THE
POST-RESURRECTION APPEARANCES OF JESUS CHRIST
During the forty day
period following the resurrection of JESUS CHRIST, there were numerous
occasions when He appeared dramatically to His disciples, manifesting tangible
confirmation that He was indeed alive and had totally triumphed over Satan,
sin, death, hell and the grave.
On Resurrection
Sunday, Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene, to Mary (the mother of James),
Joanna, “and other women that were with them.” (Mark 16:9 – Matthew 28:9 – Luke
24:10) They were duly commissioned to
share the good news with the eleven surviving disciples.
Hearing this news,
Peter raced to the sepulcher. On the
road to Emmaus, Jesus appeared and conversed with two of His followers, Peter
and Cleopas, who did not immediately recognize Him. Jesus then expounded the scriptures to them,
explaining how the Son of God must have suffered to enter into His glory. Dr. Luke outlined their personal encounter
with Christ. Here’s how it ended:
Luke 24:28-35 (NKJV)
28 Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. 29 But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them. 30 Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. 32 And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” 33 So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 35 And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread.
28 Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. 29 But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them. 30 Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. 32 And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” 33 So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 35 And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread.
That same Sunday
evening, Jesus appeared to ten of His disciples. Judas was deceased; Thomas was absent.
John 20:19-20 (NKJV)
19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
Eight days later,
Jesus appeared again to His disciples, Thomas being present.
John 20:26-28 (NKJV)
26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
While seven of the
disciples were fishing on the Sea of Tiberias, Jesus appeared and performed a
miracle of abundance. Obeying Jesus’
directive, they caught 153 large fish and dined sumptuously with The
Master. “This is now the third time
Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.” (John
21:14) On various occasions, simply by
eating food with His disciples and also by appearing and vanishing before their
eyes, Jesus displayed key characteristics of His post-resurrection body, which
believers will also possess at His second coming. (I Corinthians 15:50-55)
The Apostle Paul
also recorded an occasion when Jesus was seen by “five hundred brethren at
once,” indicating that His appearances were not limited to the inner circle of
disciples, but occurred publicly. (I Corinthians 15:6) Paul also documented Christ’s private
appearances to James and to himself (on the road to Damascus), “as one born out
of due time.” (I Corinthians 15:7-8 – Acts 9:1-5)
Furthermore, Jesus appeared
to eleven disciples on a mountain in Galilee. “When they saw Him, they
worshiped Him; but some doubted.” (Matthew 28:16-17) There they received the apostolic authority to
evangelize the entire world, known to us today as THE GREAT COMMISSION.
Matthew 28:18-20
(NKJV)
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
In the prologue to
The Acts of the Apostles, Dr. Luke recorded the final appearance, impartation
and instruction of Jesus Christ:
Acts 1:1-9 (NKJV)
1 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, 3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. 4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
1 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, 3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. 4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
HALLELUJAH, WHAT A SAVIOR! Whenever
I reflect on the life and legacy of JESUS CHRIST, I stand in awe of Him. It is my prayer that we will walk daily in
the love, grace, mercy, humility, authority and power of the Risen Savior. And may we always live in His righteousness
and with earnest expectation of His imminent return. (Acts 1:10-11 - Titus
2:11-13)
Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and
please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING.
Maranatha!
No comments:
Post a Comment