Jesus’ appearances and ascension context

The third time Jesus appears to His disciples after His resurrection, He finds His disciples by the sea: 

After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing… Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord… This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”… This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true. —John 21:1-3, 10-12, 14-15, 24

And Matthew shares Jesus’s sending mission in Chapter 28:18- 20, which could aptly be considered “The Great Going:” 

“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”

If we compare the “great sending” passage of John 17:18 and 20:21-23 with the “great going” passage of Matthew 28:18-20, we see Jesus’s awesome authority and directions to disciple, to baptize, and to teach – all of which are a part of the great sending. His command to “Go” in Matthew 28 can be interpreted in a number of ways: having gone, going, as you are going, now that you have been sent.

Finally, Jesus appears with God’s sending mission in Luke 24:49-50 and in Acts 1:8 (words in bold are author’s emphasis):

And behold, I am sending (apŏstĕllō) the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high. Then he led them out as far as Bethany and lifting up his hands he blessed them. —Luke 24:49-50 

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

—Acts 1:8