John 20:27).įor some of you, I sense that perhaps the Lord has been speaking to you about what is truly important in life. He did this by eating with them, as He did with Cleopas and the unnamed disciple on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35), and feeding His disciples as He did by the Sea of Galilee (John 21:12-13). I’d like to share a couple of things that Jesus did with His disciples in those 40 days.Īcts 1:3 tells us that one of the primary things that Jesus did with His disciples in those 40 days of being with them prior to His ascension was that “He presented himself to them” and showed them convincingly that He was very much alive. ![]() So, what did Jesus do in those 40 days with His disciples that prepared them for the great transition that was to come? And, how does this inform us as His followers today? It would also be a time of preparation for a great transition that would come through Pentecost - when the Church of Jesus Christ would be birthed and the lives of these disciples would never be the same again. For one, it would be Jesus’ last moments with His disciples before He ascended into heaven. And while we do not have a detailed account of everything that Jesus did with His disciples over the course of those 40 days, we do know this time was significant. Acts 1:1-3 tells us that from the time that Jesus rose again from the grave (Resurrection) to the time that He ascended into heaven (Ascension), it was a period of 40 days.
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