The resurrection and ascension of Yeshua/Jesus

36 As they were still talking about these things, Yeshua (Jesus; Grk. Yesus) himself suddenly was there standing in the room and greeted them, “Peace to you all.”

37 However, they got a fright, and then were terrified thinking that it was a spirit. 38 Then he spoke to them again, “Why are you all upset, and why are you thinking such stuff? 39 Look at my hands and feet and you’ll see that it’s me. Touch me and look, because spirits don’t have solid bodies like you can see that I have.”

40 Then he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 Some of them, still not believing, had a mixture of happiness and doubt, and he asked them, “Have you got anything here to eat?” 42 They handed him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate it in front of them.

44 Then he told them, “While I was still with you all, I told you those messages of mine, and how that everything written about me by Mosheh (Moses) and the prophets and in the songs, it’s all going to be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to be able to understand the scriptures, and he told them, 46 “It was written that the messiah would suffer and come back to life on the third day, 47 and that his name will be proclaimed as the authority to forgive the sins of the people when they repent—people from every country beginning here in Yerushalem (Jerusalem). 48 You all are witnesses of all that. 49 Soon I’ll be sending out the one that my father promised to you all, but meanwhile you must remain here in the city until you all get clothed in power that comes from heaven.”[ref]

19 On Sunday evening Yeshua’s (Jesus; Grk. Yesus) apprentices had met together and had the doors locked because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, but Yeshua arrived and stood in the middle of the room and said, “Peace to you all.” 20 Then he showed them his hands and his side and they were so happy now that they had seen the master. 21 Yeshua continued, “Peace to you all. Now I’m sending you all out just like the father sent me out.” 22 Then he breathed on them[ref] and said, “Receive the holy spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, then they’ll be forgiven but if you withhold forgiveness, then it will be withheld.”[ref]

24 But Toma (Thomas), one of the twelve (nicknamed ‘Twin’), wasn’t with them when Yeshua (Jesus; Grk. Yesus) had come 25 so the other apprentices told him, “We have seen the master.”

But he replied, “I won’t believe that unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and I can put my finger into the marks and can put my hand into the gash on his side.”

26 Eight days later, Yeshua’s apprentices were again together inside, and this time Toma was with them. 27 Yeshua came and stood in the middle of the room even though the doors were shut, and said, “Peace to you all.”

28 Toma spoke up, “My master and my god!”

29 “So you believe now because you’ve seen me,” said Yeshua. “The ones who haven’t seen me, but who believe anyway, will certainly be rewarded.”

30 Yeshua (Jesus; Grk. Yesus) went on to do many other miracles in front of his apprentices which aren’t recorded in this account. 31 But what has been written here has been recorded so that you might all believe that Yeshua is the messiah, God’s son, and then by believing, so that you might have true life through his power.

15 Now brothers and sisters, I want to remind you all about the good message that I preached to you, which you then received and now base your faith on. 2 You’re all saved by that good message if you hold firmly to what I preached to you, assuming that you didn’t just ‘say that’ you believe.

3 Yes, first of all, I passed onto you all what I myself had received: that Messiah died for our sins as the scriptures had predicted,[ref] 4 and that he was buried and then brought back to life on the third day as per the scriptures again,[ref] 5 and that he was seen by Kefa (Cephas; Grk. Kefas)[ref] and then by the twelve.[ref] 6 Then he was seen by more than 500 believers at once—most of whom are still living, although some have already passed away. 7 Then he was seen by Ya’akov (James; Grk. Yakobos), and then by all the ambassadors.

