The Power of the Cross Was Made Accessible With the Resurrection. Eternal Life is Knowing the Ascended Lord, Not Jesus of Nazareth

[Mr. M]

Philippians Three:

10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection,

and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect:

but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do,

forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Knowing the testimony of Christ on earth is insufficient!

Second Corinthians Five:

14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus:

that if One died for all, then all died; 

15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer

for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh.

Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, 

yet now we know Him thus no longer. 

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; 

old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 

To know the Son in Unity With the Father, and at His Right Hand

John

Seventeen:

3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God,

and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 

4 I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work 

which You have given Me to do. 

5 And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself,

with the glory which I had with You before the world.

The Ascension was necessary to give Life

Sixteen:

5 “But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none

of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ 

6 But because I have said these things to you, 

sorrow has filled your heart. 

7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage

that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not

come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.

Fourteen:

12 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me,

the works that I do he will do also; and greater works 

than these he will do, because I go to My Father. 

13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do,

that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 

14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.

Seven:

37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out,

saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 

38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, o

ut of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” 

39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit,

whom those believing in Him would receive;

for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, 

because Jesus was not yet glorified.

[Mr. M]

The Lord's first priority after His Resurrection was to restore the faith of His disciples. They had been scattered after His arrest in Gethsemane. Peter had denied Him*! To make matters worse, when eye witnesses reported seeing the Resurrected Christ, they were in unbelief!

Mark Sixteen:

6-8 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples—*and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.” So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

9-11 Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.

12-14 After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country. And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either. Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. 

Before the Comfort comes, there is the rebuke, the chastisement. We know that the Comforter could not be sent to indwell the disciples until after the Ascension. However, with the Lord still with them, He was well able to restore and comfort them simply with a breath.

This in no way was the indwelling that would be necessary to fulfill their ministry. They had to wait until "they were endured with Power from on high". Now the Comforter would remain with them, and they could abide in Him. Not just to receive the comfort and cleansing of the word, but the Power to overcome the World.

To attain the fullness of Joy, and experience the Peace that passes comprehension. This is to enter His rest, and abide together in His Love by our Fellowship.