The Ascension of Christ - Is It True?

            Today is the day we celebrate the ascension of Christ. Christians believe that Christ rose from the dead.  The Bible records He was seen by many witnesses, among them the twelve Apostles; Christ’s mother, Mary; Mary Magdalene; Paul and over 500 other witnesses.  He remained on earth for 40 days, teaching his Apostles and visiting with his closest followers. It was reported that they sat and ate with Him and talked with Him. Thomas declared that he would not believe unless he placed his hands in Christ’s wounds, and so he did. All of these witnesses claim that they saw Christ bodily, not as a spirit, after he was crucified. Can we believe these accounts? Each person has to decide for himself, but many of these followers, including eleven of the Apostles and Paul were executed for their assertions. They died claiming that they saw the risen Christ. Would anyone willing die for a belief that they knew to be a lie? This was one reason why Christianity spread so quickly throughout the known world. People believed them.

Forty days after Christ rose from the dead, He gathered His Apostles and said, “And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him” (Acts 1:8-9). This event is known as the Ascension, when Christ was visibly taken into heaven. Hard to believe, isn’t it? That is why Christianity is so unique. This is not a religion of philosophies. It requires one to believe in the unbelievable! It is either genuine truth or it is a lie. If you knew someone who was willing to die for their conviction, for an event which they claimed to have witnessed, would you believe? If you consider that it may be true, then you must also consider Christ’s claim to be God. Only God could be responsible for such an implausible miracle. What other explanation is there for what they saw? Do you believe that they were telling the truth?

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