8 Then last of all, as if I’d been born at the wrong time, he appeared to me also,[ref]

12 Now if the message declares that Messiah was killed and then raised back to life, how come some of you are saying that no one comes back to life? 13 If no one who’s dead comes back to life, then Messiah couldn’t have come back to life, 14 and if Messiah hasn’t come back to life, then our preaching is meaningless and so is your faith! 15 Not only that, it would make us into fraudsters lying about God, because we’ve testified that God brought Messiah back to life, but that can’t be true if the dead can’t come back to life. 16 Because if the dead don’t come back to life, then Messiah can’t have come back to life, 17 but if Messiah didn’t come back to life, then your faith is wasted and you’re all still just unforgiven sinners. 18 Again, if that’s the case, those believers who’ve passed away simply perished. 19 If our hope in Messiah only applies to this life, then we should be pitied more than anyone else.

20 But Messiah has indeed come back to life from the dead, leading the way for those who have passed away, 21 because since death came through a man (Adam), then the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man (Yeshua). 22 Just as everyone who’s in Adam will die, so everyone who’s in Messiah will come back to life, 23 but each in his own turn: first Messiah will be leading, then when he returns, those who belong to him. 24 Then the end will come when he hands over the kingship to God the Father after he’s destroyed all rule, and all authority and power, 25 because he must reign until he’s defeated all his enemies.[ref] 26 The final enemy to be abolished will be death itself 27 because (as David wrote), ‘God has made everything subject to him.’[ref] (Now when it says ‘everything’, of course that doesn’t include God who’s the one that made it happen.) 28 And when everything has been put under his control, then the son himself will submit to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God will be in total control.

1 Dear Theofilos, I wrote my first account[ref] about all the things that Yeshua (Jesus; Grk. Yesus) began to do and to teach 2 until the day when he was taken up into the sky[ref] after, with the help of the holy spirit, having commanded the missionaries that he had chosen.

3 After the time of his suffering, Yeshua (Jesus; Grk. Yesus) presented himself to them in ways that were infallible proofs that he was alive again—appearing to them and telling them about God’s kingdom. 4 Once when they were together, he told them, “Don’t leave Yerushalem (Jerusalem), but wait there for what was promised by the father, as you all have already heard me say.[ref] 5 Yohan (John; Grk. Yoannes) immersed people in water, but you’ll all be immersed in the holy spirit in just a few days.”[ref]

6 So when they were next gathered together, they asked him, “Master, is this now the time when you’ll be restoring the kingdom to Yisrael (Israel)?”[fn]

7 But Yeshua (Jesus; Grk. Yesus) responded to them, “You don’t need to know the times or seasons when future events will happen—it’s the father who decides all that. 8 However, you all will be receiving power when the holy spirit lands on you. Then you’ll tell people about me in Yerushalem (Jerusalem) and all across the provinces of Yehudah (Judea) and Shomron (Samaria), and all the way to the furthest parts of the planet.”[ref] 9 After he’d said that and while they were still looking at him, he was lifted up into the sky until they could no longer see him because of the clouds.[ref]

10 As they stood there staring into the sky after he’d gone, suddenly two men in white clothes were standing beside them 11 and said, “You men from Galil! Why are you still standing there looking up at the sky? This Yeshua who’s been taken up away from you into heaven will come back in the same way that you saw him go up into heaven.”

15 Because of that, and because I heard about your faith in the master Yeshua (Jesus; Grk. Yesus) and your acceptance of all the pure believers, 16 I don’t stop giving thanks for all of you, mentioning you in my prayers, 17 asking the God of our master Yeshua the messiah to give you spiritual wisdom and to reveal the knowledge about him. 18 I ask that your inner thoughts will be enlightened so that you’ll all know the expectation of what he’s calling you to—the riches of the greatness of his inheritance for the believers 19 and the exceeding greatness of his power to help us who believe, according to the working of the power of his strength. 20 He worked this power in the messiah when he brought him back to life and seated him in the place of honour in heavenly places[ref]—21 giving him authority over every law and government, and over every powerful group and organisation, and over every earthly title, not only in the present age but also in the age to come. 22 Everything in existence will be under his authority[ref] and God set him in charge of all matters concerning the assembly, 23 which is his body—the completeness of the messiah who completes everything.