Dear Ray,
I understand you may not have the time to answer this but perhaps sometime you can address it on your website.
Where did Christ go as he 'ascended' to the Father? Also, why was he not to be touched before this event?
Thank you!
William
PS - much encouragement to you and yours - this website has changed my life.
Dear William:
A friend asked me about this just a couple of weeks ago. The Father resides in "the heavens." The heavens are a realm, not a geographical location.
Jesus did not say "touch me not," as we have proof to the contrary in this very same incident recorded in Matt. 28:9-10:
"And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And the came and HELD HIM BY THE FEET [clearly they WERE 'touching' Him], and worshipped Him."
The first definition of the Greek word 'haptomia' is "to ATTACH oneself." As we clearly see in their "Holding Him by the feet." Rotherham translates this: "...be not DETAINING me..." James Moffatt translates it: "Cease CLINING to Me." The American Standard Version has: "Stop HOLDING ON to Me..."
Apparently, Jesus was resurrected just moments before the women arrived at the tomb. When they finally recognized Him as Lord, they GRABBED HIM and wouldn't let Him go--worshipping (as He was clearly resurrected from the dead, hence, truly, the Son of God).
The thing that Jesus told His disciples a couple of days earlier was that He must RETURN to His Father. And the reason was two-fold: [1] To receive BACK the glory which He had with His Father from the beginning, and [2] He told them that unless He "went away (to the father) the Comforter would not come to them.
Jesus appeared three time to His disciples within the first 12 hours: [1] To the women at the tomb, {2] To the two men traveling on the road to Emaus, and [3] Sunday evening when the disciples (save Thomas) where gathered together behind closed doors. At that very time, Jesus gave his Apostles (not His all of His disciples, but His APOSTLES) the Holy Spirit:
"Then the same day at evening being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut...He said unto them Peace be unto you: as My Father has sent Me, even so send I you. And when He had said this, He breathed OLN THEM, AND SAID UNTO THEM, receive ye the holy spirit..but Thomas was not with them" (John 20:19-24).
Talk to you later, Lary,
Ray
